Winter 2022 – News Beat
ERA ANNOUNCES CONFERENCE BREAKOUT SESSIONS
ERA announced 15 Breakout Sessions lined up for the 2022 ERA Conference, scheduled for Feb. 27 – Mar. 1, at the AT&T Center in Austin, Texas. Over the past nine months, volunteers on the Breakout Sessions Sub-Committee have been working diligently to develop these 15 sessions for the upcoming conference. For detailed information about the breakout sessions and the upcoming conference, please visit: https://era.org/era-events/era-conference/.
IN MEMORIAM OF HERB KRAMER AND BERT AARON
ERA is mourning the loss of Herb Kramer and Bertrand Aaron.
Herb Kramer passed away in December 2021. He retired from MicroSales, of which he was the owner, in 2006. Kramer held several positions in the Ohio chapter of ERA, including president, and was awarded ERA lifetime membership in 2005.
Bert Aaron passed away in December 2021 and would have been 100 years old in January 2022. Aaron was the owner of Aaron Technical Consultants, Chesapeake chapter, and owner of Bertram D. Aaron & Co. Inc., New York chapter. Aaron was awarded ERA lifetime membership in 2003. Aaron led a passionate life and illustrious career. Among many other accomplishments, he attained the rank of captain in the U.S. Army in the Pacific during World War II, which led to a position as aeronautical research scientist at NASA and then as an engineer for the U.S. Army Signal Corps where he received the Commanders Medal. Having lost two wives to breast cancer, Aaron organized and chaired the first Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation Symposium on state-of-the-art medicine for breast cancer diagnosis and treatment.
INTEL TO INVEST IN CHIP FACTORIES AND EDUCATION/RESEARCH IN OHIO
Intel announced at the end of January that it would invest $20 billion for the construction of two new semiconductor factories in Licking County, Ohio, just outside of Columbus. It is hoped the new facilities will aid in meeting surging demand for semiconductors. In addition to the construction investment, Intel pledged an additional $100 million toward partnerships with educational institutions to strengthen research programs and enhance the workforce and talent pool in the region.
EDS SUMMIT RETURNS IN MAY 2022
The EDS Leadership Summit is returning in-person in 2022 at the Mirage in Las Vegas from May 10 through May 13. The event is co-sponsored by ERA and the Electronic Components Industry Association (ECIA).
The Summit’s goal is to provide a forum for manufacturers, representatives and distributors to plan, discuss new opportunities and set goals in an energized atmosphere. This happens through a combination of scheduled one-on-one meetings, educational programs and networking opportunities. For more information and to register, visit edssummit.com.
SEMICONDUCTOR MARKET NEWS
The global semiconductor market is projected to grow by 8.8 percent in 2022, to $601 billion, driven by double-digit growth of the sensors and logic category, according to World Semiconductor Trade Statistics.
WHITE HOUSE WEIGHS IN ON SEMICONDUCTOR SHORTAGE
The Biden administration predicts that a global semiconductor shortage will persist until at least the second half of this year, Bloomberg News reported. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said in January U.S. officials will investigate possible price gouging for chips used by auto and medical device manufacturers. Median inventory for semiconductors has fallen from 40 days to fewer than five days. The Biden administration is encouraging Congress to pass stalled legislation that would dedicate $52 billion dollars to encourage semiconductor makers to build factories in the U.S.