On August 22, 2024, Asia Society Northern California hosted a panel discussion on "Strengthening US-Asia Tech Supply Chain Resilience." Speakers included Kirti Gupta, Vice President and Chief Economist of Global Technology at Cornerstone Research; Sanchita Banerjee Saxena, Senior Advisor to Article One and faculty at Haas Business School at UC Berkeley; and Tom Quillin, Senior Director of Technology Policy, and Global Government Affairs at Intel Corporation. Jacob Ward, acclaimed technology journalist, moderated. 

Discussion focused on vulnerabilities in global supply chains which became even more apparent during the pandemic. Quillin and Gupta both addressed the geopolitics of supply chains for semiconductor chips - a critical component of today's modern economy. Gupta highlighted the need for partnerships across nations' borders to address these challenges. Saxena noted human labor involved in supply chains, emphasizing the importance of government and organizational responsibility for human rights as an important part of supply chain resilience. Quillin reflected on positive examples of resilience in supply chains seen since the pandemic, as well as spoke about the importance of investing in engineering talent, a STEM-based approach, and research mindset from early education. 

During Q&A, the audience asked about corporate ethical responsibility, ways to create more transparent supply chain systems, and the evolving role of the CHIPS Act in efforts to restore global supply chain balance to semiconductor chip production. 

View more photos from the event here.