News. |
PCBs mean possibilities for the economy of New England
A story published August 27 in The Boston Globe (link below) discussed the contraction of microelectronics manufacturing in New England, the critical role this technology plays in national security and what can be done bring back these important high tech jobs.
| boston_globe.pdf |
Congress needs to support Connecticut high technology companies
May 20, 2024
Hartford, CT - The CHIPS Act passed last year because legislators on both sides of the aisle worked together when they saw that our share of the world’s supply of semiconductors, commonly called chips, had fallen to 12 percent of the world’s supply. But even though some Connecticut companies that support domestic chip manufacturers are benefiting from that federal funding, the CHIPS Act missed investment in technologies that every chip needs to function.
Hartford, CT - The CHIPS Act passed last year because legislators on both sides of the aisle worked together when they saw that our share of the world’s supply of semiconductors, commonly called chips, had fallen to 12 percent of the world’s supply. But even though some Connecticut companies that support domestic chip manufacturers are benefiting from that federal funding, the CHIPS Act missed investment in technologies that every chip needs to function.
| hartford_courant_op_ed_may_21_2024.pdf |
PCBAA and IPC Call On Congress To Fully Fund Investments in American-Made Microelectronics
May 1, 2024
WASHINGTON – IPC and the Printed Circuit Board Association of America are calling on Congress to fully fund the Defense Production Act Purchases Account and restore funds cut in the FY25 Budget Request,
The FY2025 budget request for the Defense Production Act Purchases (DPAP) program does not request any funding to continue addressing the critical industrial base shortfall identified by Presidential Determination 2023-06 on Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) and Advanced Packaging.
On May 1, a letter (see link below) to House and Senate appropriators signed by leaders of IPC and the Printed Circuit Board Association of America and 54 senior Printed Circuit Board (PCB) industry executives called on Congress to restore these funds which are so critical to our national and economic security.
Semiconductors cannot connect to electronic devices without PCBs. Our armed forces depend on microelectronics found in everything from night vision goggles and drones to avionics and satellites. The success of the CHIPS Act hinges on advanced PCBs. Congress needs to support the full technology stack.
WASHINGTON – IPC and the Printed Circuit Board Association of America are calling on Congress to fully fund the Defense Production Act Purchases Account and restore funds cut in the FY25 Budget Request,
The FY2025 budget request for the Defense Production Act Purchases (DPAP) program does not request any funding to continue addressing the critical industrial base shortfall identified by Presidential Determination 2023-06 on Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) and Advanced Packaging.
On May 1, a letter (see link below) to House and Senate appropriators signed by leaders of IPC and the Printed Circuit Board Association of America and 54 senior Printed Circuit Board (PCB) industry executives called on Congress to restore these funds which are so critical to our national and economic security.
Semiconductors cannot connect to electronic devices without PCBs. Our armed forces depend on microelectronics found in everything from night vision goggles and drones to avionics and satellites. The success of the CHIPS Act hinges on advanced PCBs. Congress needs to support the full technology stack.
| fy25requestceoletter_-_final.pdf |
The FY 24 Defense Appropriation Bill is a Win for American Manufacturing
March 24, 2024,
WASHINGTON - IPC and PCBAA were gratified to see that Congress settled on a favorable budget outcome for the Defense Production Act. As we encouraged in our February letter to Congressional Leadership, a robust level of funding is crucial to revitalizing the American PCB industry and the broader microelectronics ecosystem upon which U.S. military superiority rests. Additionally, this bill includes important guidance directing the Secretary of Defense to prioritize domestic production of printed circuit boards. Our coalition, representing hundreds of companies and tens of thousands of skilled American workers, will continue to push for healthy and uninterrupted funding for the DPA Procurement Account.
WASHINGTON - IPC and PCBAA were gratified to see that Congress settled on a favorable budget outcome for the Defense Production Act. As we encouraged in our February letter to Congressional Leadership, a robust level of funding is crucial to revitalizing the American PCB industry and the broader microelectronics ecosystem upon which U.S. military superiority rests. Additionally, this bill includes important guidance directing the Secretary of Defense to prioritize domestic production of printed circuit boards. Our coalition, representing hundreds of companies and tens of thousands of skilled American workers, will continue to push for healthy and uninterrupted funding for the DPA Procurement Account.
PCBAA Welcomes CHIPS Program Investment in American-made Substrates
March 4, 2024
WASHINGTON - The Printed Circuit Board Association of America welcomes the CHIPS for America program action to make available $300 million via a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for domestic research and development activities to accelerate domestic capacity for advanced packaging substrates and substrate materials.
Integrated circuit substrates are a critical part of the technology stack that powers the microelectronics that make modern life possible. Semiconductors, substrates and printed circuit boards (PCBs) make up the stack that every electronic device needs to function.
PCBAA Executive Director David Schild said, “This is an important expansion of the work being done at the CHIPS program to reshore the industries we invented here in America but long ago offshored. To build a secure and resilient supply chain for all elements of the technology stack, we need a robust American capacity to manufacture all three: semiconductors, IC substrates and PCBs. That’s why we say ‘Chips Don’t Float’. The third element of the technology stack also needs government investment. We are calling on Congress to pass H.R. 3249, the Protecting Circuit Boards and Substrates Act, which would provide $3 billion to fund factory construction, workforce development and R&D along with a 25% tax credit for purchasers of American-made PCBs and substrates."
PCBAA was founded by leading microelectronics manufacturers to educate, advocate and legislate on behalf American-made PCBs, substrates and the raw materials from which they are made.
WASHINGTON - The Printed Circuit Board Association of America welcomes the CHIPS for America program action to make available $300 million via a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for domestic research and development activities to accelerate domestic capacity for advanced packaging substrates and substrate materials.
Integrated circuit substrates are a critical part of the technology stack that powers the microelectronics that make modern life possible. Semiconductors, substrates and printed circuit boards (PCBs) make up the stack that every electronic device needs to function.
PCBAA Executive Director David Schild said, “This is an important expansion of the work being done at the CHIPS program to reshore the industries we invented here in America but long ago offshored. To build a secure and resilient supply chain for all elements of the technology stack, we need a robust American capacity to manufacture all three: semiconductors, IC substrates and PCBs. That’s why we say ‘Chips Don’t Float’. The third element of the technology stack also needs government investment. We are calling on Congress to pass H.R. 3249, the Protecting Circuit Boards and Substrates Act, which would provide $3 billion to fund factory construction, workforce development and R&D along with a 25% tax credit for purchasers of American-made PCBs and substrates."
PCBAA was founded by leading microelectronics manufacturers to educate, advocate and legislate on behalf American-made PCBs, substrates and the raw materials from which they are made.
IPC and PCBAA Warn That Congress Needs to Fully Fund Microelectronics or Face Unacceptable National Security and Economic Risk
February 6, 2024
WASHINGTON – IPC and the Printed Circuit Board Association of America are calling on Congress to fully fund the Defense Production Act Purchases Account at the House-passed level of $618 million and $1.08 billion for the Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment program.
On February 6 they sent a letter (see link below) to House and Senate appropriators signed by leaders of IPC and the Printed Circuit Board Association of America and 54 senior Printed Circuit Board (PCB) industry executives.
These funding sources are crucial to restore the PCB industry, an industry that has been offshored to the point we make only 4 percent of the world’s supply compared to 30 percent 25 years ago.
Semiconductors cannot connect to electronic devices without PCBs. Our armed forces depend on microelectronics found in everything from night vision goggles and drones to avionics and satellites. The success of the CHIPS Act hinges on advanced PCBs. Congress needs to support the full technology stack.
WASHINGTON – IPC and the Printed Circuit Board Association of America are calling on Congress to fully fund the Defense Production Act Purchases Account at the House-passed level of $618 million and $1.08 billion for the Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment program.
On February 6 they sent a letter (see link below) to House and Senate appropriators signed by leaders of IPC and the Printed Circuit Board Association of America and 54 senior Printed Circuit Board (PCB) industry executives.
These funding sources are crucial to restore the PCB industry, an industry that has been offshored to the point we make only 4 percent of the world’s supply compared to 30 percent 25 years ago.
Semiconductors cannot connect to electronic devices without PCBs. Our armed forces depend on microelectronics found in everything from night vision goggles and drones to avionics and satellites. The success of the CHIPS Act hinges on advanced PCBs. Congress needs to support the full technology stack.
| industryletter_fy24appropriations.pdf |
PCBAA's David Schild on Bloomberg's "Balance of Power"
January 31, 2024
David Schild and Bloomberg’s host of “Balance of Power” Joe Mathieu discuss the history and current status of the PCB industry, legislative action needed and the impact of microelectronics across all aspects of modern life.
David Schild and Bloomberg’s host of “Balance of Power” Joe Mathieu discuss the history and current status of the PCB industry, legislative action needed and the impact of microelectronics across all aspects of modern life.
U.S. must invest in advanced electronics manufacturing
January 1, 2024
Calumet, Michigan - National security and economic policy are linked as never before. In a joint op-ed published this week in The Detroit News, Calumet Electronics COO Todd Brassard and PCBAA Chairman Travis Kelly discuss the need to strengthen America's industrial base through investments in microelectronics capacity.
Calumet, Michigan - National security and economic policy are linked as never before. In a joint op-ed published this week in The Detroit News, Calumet Electronics COO Todd Brassard and PCBAA Chairman Travis Kelly discuss the need to strengthen America's industrial base through investments in microelectronics capacity.
| opinion_u.s._must_invest_in_advanced_electronics_manufacturing.pdf |
America's high tech future has a home in South Carolina
October 1, 2023
Aiken, South Carolina - Printed Circuit Boards contain highly specialized materials and South Carolina has the distinction of being home to two companies who are the last producers in America. In a joint op-ed published this week, Scott Northrop of AGY and PCBAA Chairman Travis Kelly explained why investing in American-made microelectronics is so important to the Palmetto state.
Aiken, South Carolina - Printed Circuit Boards contain highly specialized materials and South Carolina has the distinction of being home to two companies who are the last producers in America. In a joint op-ed published this week, Scott Northrop of AGY and PCBAA Chairman Travis Kelly explained why investing in American-made microelectronics is so important to the Palmetto state.
| guest_column__to_build_south_carolina’s_economy_more_than_the_chips_act_is_needed___letters_to_the_editor___postandcourier.com.pdf |
Why expanded microelectronics manufacturing matters to Arizona
September 26, 2023
Phoenix, Arizona - Executives from Rogers Corporation and the PCBAA joined together to celebrate the success of the CHIPs and Science Act while also calling on lawmakers to tackle the broader challenges facing the entire microelectronics ecosystem. You can read the full piece at the link below.
Phoenix, Arizona - Executives from Rogers Corporation and the PCBAA joined together to celebrate the success of the CHIPs and Science Act while also calling on lawmakers to tackle the broader challenges facing the entire microelectronics ecosystem. You can read the full piece at the link below.
| arizona_republic_op_ed.pdf |
PCBAA members make the case for American manufacturing
September 13, 2023
Orange County, California - In a joint op-ed that was published in the Orange County Business Journal, PCBAA Chairman Travis Kelly and Summit Interconnect CEO Shane Whiteside called on lawmakers to expand on the push for American-made microelectronics by investing in domestic production of Printed Circuit Boards and Substrates. You can read the full piece at the link below.
Orange County, California - In a joint op-ed that was published in the Orange County Business Journal, PCBAA Chairman Travis Kelly and Summit Interconnect CEO Shane Whiteside called on lawmakers to expand on the push for American-made microelectronics by investing in domestic production of Printed Circuit Boards and Substrates. You can read the full piece at the link below.
| chips_9.11.23_reprint.pdf |
IPC and PCBAA call for broader implementation of the CHIPs Act
July 26, 2023
Washington, D.C. - IPC and the Printed Circuit Board Association of America (PCBAA) this week called on the U.S. Department of Commerce to clarify its plans for bolstering the domestic development and fabrication of advanced printed circuit boards (PCBs) as a key part of the CHIPS for America program.
In a letter (see link below) to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, IPC President and CEO John W. Mitchell and PCBAA Chairman Travis Kelly acknowledged recent government actions in support of PCBs:
Further action, including language in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) thats addresses COTs supply chains and a stand-alone bill (The PCBS Act) are necessary to continue the work that the CHIPs Act began. Now is the time for Congress and the Biden Administration to work together and build a secure and resilient microelectronics ecosystem.
Washington, D.C. - IPC and the Printed Circuit Board Association of America (PCBAA) this week called on the U.S. Department of Commerce to clarify its plans for bolstering the domestic development and fabrication of advanced printed circuit boards (PCBs) as a key part of the CHIPS for America program.
In a letter (see link below) to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, IPC President and CEO John W. Mitchell and PCBAA Chairman Travis Kelly acknowledged recent government actions in support of PCBs:
- In March, President Joe Biden issued a “Presidential Determination” under the Defense Production Act (DPA) that prioritizes the domestic manufacture of PCBs as a matter of national security.
- In launching the first round of funding under the CHIPS for America program, Secretary Raimondo stated that the U.S. will become a global leader in related chip packaging technologies.
- The week before that, Secretary Raimondo confirmed that some of the CHIPS funding will go to “smaller firms,” including “circuit-board companies.”
Further action, including language in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) thats addresses COTs supply chains and a stand-alone bill (The PCBS Act) are necessary to continue the work that the CHIPs Act began. Now is the time for Congress and the Biden Administration to work together and build a secure and resilient microelectronics ecosystem.
| 2023.07.26_ipc_pcbba_to_sec._raimondo.pdf |
PCBAA Joins The Call for DPA Funding
June 5, 2023
Washington, D.C. - Senior executives of US based electronics manufacturers are calling on the U.S. Congress to support robust funding for reinvigorating the printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing sector.
In a letter sent to the heads of the Appropriations Committees and Defense Appropriations Subcommittees the executives urged that $100 million be allocated in Fiscal 2024 to implement President Biden’s recent presidential determination under Title III of the Defense Production Act.
This recent determination formally designates Printed Circuit Board and IC Substrates as technologies critical to U.S. National Security. PCBAA joins IPC and our industry colleagues in calling on Congress to fund innovation and domestic capacity in this important technology sector.
Washington, D.C. - Senior executives of US based electronics manufacturers are calling on the U.S. Congress to support robust funding for reinvigorating the printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing sector.
In a letter sent to the heads of the Appropriations Committees and Defense Appropriations Subcommittees the executives urged that $100 million be allocated in Fiscal 2024 to implement President Biden’s recent presidential determination under Title III of the Defense Production Act.
This recent determination formally designates Printed Circuit Board and IC Substrates as technologies critical to U.S. National Security. PCBAA joins IPC and our industry colleagues in calling on Congress to fund innovation and domestic capacity in this important technology sector.
| 6523housedpa-ipc-member-letter__1_.pdf |
PCBAA Cheers Introduction of the Bipartisan PCBS Act
May 11, 2023
Washington, D.C. - The bipartisan Protecting Circuit Boards and Substrates Act of 2023 introduced by Representatives Blake Moore (R-UT-1) and Anna Eshoo (D-CA-16) finishes the job the CHIPS Act began by incentivizing investment in the domestic printed circuit board (PCB) industry.
This bill is a necessary follow-on to the CHIPS Act: without a trusted, reliable domestic source of PCBs and substrates, computer chips don’t connect to end use electronic devices. Domestic PCB production shrunk over the past 20 years, falling from 30% to barely 4%of the world’s supply. Ninety percent of the world’s supply now comes from Asia…56% in China alone.
Major provisions of the bill:
"Printed circuit boards (PCBs) are critical components of almost every piece of electronics used today. However, over the past two decades, a vast majority of PCB manufacturing has moved offshore, making PCBs vulnerable to tampering by foreign adversaries, and only 4% of PCBs are manufactured in the United States. If we want to ensure technological superiority across the global stage and strengthen national security, we need to bring PCB production back to America, which is exactly what my bipartisan bill does," said Rep. Eshoo.
“Remember, chips don’t float. They need PCBs to connect to any electronic device. With production of American-made semiconductors ramping up, PCBs are a key ingredient in revitalizing the nation’s microelectronics ecosystem. Without a robust domestic supply chain, we have become almost entirely reliant on foreign suppliers for the PCBs we need,” said Travis Kelly, Chairman of the Printed Circuit Board Association of America.
PCBAA President Will Marsh said, “Our industry is grateful for this bipartisan support for American-made microelectronics. This is the right response to years of offshoring and a dangerous dependence on foreign sourcing."
PCBAA Executive Director David Schild said, “From F-35s to F-150s, the modern world is built on printed circuit boards, and we need to make more of them in America. This bill will lead to new factories, high paying jobs and an ecosystem to support the work being done by our colleagues in the semiconductor industry."
For interviews or more information, visit www.pcbaa.org or contact Mike Doble at (703) 579-7963, email: [email protected].
Washington, D.C. - The bipartisan Protecting Circuit Boards and Substrates Act of 2023 introduced by Representatives Blake Moore (R-UT-1) and Anna Eshoo (D-CA-16) finishes the job the CHIPS Act began by incentivizing investment in the domestic printed circuit board (PCB) industry.
This bill is a necessary follow-on to the CHIPS Act: without a trusted, reliable domestic source of PCBs and substrates, computer chips don’t connect to end use electronic devices. Domestic PCB production shrunk over the past 20 years, falling from 30% to barely 4%of the world’s supply. Ninety percent of the world’s supply now comes from Asia…56% in China alone.
Major provisions of the bill:
- $3 billion to fund factory construction, workforce development and R&D
- A 25% tax credit for purchasers of American-made PCBs and substrates
"Printed circuit boards (PCBs) are critical components of almost every piece of electronics used today. However, over the past two decades, a vast majority of PCB manufacturing has moved offshore, making PCBs vulnerable to tampering by foreign adversaries, and only 4% of PCBs are manufactured in the United States. If we want to ensure technological superiority across the global stage and strengthen national security, we need to bring PCB production back to America, which is exactly what my bipartisan bill does," said Rep. Eshoo.
“Remember, chips don’t float. They need PCBs to connect to any electronic device. With production of American-made semiconductors ramping up, PCBs are a key ingredient in revitalizing the nation’s microelectronics ecosystem. Without a robust domestic supply chain, we have become almost entirely reliant on foreign suppliers for the PCBs we need,” said Travis Kelly, Chairman of the Printed Circuit Board Association of America.
PCBAA President Will Marsh said, “Our industry is grateful for this bipartisan support for American-made microelectronics. This is the right response to years of offshoring and a dangerous dependence on foreign sourcing."
PCBAA Executive Director David Schild said, “From F-35s to F-150s, the modern world is built on printed circuit boards, and we need to make more of them in America. This bill will lead to new factories, high paying jobs and an ecosystem to support the work being done by our colleagues in the semiconductor industry."
For interviews or more information, visit www.pcbaa.org or contact Mike Doble at (703) 579-7963, email: [email protected].
PCBAA Applauds Presidential Action to Invest in Critical American Microelectronics
March 27, 2023
Washington, D.C. - The recent partnership announced by the U.S. and Canada is a welcome acknowledgement of the urgent need to support the American printed circuit board industry. The Presidential determination of printed circuit boards as essential to national defense under section 303 of the Defense Production Act is welcome news, and achieves a 2023 goal of the Printed Circuit Board Association of America (PCBAA).
The $50 million identified is a downpayment on what must be a larger and sustained effort by the U.S. government to rebuild this critical manufacturing sector. The American printed circuit board industry was decimated by offshoring over the past 20 years, dropping from almost 30 percent of the world’s supply to only 4 percent today. The U.S. depends on other nations -- primarily in Asia, and more than half from China.
“We are eager to work with the Administration to make the best use of this and advocate for subsequent funding for this long-overlooked industry”, said Travis Kelly, Chairman of the Printed Circuit Board Association of America and President and CEO of the Isola Group. “The costs of creating new facilities or upgrading existing printed circuit board facilities can run into hundreds of millions. Just as legislation and policies were created to support semiconductors, the U.S. government needs to invest in our nation’s future by providing support for printed circuit boards.”
Washington, D.C. - The recent partnership announced by the U.S. and Canada is a welcome acknowledgement of the urgent need to support the American printed circuit board industry. The Presidential determination of printed circuit boards as essential to national defense under section 303 of the Defense Production Act is welcome news, and achieves a 2023 goal of the Printed Circuit Board Association of America (PCBAA).
The $50 million identified is a downpayment on what must be a larger and sustained effort by the U.S. government to rebuild this critical manufacturing sector. The American printed circuit board industry was decimated by offshoring over the past 20 years, dropping from almost 30 percent of the world’s supply to only 4 percent today. The U.S. depends on other nations -- primarily in Asia, and more than half from China.
“We are eager to work with the Administration to make the best use of this and advocate for subsequent funding for this long-overlooked industry”, said Travis Kelly, Chairman of the Printed Circuit Board Association of America and President and CEO of the Isola Group. “The costs of creating new facilities or upgrading existing printed circuit board facilities can run into hundreds of millions. Just as legislation and policies were created to support semiconductors, the U.S. government needs to invest in our nation’s future by providing support for printed circuit boards.”
PCBAA welcomes Congressional support for American PCB manufacturing
March 1, 2022
Washington, DC -- The Printed Circuit Board Association of America applauds Representatives Anna Eshoo and Blake Moore for their recent appeal to William LaPlante, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment. These members expressed a bipartisan sentiment that the Pentagon must move quickly, and use every tool at their disposal to secure microelectronics supply chains and shore up America's industrial base.
Washington, DC -- The Printed Circuit Board Association of America applauds Representatives Anna Eshoo and Blake Moore for their recent appeal to William LaPlante, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment. These members expressed a bipartisan sentiment that the Pentagon must move quickly, and use every tool at their disposal to secure microelectronics supply chains and shore up America's industrial base.
| moore_eshoo_letter.pdf |
PCBAA applauds the introduction of the Supporting American Printed Circuit Boards Act of 2022
May 6, 2022
Washington, DC -- Printed Circuit Boards are the high-tech foundation that makes modern life possible, but over the last two decades, PCB production has moved away from the United States at an alarming rate, as overseas costs were driven down by foreign investments. "
"Without robust and secure domestic supply chains, U.S. production of critical microelectronics is not sustainable. This bill from Representatives Eshoo and Moore is a win-win for American workers and consumers, and our national and economic security. The ‘Supporting American Printed Circuit Boards Act of 2022’ is a critical step towards rebuilding our nation's PCB manufacturing capacity,” said Travis Kelly, PCBAA Chairman & CEO of Isola-Group.
Washington, DC -- Printed Circuit Boards are the high-tech foundation that makes modern life possible, but over the last two decades, PCB production has moved away from the United States at an alarming rate, as overseas costs were driven down by foreign investments. "
"Without robust and secure domestic supply chains, U.S. production of critical microelectronics is not sustainable. This bill from Representatives Eshoo and Moore is a win-win for American workers and consumers, and our national and economic security. The ‘Supporting American Printed Circuit Boards Act of 2022’ is a critical step towards rebuilding our nation's PCB manufacturing capacity,” said Travis Kelly, PCBAA Chairman & CEO of Isola-Group.
PCBAA Supports Supply Chain Recommendations from Supply Chain Task Force
July 23, 2021
Washington D.C. -- The Printed Circuit Board Association of America (“PCBAA” or the “Organization”) is pleased with the House Armed Services Committee’s new report on supply chain vulnerabilities and recommendations to enhance the sources of critical materials, such as microelectronics and “other critical components” that include printed circuit boards (“PCBs”), which serve as the foundation of virtually all electronic systems. Read more...
Washington D.C. -- The Printed Circuit Board Association of America (“PCBAA” or the “Organization”) is pleased with the House Armed Services Committee’s new report on supply chain vulnerabilities and recommendations to enhance the sources of critical materials, such as microelectronics and “other critical components” that include printed circuit boards (“PCBs”), which serve as the foundation of virtually all electronic systems. Read more...
PCBAA Celebrates Growth with New Website and Increased Presence
June 4, 2021
Washington D.C. -- The Printed Circuit Board Association of America (“PCBAA” or the “Organization”) is proud to announce the launch of its official website, PCBAA.org. Read more...
Washington D.C. -- The Printed Circuit Board Association of America (“PCBAA” or the “Organization”) is proud to announce the launch of its official website, PCBAA.org. Read more...
