Note: Many thanks to EE Times Europe for publishing my viewpoint last week “Industry Organizations Are the Mainstay of the Semiconductor Ecosystem.” It seems fitting to repost it here as SEMICON West (a SEMI event) and the collocated Design Automation Conference open next week. 
A recent conversation with a colleague took us down a path on the importance of industry organizations. His company does not belong to any, and he wondered if it should. The short answer is “absolutely.” I quickly drew him in by explaining the value of belonging to industry organizations for semiconductor companies large and small, startup, emerging and public.
It’s not one-way, however. Industry organizations serve an important role, perhaps now more than ever, in the world of geopolitics, the U.S. CHIPS Act and the EU Chips Act and other similar efforts in global geographies. A semiconductor industry organization’s mission is global advocacy and serving as a central voice for the industry. In one example, the organization represents the interests of the semiconductor industry’s design, manufacturing and supply chain throughout the global electronics industry. Another describes its global advocacy as a focus on taxes; trade; legislation; technology; environment, health and safety (EHS); and workforce development (more below).
By joining an industry organization, companies and their executives show their commitment to being good corporate citizens. They also need to be more connected to their ecosystem, including both industry peers and customers, and that can be accomplished through networking events, technical conferences and high-level summits. What better way to socialize and engage with other thought leaders and become a visible industry player? Sales groups often support belonging because events hosted by industry organizations present informal access to potential customers and partners.
