State of the Industry: Semiconductor Insiders Discuss the Ambitions and Realities of the CHIPS Act
Moore's Lobby: Where engineers talk all about circuits
- Published
- March 12, 2024
- Duration
- 55:28
- Summary source
- description
- Last updated
- Jul 5, 2026
Discusses The chip shortage made us all think about the precarious semiconductor supply chain. In response, th…
Summary
The chip shortage made us all think about the precarious semiconductor supply chain. In response, the US government has moved to bolster the domestic industry. The CHIPS and Science Act was signed into law in August 2022, but we are still waiting to see its impact on US semiconductor manufacturing. In this podcast, we are joined by three industry insiders…
Industry heavyweights from Microchip, Menlo Micro, and Enduries International debate whether the CHIPS Act's $52B is enough, tackle packaging vulnerabilities, workforce shortages, and why legacy nodes matter as much as cutting-edge fabs.
Key takeaways
- The CHIPS Act's $52B in semiconductor funding is a critical first step—not a silver bullet—and its real impact multiplies when combined with 25% investment tax credits and state incentives, potentially scaling to $200-250B in total support.
- Legacy/lagging-edge node capacity (28nm and above) remains severely underfunded despite being essential for automotive, IoT, and power applications; without commensurate investment alongside leading-edge fabs, advanced facilities risk sitting idle.
- Workforce and packaging are the two most overlooked bottlenecks: over 70% of U.S. STEM grads are foreign nationals with limited visa access, and nearly all advanced packaging remains concentrated in Taiwan and Southeast Asia—a critical geopolitical vulnerability.
Why this matters
For B2B technology and electronics professionals, the CHIPS Act represents a structural shift in semiconductor supply chain risk management—rewarding companies that proactively align procurement, design, and investment strategies with domestic and allied-nation manufacturing capacity before the next shortage cycle hits.
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Show notes
The chip shortage made us all think about the precarious semiconductor supply chain. In response, the US government has moved to bolster the domestic industry. The CHIPS and Science Act was signed into law in August 2022, but we are still waiting to see its impact on US semiconductor manufacturing. In this podcast, we are joined by three industry insiders: Rich Simoncic, EVP of Microchip Technology. Russ Garcia, CEO of Menlo Micro. Michael Knight, President & CEO at Endries International. They w