With technological advancements driving our digital era, the demand for semiconductors is skyrocketing. The chip industry is projected to reach unprecedented heights of around $1 trillion in annual revenue by 2030. However, amid this remarkable growth, a daunting challenge looms: the shortage of skilled workers for semiconductor design and manufacturing. As the industry strives to keep up with the escalating demand, the scarcity of qualified personnel has emerged as a critical obstacle.
To help the industry overcome this and other key issues, SEMICON West 2023 will explore Building a Path Forward to its future in the event’s inaugural CEO Summit keynote program. A recent SEMI announcement provides an overview of the keynotes and programs at the July 11-13 exhibition and conference at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. The event on July 13 will kick off with Path for Talent session keynotes focused on cultivating a strong talent pipeline, creating a diverse and inclusive industry, and building a career in microelectronics.
Tom Sonderman, President and CEO of SkyWater Technology, will present the Path for Talent keynote titled Building the Future: Workforce Development in the Semiconductor Manufacturing Industry. In a podcast with Francoise von Trapp of 3D InCites,
Sonderman previews his presentation, highlighting the talent challenges facing the U.S. semiconductor industry and potential solutions. He also shares a glimpse of some of the SkyWater recruitment and training programs designed to fill critical roles from fab technicians to lead engineers.
The interview with Sonderman is part of the SEMICON West Podcast Series in the runup to and at the event. It follows the opening SEMICON West preview episode with SEMI Americas President Joe Stockunas in which he highlights a slew of new features that span keynote and conference programming, networking opportunities and even dining options.
The CEO Summit keynote program features two additional critical industry topics each of the first two days of the event:
- Path to $1T – Tuesday, July 11
- Luminaries will share insights on the chip industry’s progress towards $1 trillion in annual revenue including the importance of CHIPS Act funding. New semiconductor technology advances and growth segments that promise to boost the global supply chain’s financial performance will also be hot focus topics.
- Path to Net Zero – Wednesday, July 12
- CEOs will share sustainability strategies and insights on the U.S. microelectronics industry’s position on international sustainability and climate agreements and legislation.
SEMI offers a comprehensive workforce development program to aid the chip industry in narrowing the talent gap and promoting diversity, equity and inclusion. The program will be on display at the SEMICON West Workforce Development Pavilion hosted by the SEMI Foundation. The pavilion will offer new strategies for recruiters, students and job seekers and spotlight why microelectronics is a smart career choice. Discussions on building a diverse and inclusive workforce, and an interactive day with high school students to help spark their interest in microelectronics careers will be key features of the program.
Registration for SEMICON West 2023 is open.
Samer Bahou is director of Marketing Communications at SEMI.