Most of us think about Taiwan, China, and - to some extent - the U.S. when it comes to semiconductor manufacturing… but Japan is just as critical. They are a primary (and dominant) supplier of semiconductor related chemicals, packaging materials, and tools. In fact, Japan views the industry as part of their national security strategy, and is currently investing nearly one percent of GDP in those companies.

In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes back Kris Lance, Senior Director at Una, for a recurring monthly conversation about current news stories. Kris has experience in multiple industries and has his finger on the pulse of the trends and topics that procurement, sourcing, and supply chain professionals need to be aware of.

In this month’s discussion, Kris and Kelly talk about the semiconductor supply chain and ALL of the countries and political concerns that will have to align to increase resilience:

Why market overconcentration continues to surprise and affect businesses worldwide
The role that governments play in private sector innovation through subsidies and investment
How procurement and supply chain leaders should be factoring geopolitics into their management of spend and suppliers

Links:

Ep 171: Japan: Silent Player in the Semiconductor Supply Chain feat. Kris Lance

The Sourcing Hero