IPC Welcomes President Trump’s AI Vision and Reaffirms Commitment to a Robust U.S. Electronics Ecosystem
By Rich Cappetto, IPC senior director, North American Government Relations
Key Summary
• President Trump directed OSTP to develop a bold national AI strategy, underscoring AI and quantum as civilization-shaping technologies.
• IPC reaffirmed that U.S. AI leadership is impossible without a strong domestic electronics manufacturing base.
• IPC’s comments to OSTP highlight five urgent needs, including IC-substrate fabrication, advanced packaging, HBM manufacturing, PCB/HDI fabrication, and PCBA capability.
• IPC urged strategic incentives, automation investments, and stronger government demand to rebuild U.S. supply chain resilience.
• IPC stands ready to partner with federal leaders to ensure U.S. innovation is supported by advanced, secure electronics hardware.
In a letter sent last Wednesday, President Donald J. Trump charged Michael Kratsios, the newly confirmed Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), with charting a bold strategy for achieving American leadership in artificial intelligence (AI) and critical technologies.
President Trump highlighted the importance of the U.S. leading in technology that will change the course of civilization, likening the race for AI and Quantum technology to the race for nuclear technology 80 years ago.
IPC has long advocated for a comprehensive strategy to ensure strength and resilience in the electronics ecosystem. The President asks the right questions in his letter, how to accelerate R&D, revitalize the national science and technology enterprise, and ensure technological innovation and economic growth.
Electronics are the lifeblood that underpin all this technology. The greatest inventions and innovations remain concepts, until they are manifested physically, with electronics capable of bringing them from concept to reality. The advancement in capability to build highly complex electronics has progressed over the last three decades, largely outside of the United States.
That is why IPC’s official comments submitted to OSTP on the development of an AI Action plan emphasize the fact that the United States cannot lead in AI without a resilient, advanced electronics manufacturing base. AI does not exist in a vacuum—it depends on a wide range of sophisticated hardware, including high-performance processors, advanced packaging, high-bandwidth memory, and high-density printed circuit boards (PCBs). Unfortunately, many of these components remain vulnerable due to gaps in the domestic electronics supply chain.
IPC’s comment identifies five critical areas where government leadership and investment are urgently needed:
- IC-substrate design and fabrication – A key building block for advanced chip packaging.
- AI component assembly and test – Including advanced packaging capabilities and automation.
- High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM) manufacturing – Vital for AI performance at scale.
- PCB/HDI fabrication – The backbone of system integration, where U.S. capabilities are in decline.
- Printed Circuit Board Assembly (PCBA) – A critical capability for assembling AI-ready systems.
We also outline several policy recommendations, including strategic incentives, investment in automation, and stronger demand signals from government to support U.S. suppliers.
AI is a transformative force in nearly every sector—from healthcare to energy to national defense. As the Administration builds its AI Action Plan, IPC stands ready to partner with Director Kratsios and his team at OSTP, and other federal stakeholders to ensure that America not only leads in AI algorithms and data but also in the hardware systems that power them.
Together, we can secure a future where American innovation is built on a strong, secure, and competitive electronics manufacturing foundation.
Because AI leadership depends on advanced electronics hardware, and IPC wants OSTP to understand that the U.S. cannot lead in AI without rebuilding domestic manufacturing capabilities.
Critical components such as IC substrates, HBM, advanced packaging, and HDI/PCB fabrication remain vulnerable due to weakened domestic supply chain capabilities.
IC-substrate design and fabrication, AI component assembly and test, high-bandwidth memory manufacturing, PCB/HDI fabrication, and printed circuit board assembly.
Strategic incentives, expanded automation, stronger government demand signals, and investment focused on rebuilding advanced electronics manufacturing.
By partnering with OSTP and federal stakeholders to ensure U.S. AI leadership includes robust, secure, and competitive electronics manufacturing infrastructure.