Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1534385
26 PCB007 MAGAZINE I APRIL 2025 As an industry veteran of almost 35 years, I've witnessed the alarming contraction of Ameri- ca's microelectronics ecosystem. At the turn of the century, America boasted more than 2,000 printed circuit board manufacturers. Today that number has fallen to less than 150. Like other microelectronics we invented and perfected, PCB manufacturing was offshored to Asia, which undermined our ability to par- ticipate fully in the growing global PCB mar- ket. Our steady decline in global market share comes with an additional cost: U.S. PCB man- ufacturers are increasingly being le behind in adopting the latest equipment and process innovations that are being introduced in Asia. is gradual decoupling challenges our ability America, It's Time to Reclaim Manufacturing Leadership American Made Advocacy by Shane Whiteside, PCBAA to evolve with commercial design trends and will cause further decline in global share if not addressed. e dominance of PCB manufacturing we see in Asian countries is no accident and didn't happen overnight. It is the result of focused industrial policy over decades. China, South Korea, Malaysia, and Vietnam provided signif- icant government support and private invest- ment followed. Today as manufacturers explore a China Plus One strategy, countries like ailand have fol- lowed others to add yet one more competitor in the world market. America's leaders have seen the threat of for- eign dependency and have begun to act, with