Intel CEO: Chip supply chains are the most critical resource for the next fifty years
Pat Gelsinger said that the future semiconductor supply chain with chips as the core will have more impact on the world than the oil supply chain. The location of “oil reserves [has] defined geopolitics for the last five decades,” Gelsinger said in an interview with CNN’s Julia Chatterley at the World Economic Forum in Davos. “Where the technology supply chains are, and where semiconductors are built, is more important for the next 5 decades.”
Image: Intel
Two years ago, when the semiconductor supply chain was caught in a supply shortage, many industries were hit, including automotive, construction, consumer electronics, industrial products, and more. Unlike oil, a natural resource, chip manufacturing can be done anywhere, subject only to geopolitical, trade, and intellectual property barriers.
Pat Gelsinger believes that Intel’s investment in manufacturing facilities in the United States, Europe, and elsewhere is not only important to its future, but also allows the globalization of the world’s most critical resources in the future. Pat Gelsinger called for the expansion of the geographical distribution of chip production to avoid interruptions in the semiconductor supply chain due to unpredictable reasons. It is necessary to establish a geographically balanced and resilient supply chain, which requires long-term investment.
