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68 PCB007 MAGAZINE I SEPTEMBER 2024 So, where do we go from here? How do we apply these lessons to the challenges that remain? Congress needs to support the rest of the technology stack. Simply put, chips don't float, and that's why an American ecosystem that includes PCBs and integrated circuit substrates is so impor- tant. Just building an industrial base for semi- conductors won't solve our dependency on for- eign sourcing or create a sustainable ecosystem. is is why every one of you should write to their elected representatives and tell them how important it is to support policies and legisla- tion that do for PCBs and substrates what was done for chips. We need more co-sponsors for H.R. 3249, and your communication with leg- islators can make a difference. e CHIPS Act proved that policymakers can act and industry is ready to respond. Let's build on what America has already accom- plished by investing in a truly secure and resil- ient supply chain. PCB007 Shane Whiteside is president and CEO of Summit Intercon- nect and current chair of the Printed Circuit Board Associa- tion of America. To read past columns, click here. shipping attacks, and other disruptions con- tinue to dominate the headlines. If the goods you rely on are always an ocean away, uncer- tainty and fluctuation are now your business reality. In 2024, mitigating this risk and mak- ing contingency plans are the responsibility of every executive. e lessons learned from the past few years also point to the need for more American production of microelectronics like PCBs and substrates. 3. National Security and Industrial Policy are Inextricably Linked Bringing high-tech manufacturing back to America is about more than jobs and dollars. Our leaders in Washington are beginning to understand that our military systems and crit- ical infrastructure are powered by microelec- tronics, and they are asking important ques- tions about where that technology comes from. We find that we need to educate legislators on this point. Many of them were under the mis- taken impression that the CHIPS Act took care of our reliance on Asia. What they learn is that chips are only one part of a long and vulnera- ble supply chain and that we also cannot pro- duce the PCBs and substrates American indus- try needs aer decades of offshoring.