Nightly Nuance - May 19, 2021

Hello my friends. I was on Marco Polo talking to my friend Anna about the impossibility of finding a rental car for a trip that Chad and I were trying to plan (it’s probably not happening!). We were hypothesizing about why this might be, and I decided to dig into it. As I learned more about the global semiconductor chip supply shortage, I knew we had to discuss it here.

Today, I hope to share what semiconductor chips are, how they’re manufactured, and why we have increased demand and reduced supply colliding. I also talk about some initiatives in the US to try to avoid this problem in the future (Canadian friends, I’m linking an article about similar efforts in your country).

Resources:

US investigating possible mysterious directed energy attack near White House (CNN)

Claims of Microwave Attacks Are Scientifically Implausible (Foreign Policy)

The global MLCC shortage: What are your options? (AVNET)

Why the Chip Shortage Is So Hard to Overcome (The Wall Street Journal)

Semiconductor makers and users form a group to push for chip funding. (The New York Times)

Rethinking The Global Supply Chain (Business Facilities)

Reducing the Risk of Supply Chain Disruptions (Sloan Management Review)

How Toyota Steered Clear of the Chip Shortage Mess (Bloomberg Businessweek)

SIA Applauds Introduction of Endless Frontier Act to Advance U.S. Technology Leadership (SIA)

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