automation

SEMI has submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) in response to its Section 232 National Security Investigation of Imports of Robotics and Industrial Machinery.The submission highlights the vital role robotics and precision machinery play in semiconductor fabrication, packaging, and inspection and emphasizes the need for a balanced, risk-based approach to any future trade actions that strengthen U.S. national security while preserving access to robotics and industrial machinery essential to expanding the domestic semiconductor industry. SEMI RecommendationsSEMI outlined five key recommendations to the Administration.Encourage Investment and Maintain Existing Competitiveness. SEMI recommends excluding essential robotics and industrial machinery where domestic sourcing is not yet viable. If trade actions are taken following the investigation, SEMI recommends providing tariff reductions or waivers for companies investing in U.S. manufacturing capacity. SEMI emphasized protecting small and medium suppliers that keep the ecosystem running.Avoid Stacking Tariffs. Coordinate Section 232 actions across potentially overlapping actions and ongoing investigations, such as on imports of steel and aluminum, semiconductors, critical minerals, and polysilicon. This will help prevent duplicative or compounding tariffs that could raise costs and slow U.S. capacity building.Implement Adjustment Periods and Sunset Provisions. SEMI recommends any trade actions should phase in gradually to allow for domestic adaptation and include regular review mechanisms to recalibrate as the market evolves.Pair Trade Actions With R D, Workforce, and U.S.-Allied Collaboration. Strengthen domestic capacity through targeted federal research and development (R D) programs, workforce training, and deeper partnerships with trusted U.S. allies to build resilient technology ecosystems.Develop a National Robotics Strategy. Given robotics’ foundational role across semiconductor and advanced manufacturing sectors, SEMI recommends that the Administration develop a National Robotics Strategy. The strategy should align federal programs including those at NIST, NSF, and Department of Energy to accelerate robotics innovation, update technical standards, and drive U.S. leadership in automation and manufacturing competitiveness.The Global ContextWorldwide installations of industrial robots surpassed 540,000 units in 2023, with the market projected to exceed $73 billion in 2025.Robotics and industrial machinery are integral to semiconductor production ensuring cleanroom integrity, precision, and throughput. Broad or overlapping tariffs could raise costs and undermine U.S. competitiveness at a time when historic investments in domestic semiconductor manufacturing are taking hold.Next StepsSEMI looks forward to working with the Department of Commerce and other federal partners to ensure that Section 232 policies enhance both U.S. national security and the industry’s global competitiveness.Read SEMI’s full submission on Regulations.gov by searching Section 232 Investigation of Imports of Robotics and Industrial Machinery (XRIN 0694-XC138).Visit SEMI Global Advocacy to learn more about public policy efforts and developments as well as how your company or organization can get involved.Marc Coldiron is Director, Global Public Policy Advocacy at SEMI.

The march to greater precision, efficiency and safety – the lifeblood of high-technology manufacturing facilities – has taken on a new urgency as emerging applications such artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT) and Industry 4.0 give new meaning to smart factories. Facing fiercer competition and ever more sophisticated fabrication processes, semiconductor fabs are under intense pressure to keep pace with new technologies as they work to upgrade. Nowhere are the stakes higher than in Taiwan, where high-tech manufacturing contributes mightily to the region’s GDP growth. To help Taiwan fabs confront the challenges and opportunities of designing smarter factories, SEMI and its High-Tech Facility Committee hosted the High-Tech Facility Workshop in June. SEMICON Taiwan 2018 High-Tech Facility Pavilion exhibitors gathered to explore how they can build smarter factories by deploying smart surveillance and disaster prevention technologies along with smart communications systems that better use manufacturing data to drive new safety and product quality efficiencies.During the workshop, SEMI High-Tech Facility Committee representatives shared strides it has made upgrading overseas facilities and developing standards to help establish smart factories in Taiwan.SEMICON Taiwan – 5-7 September at Taipei’s Nangang Exhibition Center – is also an important event for advancing smart manufacturing in Taiwan. Nearly 30 leading global manufacturers will exhibit at the SEMICON Taiwan High-Tech Facility Pavilion. The venue covers operational aspects of semiconductor manufacturing vital to becoming smarter including energy savings, nano-contamination control, facility information modeling, precision instrumentation and control, fire protection, mechatronics, and automation control. The pavilion will also feature a series of theme events offering a comprehensive overview of topics including the latest practices for integrating smart facility capabilities from the perspective of an advanced fab designer.At the TechXPOT stage, High-Tech Facility Pavilion exhibitors will also demonstrate the latest technology breakthroughs and cutting-edge smart factor solutions.The September 6th High-Tech Facility International Forum at SEMICON Taiwan will again gather factory experts and thought leaders from industry and academia to examine “Effective Ways to Make a Facility Smart.“ Experts from industry heavyweights in the fields of wafer foundry, LCD, memory and semiconductor packaging including TSMC, UMC, Innolux, ASE, Micron Taiwan, Winbond and VIS will offer insights into key areas of high-tech facilities including facility electricity, machinery, water management, vaporization and automation systems. On the same day as the forum, the High-Tech Facility Get-Together and High-Tech Facility VIP Dinner will bring together industry elites, academic professionals, and government officials to explore partnership opportunities. SEMI Taiwan and the High-Tech Facility Committee share HTF market trends information, technology updates and standards with SEMI members and exhibitors. Founded in 2013, the High-Tech Facility Committee now has 85 corporate members. Dedicated to accelerating industry collaboration through the integration of Taiwan industrial, government and academic resources, the committee each year holds several group meetings focusing on topics including energy savings, earthquake and fire protection, nano-contamination control, and precision instrumentation and control to advance critical technologies and facilitate standardization. The committee also aims to help the industry become more competitive faster by promoting technology standards that boost productivity and reduce production costs.Please visit www.semi.org and www.semicontaiwan.org for more information about SEMI’s high-tech facility initiatives.Iris Tsou is a marketing specialist at SEMI Taiwan.