talent

When we entered 2019, our priorities in SEMI Global Advocacy were crystal clear: Continue to advance our public policy priorities under the 4 T’s – Trade, Tax, Talent and Technology – and move toward a global reach. We raised SEMI’s profile on the world stage in representing arguably the most strategic industry sector today as we trained our sights on a number of issues across all four pillars, not the least of which was trade. Along the way, we educated key policymakers about the impact of their decisions on the global semiconductor supply chain, member companies and regional economies.While no one organization can resolve current global trade issues, SEMI did exert its influence effectively on behalf of its members. For example, when Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) announced its decision to tighten export controls with South Korea in July, SEMI immediately engaged METI and Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Economy (MOTIE) to make clear to METI the potential repercussions of its decision. In parallel, we worked to prevent a retaliatory escalation by MOTIE. Indeed, significant trade challenges remain as tariffs and export controls continue to take their toll on our industry’s globally integrated supply chain. We have much work ahead to ensure our members’ voices continue to be heard. Our well over 100 meetings with government officials this year is only the start of sustained outreach and engagement to better serve our members’ public policy interests. To that end, and based on member input, in 2019 SEMI Global Advocacy made it a priority to restructure to improve communications among our regions around the globe and strengthen member engagement. Each regional office responsible for government affairs is now staffed with a global advocacy liaison. In addition, we have increased staffing in the SEMI Europe office to better address the ever-changing regulatory environment and develop the European Union’s talent pipeline.In SEMI’s advocacy headquarters in Washington, DC, we have filled a new position – Vice President of Industry Advancement and Government Programs – to place greater focus on identifying opportunities to advance programs aligned with member, industry and government interests. We have also filled two additional positions in DC – a Vice President of Global Public Policy and Advocacy and a new Manager of Public Policy and Advocacy – dedicated to public policy work. Both are steeped in experience in trade, export controls and tax policy. In addition, our new Executive Director of the SEMI Foundation boasts expertise in developing and scaling workforce development programs.The end of 2019 culminates the first phase of strategic personnel and program adjustments we envisioned over a year ago and the beginning of more muscular, adaptive advocacy engagement communications. Today, we are in a much stronger position to support you, our members, and meet the public policy priorities established by the SEMI Board of Directors and Board of Industry Leaders. We’re immensely thankful for your continued engagement and look forward to working to advance your interests in 2020 – SEMI’s 50th anniversary!Mike Russo is Vice President of Industry Advancement and Government Programs at SEMI.

High-tech industry clusters in the bustling northern Taiwan port city of Hsinchu look set for an upgrade. Long a world-class hub of the semiconductor and optoelectronic technology industries, Hsinchu City is laying out plans to work with SEMI to attract more international companies, generate more jobs, promote Hsinchu’s development and help grow Taiwan’s microelectronics industry. High-tech heavyweights such as TSMC, UMC, MediaTek, Realtek, and AUO are all headquartered in The Windy City. The Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), a leading Taiwan research center and incubator, also calls Hsinchu home, and the city boasts one of the highest concentrations of educational institutions in the region, a roster that includes National Chiao Tung and National Tsing Hua universities. Hsinchu’s thriving relations with these industry, academic and research partners have made it a hotbed of innovation, with numerous large Taiwanese and foreign companies having opened local offices. No less than these partners, the city – like SEMI – is committed to innovation.In a recent visit to the SEMI Taiwan office in Taipei, a Hsinchu City government team led by mayor Lin Chih-Chien, met with Terry Tsao, global SEMI chief marketing officer and president of SEMI Taiwan, to explore collaboration opportunities in areas such as technology subsidies, policy, education, and infrastructure. The meeting built on a relationship between the city and SEMI Taiwan that sprouted after SEMI executives and Hsinchu officials joined ITRI to host the Autonomous Driving System Platform in Open Fields kick-off ceremony – an initiative to accelerate Taiwan’s adoption of smart transportation technologies – at SEMICON Taiwan 2019.At the meeting, Mayor Lin highlighted that Hsinchu has long attracted high-tech companies by cultivating a business-friendly climate through incentives such as subsidies for infrastructure buildouts. He hopes to work with SEMI to promote to members the benefits of setting up local offices in Hsinchu City.With both Hsinchu’s high-tech clusters and SEMI’s global members deeply reliant on skilled workers for sustaining innovation and growth, Tsao and Mayor Lin agreed that inspiring students to pursue an education and careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) is vital to building a high-tech talent pool. One collaboration opportunity SEMI Taiwan is eyeing is to launch Taiwan’s first SEMI High Tech U (HTU) program in Hsinchu to spark the interest of school-age children through STEM educational activities at school camps or art and cultural centers. SEMI’s STEM discovery program offers hands-on activities and experiential learning led by industry volunteers. Since 2002, HTU has reached some 8,000 high-school students in 12 U.S. states and nine countries.Emmy Yi is a marketing specialist at SEMI Taiwan.

We live in the New Industrial Age. Manufacturing is undergoing a profound transformation, driven not only by technological (e.g. Artificial Intelligence, robotics, IoT) but also societal, market and regulatory developments that have fundamental implications for the workforce competency requirements. How can education and training systems keep pace with this unprecedented change? How does a future-proof curriculum look like?This topic has been extensively addressed by the Curriculum Guidelines for Key Enabling Technologies (KETs) and Advanced Manufacturing Technologies (AMT) initiative (2017-2019) of the Executive Agency for SMEs (EASME) and DG GROW of the European Commission. Carried out by PwC, the initiative focuses on the promising ways of organising learning experiences of individuals and groups in the New Industrial Age. The initiative produced the Curriculum Guidelines 4.0 that aim to equip all key stakeholder groups with the knowledge base needed to transform the existing curricula.The guidelines were developed based on the extensive state-of-play analysis and active stakeholder contribution by means of expert workshops, pan-European online surveys, in-depth interviews and individual expert consultations. All key stakeholder groups were involved in the preparation of the guidelines, including the representatives of education and training providers, industry, policymakers and supporting structures (e.g. industry associations, cluster organisations and trade unions), as well as learners themselves. SEMI was among the key contributors. The guidelines were presented to the public at the EU Conference on Skills for Industry: Curriculum Guidelines 4.0 in Brussels on 26 November, 2019.The guidelines aim to be applicable for both designing fundamentally new educational offers and/or advancing the existing curricula, depending on the level of required change. They address non-tertiary vocational education and training, higher education and on-the-job training for the manufacturing-related domains.The guidelines follow a holistic approach covering a broad spectrum of dimensions relevant to curriculum design and implementation, namely: Strategy: defining core values, commitments, opportunities, resources and capabilities of an educational/training institution Collaboration: promoting practices that move beyond the typical institutional collaboration patterns and engaging individuals and communities Content: defining the nature of educational content, including specific principles related to the actual content of the curricula Learning environment: creating specific environment during the program, e.g. stimulating multidisciplinary orientation, design thinking, team spirit, collective problem-solving, risk-taking behaviour, experimental approaches Delivery mechanisms: establishing means by which learners experience and access education/training; paying special attention to technology-enabled learning Assessment: identifying most appropriate forms of assessment, including advantages and disadvantages Recognition: exploring appropriate formal and informal ways of recognition Quality: identifying the determinants of education training quality: what makes learners’ and employers’ perception different? Based on the results of the pan-European survey, the four key elements that require the most substantial change are Strategy, Collaboration, Learning Environment and Content.The guidelines will be tested in practice in the context of METIS (Microelectronics Training, Industry and Skills), a project recently launched by SEMI and 19 partners from 14 countries. Aligned with the Curriculum Guidelines 4.0, METIS will establish a Microelectronics Observatory and Skills Council consisting of representatives from industry, academia, NGOs, think tanks and government. The consortium will develop a New Skills Strategy for the microelectronics industry in Europe with a focus on raising occupational profiles and skills critical to the future of the sector.METIS will enable a new industry-driven curriculum with 43 modules integrating online education and work-based learning in microelectronics design and manufacturing. Training will focus on chip design, system design, basic of manufacturing and key competencies. METIS is a Sector Skills Alliance co-funded by the Erasmus+ Program, receiving 4 million EUR funding from the EU.Preparing students for lifelong learning, offering Big Picture education, creating effective learning ecosystems, applying problem-based and student-centric approaches, shifting from human-robot interactions towards human-machine collaboration – these are just some examples of the curriculum guidelines principles highlighted in the guidelines.The guidelines aim to offer key highlights, indicate a variety of possibilities and identify sources for more detailed information and inspiration. The guidelines by no means aim to serve as a standardised detailed recipe for organising education and training processes, as there is no one best way to approach it. The diversity of learners’ needs and contexts per definition implies a need for multitude of approaches, which could also be combined in their own unique/customised education and training solutions.The Curriculum Guidelines 4.0 will be publicly released in January 2020, and will be available on the EU Publications. More information about this and related initiatives can be found at https://skills4industry.eu/. Dr. Kristina Dervojeda leads the PwC Innovation Research Centre in the Netherlands.

Once an unpopular career destination for university graduates in Korea, the semiconductor industry has been a plum target since the rise of Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix as global leaders and key growth engines for the Korean economy. The industry’s outsize role in innovation of cutting-edge technologies and applications such as artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), 5G and autonomous driving has added to the appeal.The draw of a career in chip manufacturing is even stronger when new graduates from Korean universities consider the semiconductor industry’s rapid growth of 22.2% in 2017 and 15.5% in 2018, according to VLSI Research. Yet, even before earning their degrees, many students are unclear about steps they need to take to prepare for a career in the industry and the type of work available to them.These questions and concerns were on the top of the minds of 250 students who gathered at COEX in Seoul in mid-November for SEMI Campus Outreach, a half day of career insights from global chip companies including Lam Research, Applied Materials, Tokyo Electron, and KLA along with leading semiconductor companies in Korea such as SEMES, EO technics, JUSUNG ENGINEERING, DONGJIN SEMICHEM, PSK and Wonik IPS. Keynote - Inhak Harry Suh, CEO, Lam Research Korea 250 students gathered at Campus Outreach Campus Outreach keynote speaker Inhak Harry Suh, CEO of Lam Research Korea, stressed that talented new graduates hold the key to leading the semiconductor industry into the Industry 4.0 era and the next phase of growth. He urged the students to look for a company that treats its employees with respect and fairness and to enjoy their work. Joining the executives in inspiring the students, field and service engineers highlighted the semiconductor industry’s strong growth potential, described their job responsibilities and the skills students need to develop to thrive, and offered guidance on subjects to study in school to best prepare students for jobs in the industry. On the recruiting side, human resources representatives at the event provided overviews of their companies and skills they’re looking for as they court talent. Campus Outreach sponsors At SEMICON Korea 2020 – Feb. 5-7 at COEX in Seoul – SEMI will continue to cultivate industry talent at the Workforce Development Pavilion. To help the industry solve its critical talent shortage, the pavilion will offer university students interviews with industry experts and tutorials on semiconductor production as the students explore career paths and are mentored by engineers during the Meet the Experts program. And with a diverse workforce recognized as a competitive advantage, the Women-in-Technology session will gather leaders to discuss how the industry can improve diversity.Jaegwan Shim is a marketing specialist at SEMI Korea.

SEMI is excited to recognize Debbie Gustafson, CEO of Energetiq Technology as the SEMI Spotlight on Women honoree for Q3 2019!Spotlight on SEMI Women celebrates the many accomplished women who work in the global microelectronics industry. Nominees in the quarterly spotlight include women who are beacons of knowledge, leaders of organizations and initiatives, hidden heroes and innovators in our industry. They are volunteers, protectors, intellectual disruptors and activists. Learn how you can nominate a woman for Spotlight on SEMI Women.Debbie sat down with us to discuss her journey as a leader and her belief in the importance of creating an inclusive workforce.SEMI: What skills have set you apart and led you to your career success?Gustafson: I’m good at what I do – listening and understanding customers is at the core of my success. You should know and also ask for what you want. If I was working towards a promotion, I always let my manager know where I wanted to go and asked about the expectations for me to get to the next level. Don’t be afraid to ask for help – during my journey in becoming a leader I had some extremely strong mentors along the way, helping me to navigate the industry. We make mistakes and learn from them, but having a mentor can really help you figure out those areas of weakness sooner rather than later. I credit these skills and mindset for our successful acquisition by Hamamatsu Photonics. When I was asked to move from the COO role to the CEO role at Energetiq, I realized that the only way we would be successful in this huge endeavor was if I had the right understanding of both our needs as an organization, and the needs of our future partner.SEMI: You mentioned the importance of mentors. Can you recount a time that your mentor helped you succeed?Gustafson: One of my first mentors taught me how to be successful in Japan during a time when women weren’t really present in the business side of the workforce. Going into a new culture, there are a lot of nuances. My mentor prepared me by helping me understand the behaviors that I would need to establish and let me take the lead as the expert. As a result, I was able to earn the respect of the customer and the Japanese market became part of our growth. I believe that my mentor’s preparation helped me getting there much faster.SEMI: Did you always want to be an engineer?Gustafson: I came to a crossroads as I approached the end of high school. I had an interest in engineering and automotive design in particular and appreciated the stability that a technical career could provide. I also had a passion for dance and had eyes towards becoming a dancer on Broadway. In the end, the idea of job security won out and I started my journey as a mechanical engineer. I was one of three women in my major, so I realized early on that I was entering a male-dominated field. After graduation I landed a job in the HVAC space. From there I moved into a variety of roles, including a sales job, that helped me realize that I enjoyed working in the semiconductor industry and that I had a passion for helping my customers.SEMI: Can you tell us about the changes you have implemented at Energetiq Technology to create a culture of inclusivity?Gustafson: My door is always open – even as the CEO. What gets me excited every morning is helping people to be successful. It’s not just about women, or minorities, or young people – it’s about everyone. We need to change as an industry to foster success and give everyone the opportunity to succeed. You can’t say you’re going to change as an organization and then not implement programs to help foster that change. I knew that we needed to find ways to get people to join and to stay – that’s the challenge. At Energetiq we have implemented a mindset of inclusivity in many of our programs.We have unconscious bias training that everyone takes regardless of job level. We’ve implemented a flexible working environment and provide sick time to help our employees have work-life balance. We are an employer that realizes the world is changing – we offer paternity leave as well as maternity leave and do everything in our power to support individuals during their major life events. Energetiq supports Employee Resource Groups, and we host a quarterly diversity luncheon where we encourage all employees to participate in open dialogue. As a company we continue to try and find ways to promote everyone’s success.SEMI: How do you feel the microelectronics industry is doing in terms of attracting and retaining diverse talent?Gustafson: The semiconductor industry has done a lot in the recent past but there is still a lot of work to be done. I think all the right things are starting to happen, and we are moving towards attracting more diversity into our organizations. We have been shifting our company culture to highlight that the industry is an exciting place to work. The progress has been tremendous and there are more opportunities ahead of us to take advantage of. People are just starting to acknowledge the changes that need to happen, and we are striving to create flexible work environments that are conducive to inclusivity. Diversity is not just going to happen – we need to change the culture in our organizations for diversity to flourish. The industry mindset is shifting, and I am looking forward to seeing where we go next. I am going to help wherever I can to help keep us moving in the right direction.SEMI: Are there other ways outside of your work at Energetiq Technology that you are influencing the mindset towards diversity in our industry?Gustafson: Volunteering my time outside of my job to try and change the attitude and the culture of the industry is extremely important to me. Aside from providing mentorship, I am involved with a number of committees and boards across the industry. I am always vocal among my C-level peers about how our industry needs to foster a diverse and inclusive workforce. I really like working with other people to find solutions as I don’t know all the answers. I like to get insight into how we can make this happen and I like to hear about what works and what doesn’t from other leaders. The goal is to allow people to feel comfortable with who they are at work.Cristina Sandoval is manager of Workforce Development at SEMI.

Global and regional forces shaping the $2 trillion electronics industry have intensified more in the past few years than at any other time I can recall. The uncertainty bred by trade wars, corporate tax changes, new environmental regulations, immigration issues and STEM talent shortages is vexing the global microelectronics supply chain as companies shift investments and operational strategies to adjust to the unrelenting change and new realities with heightened urgency.In our industry, an increasingly dynamic world requires a more determined and strategic approach to advocacy. To meet the industry’s rapidly evolving needs, SEMI is transforming its global advocacy initiatives and programs. In the past 18 months, we have honed the focus of SEMI Global Advocacy to better serve member interests and needs, respond more quickly to fast-moving geopolitical developments, and deliver more value to help spur growth across the end-to-end electronics supply chain.Most importantly, SEMI Global Advocacy is now much more forward-looking and proactive. We have expanded our focus from primarily U.S. and independent regional issues to global affairs, allowing us to better leverage the power of our worldwide platforms. Organizationally, SEMI continues to add specialized staff advocates and calibrate its operational and member-driven engagement models to increase their involvement. There will be more to come, and with your continued support, we’ll be in a stronger position to meet your needs. Thank you!Strengthening the industry’s voiceThe rapid shift to a more proactive advocacy approach across all our initiatives was triggered by one disruptive action a little more than a year ago – the buildup and onset of the trade war between the United States and China. From the outset, SEMI formed strong member coalitions to intensify our lobbying efforts, met frequently with policymakers, submitted written comments to government panels, and issued public communications, all aimed at amplifying our collective voice. SEMI has taken a principled approach to advocacy, publicly stating its positions based on its trade pillars of free and fair trade/open markets, supply chain growth, respect for IP and national security.That approach was on full display as Japan tightened controls on exports to the Republic of Korea, sending shockwaves through the microelectronics industry. To minimize the industry impact, we leveraged our global reach and the counsel of our International Board of Directors to engage with both governments early on and ensure that Japan took into account our members’ interests in developing and implementing the new rules. In general, SEMI opposes the use of tariffs and limiting market access as levers to correct trade imbalances and other structural issues. Instead, we support dialogue and negotiations that lead to multilateral agreements aligned with our members’ interests and global trade principles.This year in the U.S. alone, SEMI advocates have met with more than 70 policymakers in Washington, D.C., including members of Congress and representatives from the White House, federal agencies and the Trade Representative’s office. We have also spoken with representatives from European and Asian government delegations. Since the trade war erupted, we have met with more than 220 policymakers worldwide, giving SEMI a seat at the table – a louder voice for our members – as we are increasingly seen as the voice of the end-to-end electronics manufacturing and design supply chain. SEMI Global Advocacy has also broadened its focus beyond public policy to address other areas of strategic importance to the industry such as the talent shortage.Expanding Advocacy’s global influenceSEMI’s public policy efforts now reach well beyond Washington, D.C. to all seven major manufacturing centers worldwide where we have regional offices, with SEMI advocacy staff in every location. This has created a network multiplier effect that allows us to rally our collective strength around common member interests. It’s no coincidence that our member-driven advocacy initiatives and programs have improved in parallel with expanded global participation by our member companies on our various policy and advocacy committees.Our Trade Advisory Committee, for example, has grown from 16 to 60 active members in the past year alone. This year, we have also formed working groups with SEMI members around the world to address talent pipeline challenges. The upshot is that we are now much more focused in attacking regional issues. Thank you once again.Despite changes in the strategic approach of SEMI Global Advocacy, we remain squarely focused on critical issues affecting industry growth and our members’ interests. In a nutshell, we call these the four T's: Tax – We strive to encourage rates that are fair to all companies, leveling the playing field globally Technology – We seek government investment in technology and innovation (R D) Trade – We advocate for open markets, free and fair trade as we promote our 10 Principles for the Global Semiconductor Supply Chain in Modern Trade Agreements worldwide Talent – We support education investments and immigration policies that provide opportunities and build the talent pipeline In addition, SEMI has long been a leading voice in promoting Environment, Health and Safety regulations that enable industry growth and demonstrate environmental stewardship – and we continue to make investments at this critical juncture as new technologies are driving changes in the regulatory landscape.Maintaining laser focus on member priorities amid shifting geopoliticsThe only way for SEMI Global Advocacy to navigate the cauldron of geopolitical disruption is to remain laser-focused on our members’ top priorities including trade, tax, technology and talent. And we will stick to what SEMI has done best for almost 50 years – facilitate public-private collaborations and more investment on behalf of our members.In workforce development, SEMI is taking bold steps to develop a robust talent pipeline, as much a growth and innovation driver for SEMI members and the industry as any technology. Announced earlier this year, SEMI Works™, our landmark talent development initiative, is already gaining steam with U.S. government investment and our rapid progress in laying its foundation with a database of standardized competencies for technical jobs as well as a certification and credentialing process for curriculum, education and training programs.The future for SEMI members and the industry is brimming with possibility. The strides SEMI Global Advocacy has made over the past year have only been possible through your support and involvement. As we broaden our scope beyond policy, we recognize that more progress needs to be made. We look forward to your continued participation as, together, we help our industry fulfill its great potential.Mike Russo is Vice President of Global Industry Advocacy at SEMI.

Back in February of this year, we launched SEMI Works™, a landmark SEMI program designed to grow and sustain the electronics industry talent pipeline from the ground up. But it was much more than a program launch. The introduction was a resounding statement of our passionate commitment to workforce development and its incontrovertible importance to the future of the microelectronics industry. No one’s passion for workforce development burns brighter than SEMI CEO Ajit Manocha’s. In April, he reiterated SEMI’s focus to make good on this commitment and laid out the broad outlines of SEMI Works. From the outset, our sights have been firmly fixed on execution. The National Science Foundation (NSF), a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in science and engineering, recently lent its support to SEMI Works with a $6 million investment to develop a scalable, sustainable apparatus to meet current and future talent requirements of the end-to-end electronics manufacturing industry. And more financial backing – this time from abroad – could well be in the offing. We are pressing ahead to develop the infrastructure to connect talent, industry and education providers at scale. We are expanding proven programs for exciting and engaging students in experiential learning opportunities at a young age. And we are paving the way to offer career and educational pathways through high school, college and adult and veteran training. Regional partners are essential to scaling these programs, and to date we have identified three regions for pilots to develop the infrastructure and business model that will be heartbeat of SEMI Works.Moore’s Law is losing steam, raising hard questions about the semiconductor industry’s ability to maintain its swift pace of innovation. The clarion call for chipmakers is to design ever smaller electronic circuits with higher processing power for devices with shrinking form factors. More computing muscle is crucial to advances in smart manufacturing, medtech, quantum computing, artificial intelligence (AI), 5G and the IoT – all technologies that generate and consume staggering amounts of data.Yet no obstacle to industry growth stands as tall as the brick wall of the talent shortage. A highly skilled workforce is essential to invention. As an industry, we’ll only be equal to the world’s greatest challenges by recruiting, training and retaining the best and brightest.At this critical juncture in what is the world’s most strategic industry, the public and private sectors must work collaboratively to leverage their collective strength to produce the talent required to power technology development today and well into the future.In 2020 SEMI will mark 50 years of facilitating collaborations to mint new technologies and markets. We are uniquely positioned, with our members, to lead what history may one day record as our most important effort to date, a push that could impact the world for decades to come. The industry needs a lasting solution to expand and sustain its talent pipeline. SEMI is taking decisive action with SEMI Works. Mike Russo is vice president of Global Industry Advocacy at SEMI.

In 2016, the then-Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban-Ki Moon, stated “Saving our planet, lifting people out of poverty, advancing economic growth. These are one and the same fight. We must connect the dots between climate change, water scarcity, energy shortages, global health, food security and women’s empowerment.” The SEMI Talent Forum, 2-3 May, 2019 in Bristol, UK will explore new opportunities and challenges of the digital era and the industry’s need for talent and the knowledge and skills in automation, computerization and digitization to drive tech innovation. Serena Brischetto of SEMI spoke with professor Michael Czerniak, Environmental Solutions Business Development Manager at Edwards, about how digitalization impacts all these key areas and will be instrumental in helping humanity shape the future. SEMI: The preservation of the global environment and the talent shortage are probably two of the most critical challenges confronting the semiconductor industry. What is the Edwards position on these issues? Czerniak: When I started in the industry, climate change was a new concept and scientific investigation was in its infancy. Now it is a well-understood phenomenon and its impacts will only be minimised by the implementation of better technologies, nearly all of which depend on digital technology and a talented workforce to drive new innovation. This is mission-critical not only to Edwards, but also to the digital industry, and indeed our common future.SEMI: Edwards celebrates 100 years of empowering innovative people. How do you help electronics shape the future and advance life standards? What is your secret recipe?Czerniak: Edwards plays a key role in enabling semiconductor manufacturers by making the electronic circuits, also commonly known as chips, on which the Digital Age is built. Our secret recipe is: nothing! We literally have no molecules at all, i.e. vacuum, which enables the intricate processes like plasma chemistry taking place. Those are the processes used to sequentially deposit and remove the thin films that constitute a modern semiconductor device. We also remove harmful and global-warming gas exhausts from these processes to minimise the environmental impact of this amazing industry.SEMI: What is stimulating about semiconductors and could you give us an example of how Edwards is helping remove harmful and global-warming gases?Czerniak: I work in environmental science both at Edwards and also here in Bristol in the School of Chemistry. My least-favorite gas is called CF4. Not only is it thousands of times more impactful as a global warming gas, but also it has an atmospheric lifetime of 50,000 years. Using abatement technology pioneered by Edwards, emissions of this gas into the atmosphere produced by this industry, have been reduced by up to 95%. That’s certainly something to make you feel good about after a day at work!SEMI: Edwards was honored with the SEMI Diversity and Inclusion award and also for the company's 100th anniversary at the Industry Strategy Symposium (ISS) Europe in Milan in early April. What is particularly exciting about Edwards?Czerniak: Edwards is and always has been a very inclusive place to work, not least because it is a global company, reflecting the scope and geographical reach of the semiconductor industry as a whole. This provides a great variety of career paths locally at one of our many global manufacturing sites, or on a global scale, as we need to be where our customers are.SEMI: What are your expectations regarding the forum in Bristol, and for the future ahead? What is the status of the semiconductor workforce development scenario in your opinion? What can we do more?Czerniak: My main hope for the Talent Forum in Bristol is that the profile of the semiconductor industry will be raised amongst students considering their future career options to the point where they seriously consider applying for positions in this field. This applies to students from all disciplines as they are all needed to help develop the Digital Age, and more events like this can only help spread the message about the exciting opportunities and challenges available.Michael Czerniak started his professional career in the semiconductor industry with Philips, initially in the company’s UK R+D labs and subsequently in the fab in Nijmegen, Holland. He then held marketing roles at UK-based OEMs Cambridge Instruments, VSW and VG Semicon before joining Edwards 21 years ago. Michael has authored numerous published articles and patents, co-chairs a SEMI standards committee, participates in the IRDS, is a UK PFC expert on IPCC and has authored chapters on Vacuum and Environmental issues in the Semiconductor Manufacturing Handbook. Michael became a Professor in the School of Chemistry at the University of Bristol in September 2018. Serena Brischetto is a marketing and communications manager at SEMI Europe.

SEMI is excited to recognize Katie Maloney of Edwards Vacuum as the SEMI Spotlight on Women Honoree for Q1 2019!Spotlight on SEMI Women celebrates the many accomplished women who work in the global microelectronics industry. Nominees in the quarterly spotlight include women who are beacons of knowledge, leaders of organizations and initiatives, hidden heroes and innovators in our industry. They are volunteers, protectors, intellectual disruptors and activists. Learn how you can nominate a woman for Spotlight on SEMI Women.With nearly 20 years in the microelectronics industry, Katie Maloney has always been a leader and agent of change. She launched her career pathway as a student at the University of Notre Dame on an ROTC scholarship. Her passion for science and technology led to a degree in aerospace engineering. After graduation, Katie began her military commission in the United States Navy as a Division Officer and Command Training Manager within the Nuclear Engineering school. Katie ultimately decided she wanted to manage people while continuing to focus on technology as a fundamental aspect of her career. Driven by a vision for her future, Katie worked full-time and attended the University of Central Florida, earning a master’s degree in engineering management. Katie’s leadership continued to shine despite her workload, and during Katie’s commission the U.S. Navy recognized her for multiple accomplishments. Most notably Katie was awarded “Instructor of the Year” for her classroom teaching.Katie’s journey at Edwards Vacuum began 10 years ago as a site manager for its largest customer. Through her strong leadership skills, Katie has made a difference at Edwards Vacuum, exemplified the semiconductor industry skill set, and helped customers meet their goals. The Edwards executive management team has recognized Katie’s creative thinking. After her recent promotion to business line manager responsible for a Global Account team, Katie put her ideas and leadership to work by mobilizing her team to drive significant improvements in EUV development, contract management and team building at Edwards. Katie’s military experience shaped her career, a formative influence that inspired her passion early on to support military veterans by helping them transition from military to civilian life. She understands the valuable skillsets veterans bring to the microelectronics industry and she dedicates time to help them understand how their skills can translate into opportunities.Cristina Sandoval is manager of Workforce Development at SEMI.

For public policy lovers, civic-minded, engaged U.S. citizens, and people around the world interested in the U.S. President’s positions and priorities, the annual State of the Union address (SOTU) is “must-see TV.” This year, the anticipation and expectations were different than with past presidents. President Trump is the first U.S. president who has used social media to the extreme that he has. President Trump’s prolific Twitter feed has had an interesting impact on the SOTU. U.S. citizens and people from around the world already know President Trump’s positions on issues, his policy priorities and what gets him excited. There is an ongoing, direct line to the President’s thoughts throughout each and every day. In the past we looked to the SOTU for insights into what the sitting president is really thinking and his future policy priorities. Now, there isn’t much we don’t already know.One looming question this year was whether President Trump would reach out in a conciliatory manner to help bridge the political divide and lay the groundwork to enable some public policy wins and avoid another government shutdown. While there were moments of conciliation, the President made it clear he would not move on areas that are most contentious with the other side of the aisle. For example, the President unequivocally reiterated his intent to build the wall. While the message plays well to his base, it is, in effect, a frontal assault and challenge to Democrats. It’s hard to image that his staunch stance will help move the two parties to work together on substantive policy issues. It may also mean that the wall issue will occupy lawmakers time for the foreseeable future, sidelining debate on other important issues.The best hope is that a bipartisan bill finds its way to the President’s desk that he can sign and use to “declare victory.” However, many political observers believe the likelihood of the President declaring a national security emergency is rising as a maneuver to ensure funding for the wall and avoid a shutdown. While such a declaration would most likely face a court challenge, the President could claim that his decision was a move of last resort and leverage the moment to position Democrats as obstructionists to his base. The scenario does not bode well for the bipartisan support necessary to address other issues.What does this mean for our industry? Were there any points raised in the SOTU that would signal a change in what we are facing regarding trade, tariffs, export controls and immigration? Were any new issues or ideas raised that could help lift the global economy? In short, no. On one hand, the President cited his good relationship with the president of China, but on the other doubled down on his attacks on China, seeming to stand firm to bolster his position at the table as the U.S. and China trade talks continue.What do these dynamics mean for SEMI Global Advocacy? In 2018 we were heavily engaged in efforts to prevent regulations that would inhibit our members' ability to develop and deploy technologies and maintain global market access. We advanced our global advocacy model, leveraging our regional presence around the world. Many of the potential issues we faced emanated from the U.S., including those focused on controlling technology development, limiting trade and enhancing export controls. We also intensified our efforts to address industry talent pipeline issues.In 2019, our public policy focus will be to continue to push back on tariffs, engage members to inform the rule-making process for export controls and to attempt to influence the immigration debate as it pertains to access to talent. In addition, while the U.S. R D tax credit was made permanent through the tax cut in 2017, some of the provisions may have unintended consequences and will need to be modified. How the law is enacted will affect how businesses can deduct qualified research and development and other expenses from their taxable income, so we anticipate activity on the tax front as well.It will also be a big year for SEMI on the workforce development front. SEMI will continue to grow its existing High Tech U (HTU), university and mentor programs. In addition, SEMI will be positioning itself as the global leader in addressing issues related to the talent pipeline by approaching the problem with a full-spectrum, holistic approach that is intended to better address more immediate needs in attracting, training and retaining qualified talent. We’ll also focus on improving the industry image and exciting students at a younger age by providing experiential learning activities throughout a defined educational pathway. Stay tuned on this front as the full program unfolds.In general, we will continue to build our relationships and stature as a leading voice for our members and the end-to-end semiconductor supply chain in the areas of talent, trade, tax and technology (SEMI’s “4 Ts”) and to ensure free and fair trade, access to markets, supply chain growth, IP protections and enhanced efforts to improve cybersecurity. Mike Russo is VP of Global Industry Advocacy at SEMI.