The National Security Card
For years, the West has happily outsourced the grubby business of manufacturing to far-flung corners of the globe. It was cheaper, it was easier, and it kept our hands clean. Then a pandemic came along, supply chains snapped like old rubber bands, and everyone suddenly realised that relying on a single island for the world’s most critical technology was, to put it mildly, a bit daft.
This isn't just about propping up a flagging industry. To me, this is about reclassifying semiconductor manufacturing as essential national infrastructure, right up there with the power grid and defence contractors. It’s a declaration that the tiny silicon chips powering everything from our toasters to our fighter jets are too important to be left to the whims of geopolitics. The question for investors is, does a government safety net create a genuine opportunity, or just a bloated, inefficient mess?