Semiconductors are an essential part of computer chips and, therefore, power much of the technology our modern world increasingly relies upon. This is especially the case during the COVID-19 pandemic, as demand for personal electronics and internet connectivity has skyrocketed. Along with toilet paper and lumber, though, semiconductors are in short supply, due to erratic, pandemic-related bottlenecks in the global supply chain. But simply making more semiconductors isn’t so easy.   
On today’s Brainstorm, Michal Lev-Ram and Brian O’Keefe dive into the reasons for the semiconductor shortage, and explore what solutions exist in the near and long term.  
Margaret O’Mara, a professor of history at the University of Washington and author of “The Code: Silicon Valley and the Remaking of America,” describes how Silicon Valley is what it is because of the semiconductor industry and the U.S. government. 
Ondrej Burkacky leads McKinsey's global Semiconductors and Business Technology practices; he explains why semiconductor manufacturing is so time and capital-intensive, and how the industry can avoid future shortages.  
Also in this episode, Tyson Tuttle, CEO of Silicon Labs in Austin, Texas, describes the importance of geographic diversity in semiconductor manufacturing, and what role the government should play in preventing future shortages.  
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