271: Preparing Manufacturers for the Semiconductor Boom: Insights from SEMICON West and Beyond

Chips are the new oil. And that's not just a catchy line, it's the lens through which national security, supply chain strategy, and trillion-dollar investments are being made right now. With a hundred-plus fabs going up globally and the industry sprinting toward a trillion dollars by 2032, the semiconductor boom isn't coming. It's here.

This episode comes to you from SEMICON West 2025 in Phoenix, with guests joining from HARTING Technology Group and Rockwell Automation. Jeffrey Miller and Danielle Collins kick things off with a semiconductor primer for folks who aren't living and breathing this space every day. Danielle's been in the industry since her first SEMICON in 1999, seen the shift from 200 to 300-millimeter wafers, and watched manufacturing go local while R&D went global.

Anuj Mahendru joins Chris on the show floor to dig into the challenges facing legacy and digital fabs, from worker productivity and material movement challenges to why copy exact is finally loosening its grip on this industry. This is part one of a two-part semiconductor series, so stay tuned for the bonus episode dropping right after this one.

In this episode, find out:

• Why chips have become a national security priority on par with oil
• What's driving the trillion-dollar march toward 2032
• How legacy fabs are solving material movement problems they didn’t planned for
• Why the semiconductor industry was doing AI long before it was a buzzword
• What equipment manufacturers mean by "do more with less"
• Why copy exact is starting to crack post-COVID
• How sustainability shifted from compliance checkbox to business imperative
• What it takes to become a trusted partner in an industry that's famously risk-averse

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Tweetable Quotes:

• “Manufacturing is being localized, while R&D is being globalized. R&D has moved from being concentrated in Northern California and the Boston area to regions like India, Asia and Japan.” - Danielle Collins
• “The semiconductor industry is defined by data economics, and it’s the currency of conversations. Successful partners that will lead the way will be companies who can speak the language of operational data.” - Jeffrey Miller
• “Before semiconductor and chips, it was oil. Now chips have become the new oil. After and during COVID, the world came to the realization that there needs to be resiliency of the supply chain. From a geopolitical standpoint people see semiconductors at the front end of national security and self-sufficiency.” - Anuj Mahendru

Links & mentions:

• HARTING Technology Group, a leading global provider of industrial connectivity solutions enabling the transmission of data, signal, and power across sectors including transportation, electromobility, renewable energy, automation, and mechanical engineering.
• Rockwell Automation, a global leader in industrial automation and digital transformation, delivering innovative hardware and software solutions through its recognized Allen-Bradley® and Rockwell Software® brands.
• SEMICON West, North America’s premier microelectronics exhibition, brought industry leaders, startups, and researchers together in Phoenix on October 7-9 2025, to drive collaboration, knowledge exchange, workforce development, and long-term investment, with future events planned for 2027 and 2029.
• Industrial Marketing Summit, the go-to gathering for manufacturing and industrial marketers to share practical insights, explore emerging strategies, and build community. Join the event in Austin from March 3-5, 2026, and use code HAPPYHOUR at checkout for $100 off registration.
• Huss Brewing, a proudly local and independent Arizona craft brewery, offering beers brewed and distributed statewide, with immersive taproom experiences in Downtown Phoenix and South Tempe featuring the Huss family of beers and scratch-made food.

Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.