Signs of an escalating chip trade war were evident already in October last year. Now, a set of new strategic measures have further ignited the conflict, raising fears over the stability of the global supply chain, and even threatening to derail the EU’s green transition.
For those who want more insight, I highly recommend reading ‘Chip War’ by Chris Miller. When one thinks of ‘tech’, semiconductors are often overlooked as it’s not as sexy as AI, EVs, or the latest iGadgets. It wasn’t until the pandemic hit that governments and people start realizing the importance chips play in our everyday lives. The semiconductor industry is the backbone of the entire tech sector and not only does it drive a nation’s economic growth, it also serves national security purposes too. As an industry veteran, I have observed how China had been investing heavily (funding domestic chip startups, education and university research, recruitment of talent, etc.) while the West continued to offshore their manufacturing and supply chains. The pandemic was a wake-up call and I’m happy that the US is re-focused on chips and trying to compete again. Let’s hope we can motivate a new generation of workers to study semiconductors and enter the field because we have a huge shortage of qualified engineers and technicians needed to support the industry.