WASHINGTON – A U.S. Semiconductor Industry Association delegation (SIA) will travel to Xiamen, China for the 75th World Semiconductor Council Joint Steering Committee (JSTC) meetings from March 7-10. The meetings will include our industry counterparts from China, Chinese Taipei, the EU, Japan, and Korea. This will be SIA’s first trip to China since the start of COVID and represents an important opportunity to discuss shared industry concerns about recent issues relating to trade, global supply chain, government support, environmental, and other developments.

The semiconductor industry is one of the most globally integrated industries, spanning dozens of nations with thousands of suppliers. As a result, semiconductors are the fourth-most traded good with nearly $1.5 trillion in annual trade flows. While the United States is rightly focused on supply-chain resilience and rebuilding our industrial base with the passage and enactment of the CHIPS Act, as U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo recently stated,[1] the U.S. can never be fully self-sufficient. This means access to global markets and supply chains is integral to the future success of the U.S. semiconductor industry. In fact, more than 80% of all U.S. semiconductors are sold overseas, meaning the new fabs and jobs created with support from the U.S. CHIPS Act will need greater access to global markets to be financially viable and globally competitive. SIA and its members are committed to both rebuilding American supply chains while further promoting more access to global markets and facilitating increased global trade through deeper international collaboration with all key partners and nations.

Essential to this mission is the World Semiconductor Council (WSC).[2] Established in 1996 as a forum for the world’s key semiconductor-producing nations and regions, its role is to help coordinate industry and government initiatives and policies to ensure our industry remains healthy. Few industries have such a body, and from day one, the WSC has been a shining example of our industry’s commitment to international cooperation and policies that foster fairness and openness in the semiconductor industry. For example:

• The WSC has successfully promoted a tariff-free global environment for the trade of semiconductor products, successfully adding Multi-Component and Multi-Chip and Multi-Component packages (MCOs and MCPs) to the WTO’s Information Technology Agreement.
• On the environmental front, the WSC was recognized by the U.S. Environment Protection Agency (EPA) as part of its first Climate Protection Award, in recognition of the semiconductor industry’s efforts to commit to significant reductions in emissions of greenhouse gases used in the semiconductor manufacturing process. Under the umbrella of the WSC, the global industry has exceeded its initial 10% reduction goal for perfluorocarbons (PFC) emissions and achieved a 32% decrease over a ten-year period.[3]The WSC also coordinated efforts of the global industry to eliminate the use of PFOS, a chemical of concern previously used in semiconductor manufacturing, and in efforts to phase out the use of another chemical, PFOA.
• Most recently, the cooperation among WSC members was critical to keeping semiconductor operations up and running during COVID forced closures. All six WSC members swiftly signed three COVID-related global industry statements, having real, meaningful impact to convince governments around the world to designate our sector as “essential.”

These are just a few examples of how the strong relationships and trust built through the WSC have helped our industry prosper. As we look to the future, SIA remains committed to working with our counterparts in China, Chinese Taipei, Japan, Korea, and Europe through the WSC and GAMS to establish a vibrant global policy and innovation ecosystem for our industry and ensure the world continues to reap the benefits of innovative solutions to any future challenges.

Next week’s JSTC meeting will tee up the work for the CEO-level WSC meeting, which will take place in May this year in Seoul to prepare detailed policy recommendations to their governments for the annual Government Authorities Meeting on Semiconductors (GAMS). The U.S. will then host the 2023 GAMS meeting in Phoenix, Arizona this October. The WSC and GAMS are invaluable forums, unmatched by other sectors, providing a unique opportunity for our industry to convey the importance of cooperation and explore areas of mutual interest with our governments and authorities.

With global trade tensions on the rise, there is an urgent need for government policies that support open markets, innovation, and secure and resilient global supply chains. We look forward to continuing to pursue these policies alongside our global counterparts at next week’s JSTC meeting in Xiamen.

WASHINGTON – The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) today released the following statement from SIA President and CEO John Neuffer in response to the Commerce Department’s release of a Notice of Funding Opportunity, a procedural step that sets in motion the process for companies to apply for manufacturing grants under the CHIPS and Science Act (see summary fact sheet here).

“Today’s action marks an important step forward in the implementation of the CHIPS and Science Act, a landmark law that will boost U.S. semiconductor production and innovation for years to come. We are carefully reviewing the Commerce Department’s Notice of Funding Opportunity, which lays out the rules of the road for companies to apply for the CHIPS Act’s manufacturing grants.

“In anticipation of CHIPS grants, companies in the semiconductor ecosystem have announced dozens of new projects across America since the bill was introduced. These announced projects will total hundreds of billions of dollars in private investments and support hundreds of thousands of U.S. jobs. The CHIPS Act’s manufacturing grants—along with the new law’s substantial investments in semiconductor research—will help reinvigorate the U.S. economy and reinforce America’s national security and critical supply chains.

“As Commerce Secretary Raimondo highlighted during her remarks at Georgetown University last week, CHIPS implementation provides an historic opportunity to ‘unite behind a shared objective … and think boldly and think big.’ We stand ready to work with Secretary Raimondo and leaders in the Commerce Department’s CHIPS Office to ensure the new law is implemented effectively, efficiently, and expeditiously.”

CLEVELAND, OH – NSL Analytical Services announced today that Dr. Edward Herderick has joined the materials and analytical testing company as Vice President of Science and Technology Development. Dr. Herderick is a leading expert in additive manufacturing, advanced ceramics, and materials characterization and will be focused on expanding NSL’s market-leading testing capabilities.

A 17-year veteran in materials evaluation and development, Dr. Herderick has extensive experience testing and implementing complex manufacturing technology solutions for clients in the aerospace, power generation, transportation, healthcare, and other diversified industrial sectors. He has held leadership roles at The Ohio State University, General Electric (NYSE:GE), Ohio-based startup rp+m, and the Edison Welding Institute. Dr. Herderick is also active in the materials community having served on the Board of Directors and as a Foundation Trustee for The Minerals, Metals, & Materials Society (TMS) and on the executive committee for America Makes. Dr. Herderick earned his PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from The Ohio State University.

“Ed brings nearly two decades of material science expertise to our organization. Ed’s leadership will no doubt be a force multiplier for our clients as NSL continues supporting them with industry-leading service and testing technology,” said Ron Wesel, CEO of NSL Analytical Services.

“My passion is bringing new materials technologies to market for high consequence applications,” said Dr. Herderick. “I am thrilled to join the NSL Analytical team to further testing and qualification solutions for our customers across materials science applications, from additive to batteries to hypersonics and beyond.”

Dr. Herderick’s hiring comes as NSL, a portfolio company of May River Capital, continues to invest heavily in leading-edge materials and analytical testing capabilities. The firm recently added new LC MS-MS, stress rupture, and elevated temperature testing capabilities, with additional testing services scheduled for roll out later in 2023.

In addition to Ed’s full time role as VP of Science and Technology Development at NSL, Ed will join May River Capital’s Executive Resource Group to assist May River’s portfolio companies with opportunities and initiatives within the specialized material science and additive manufacturing categories.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, issued a statement after the Department of Commerce released the first Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for CHIPS Act incentives, welcoming the announcement:

“The projects that will be made possible by the CHIPS Act will strengthen our national security and create good-paying manufacturing jobs here in the United States. With limited funding available, I urge the Department of Commerce to be strategic in selecting projects in order to ensure that funding advances U.S. economic and national security objectives.”

Nearly everything that has an “on” switch – from cars to phones to washing machines to ATMs to electric toothbrushes – contains a semiconductor, but just 12 percent of these ‘chips’ are currently made in America. The CHIPS and Science Act includes $52 billion in funding championed by Sen. Warner to manufacture chips here on American soil – a move that will increase economic and national security and help America compete against countries like China for the technology of the future.

Sen. Warner, co-chair of the Senate Cybersecurity Caucus and former technology entrepreneur, has long sounded the alarm about the importance of investing in domestic semiconductor manufacturing. Sen. Warner first introduced the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) for America Act in June 2020 along with Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX).