Over the past decade, microelectronics and semiconductors have become a cornerstone of U.S. national security and supply chain resilience, moving beyond a purely technical issue to a central focus of economic and defense policy in Washington. 

In this episode, host Dr. Arun Seraphin sits down with Grant Meyer, chair of the National Defense Industrial Association Electronics Division, to discuss the evolving role of the electronics industrial base in supporting U.S. defense capabilities and securing critical supply chains. 

The conversation explores how rising geopolitical competition and legislation such as the CHIPS and Science Act have accelerated federal attention on semiconductor manufacturing, microelectronics innovation, and resilient supply chains. Seraphin and Meyer also dive into the challenges of building a coherent national electronics strategy, including fragmented priorities across the industrial base and commercial technology sector, and the difficulty of aligning long-term defense acquisition timelines with fast-moving commercial cycles. 

Meyer draws on his extensive experience in defense electronics to explain why microelectronics and semiconductors are foundational to modern military systems and national security infrastructure. 

Check out Meyer’s NDIA division here: https://www.ndia.org/divisions/electronics 

NDIA ETI Report – “Modernizing Defense Microelectronics: Challenges and Opportunities”: https://www.emergingtechnologiesinstitute.org/publications/research-papers/modernizing-defense-microelectronics 

ETH Podcast on Report: 

https://www.youtube.com/@EmergingTechETI/search?query=electronics 

ETH Podcast CHIPS Act and Microelectronics - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36rGE0yjw1Y&t=5s 

Tech 101 Webinar: Microelectronics - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6sxrq3PiwI&list=PL5oQnv75FK5bwT5tk6qgPa3FhLWm1vgAv&index=37&t=3066s&pp=iAQB 

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And for more podcasts, articles, & publications all things emerging tech, check out our website at: ndiaeti.org 

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