US invests $50 million in domestic PCB production

US President Joe Biden is allocating $50 million under the Defense Production Act to invest in domestic and Canadian PCB production capacity. According to Biden, this is important for national defense.

In a memo writes the president that PCBs, advanced packaging, the associated components and the systems to produce such systems are seen as essential to national defense. “Without presidential action, U.S. industry cannot reasonably be expected to deliver the capacity for needed industrial resources, materials, or critical technology in a timely manner,” he wrote. Advanced packaging refers to the ability to stack and attach multiple devices to a single electronic device.

It’s about expanding domestic production. According to Biden, this is necessary to prevent shortages of the necessary materials and systems, which could in turn affect national defense. The industry has been asking for such a step for some time. Reuters quotes a lawyer who states that this speeds up contracts and purchasing processes.

In a press release The US Department of Defense describes PCBs as essential components in all electronics used in the defense apparatus, but also for other sectors, such as the energy, health and sustainability sectors.