Arizona’s technology sector will play a prominent role in American manufacturing’s latest plan to reclaim its title as the world’s leader in semiconductors from Asia.

One of the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic was the need for U.S. manufacturing companies to diversify their supply chains. Semiconductor production slowed to a crawl in 2020, causing microchip shortages worldwide. The void in chips led to a systemic supply chain disruption in several industries, most notably for automobile manufacturers.