Arizona stands at a pivotal moment in its economic evolution. As the state transitions from an agricultural economy of the five Cs cattle, citrus copper, cotton, and climate to a clean energy powerhouse, industry leaders gathered recently at the Clean Energy Summit at Arizona State University’s Innovation Center Sky Song to discuss the workforce challenges...

The semiconductor industry continues to drive global innovation, powering advancements in AI, telecommunications, automotive technologies, and beyond. As we navigate 2025 and beyond, the market remains poised for significant growth, projected to exceed $1 trillion in revenue by the end of the decade. Despite geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainties, technological advancements and expanding applications underpin...

The global semiconductor industry is undergoing a transformative phase, driven by rising demand fueled by digitization, electrification, and generative AI (GenAI). Achieving equilibrium between supply and demand by 2030 presents both opportunities and significant challenges for stakeholders.  Demand Growth and AI’s Impact  Market Projections: Semiconductor demand is expected to reach $1 trillion by 2030, growing...

The semiconductor industry is experiencing unprecedented growth and facing complex challenges, as highlighted by former U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross at SEMI’s Industry Strategy Symposium 2025 in Half Moon Bay, California.  Record-Breaking Growth  The global semiconductor market is indeed thriving, with projections even more optimistic than initially stated. According to the World Semiconductor Trade...

Earlier this month, I had the privilege of attending SEMI’s three-day Industry Strategy Symposium (ISS) in the picturesque setting of Half Moon Bay, California. Held from January 12 to 15, this annual gathering brought together leading semiconductor industry executives to analyze growth projections and pivotal business trends shaping the future. The theme for 2025, “Ready,...

More than three years after the COVID-19 pandemic devastated over 600,000 clean energy jobs, the cleantech industry is well on its way to recovery. Today, nearly 80 percent of those jobs have been regained, reflecting a strong rebound and renewed momentum. The sector’s growth shows no signs of slowing, thanks to a few key factors....

In today’s globalized economy, companies often face the complex challenge of expanding into new markets. This was the case for a leading east Asia-based renewable energy manufacturer as they planned their first overseas expansion into the United States. Navigating unfamiliar regulations, managing cultural differences, and establishing a new operational base were only a few of...

For procurement leaders, managing priorities can be a balancing act. With 20 to 30+ items on their annual agenda, they must select the most critical initiatives to focus on. Typically, they rank the top 10 priorities from their extensive list and then narrow them down to the top 5 strategic initiatives. Change is challenging for...

Phoenix, Arizona, is at a pivotal point in its economic development, particularly in the advanced manufacturing sector. As the city evolves into a hub for semiconductors, renewable energy, and aerospace industries, it faces several challenges in workforce development. These challenges stem from both the rapid expansion of manufacturing jobs and the need for a highly...

Each year, the SEMI Industry Strategy Symposium brings together leaders from around the globe to discuss the semiconductor industry’s performance, economic outlook, and strategies for achieving their goals. Damian Scandiffio and Derrick Ryskamp, Directors of Enterprise Sales for Acara Solutions, kicked off the new year hearing from industry experts and are sharing some of their...

The U.S. is the semiconductor industry leader holding about half of the global market share with sales of $275 billion in 2022, with experts projecting it will be a trillion-dollar industry by 2030. Worldwide, in 2022 alone, the semiconductor market totaled $599.6 billion and is expected to reach $630.0 billion in 2024. Semiconductors in short...

With all the tech layoffs at the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023, you may think the talent shortage has subsided. However, that’s not the case. As technology advances and plays an increasingly important role in various sectors, the demand for tech talent has surged, leaving 86 percent of Chief Information Officers to...

Economic forecasts show that the odds of a recession are 64 percent. However, this recession is expected to differ from the ones experienced in 2001 and 2008 in that it could be quieter, slower, and longer, making flexibility in talent strategy even more critical. Organizations in all industries are searching for ways to maximize their...

While the job growth in 2022 was impressive, the number of workers leaving the labor force offset some of the gains. Many employers struggle to find qualified candidates to fill open positions, leading to increased competition for talent. There is a growing skills gap in many industries, with insufficient workers with the skills required to...

A new rule recently proposed by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) could bring major changes for independent contractors and the employers that utilize them. Under the proposed rule, which was first published in October 2022, employers would likely need to reclassify at least some of their independent contractors as employees. Citing persisting concerns around...

When choosing a new job, 40 percent of professionals consider company culture a top priority. Given this high number, today’s business leaders realize that a human-centric approach to organizational thinking is the best way to ensure they deliver a company culture that attracts and retains top talent. In fact, 66 percent of executives believe culture...

Did you know that Portland—Oregon’s largest city with 653K people—is the most bike-friendly city in America with 350+ bike lanes and an advanced bike infrastructure? The city’s commitment to planet Earth along with the new infrastructure for cyclists and walkers earned its recognition as one of Time Magazine’s World’s Great Places of 2022. From Portland,...

Finding the right person for a role is not easy in an employer-driven market and much more challenging in the tight candidate-driven labor market we are currently experiencing. What happens when you need to fill hundreds or thousands of positions in a short period of time? High-volume recruitment—or mass hiring—is utilized when an organization must...

As families celebrate college graduations across the U.S. this month, there’s good news on the job front. Employers plan to hire 26.6 percent more 2022 new graduates than they did from the class of 2021. Members of the 2022 graduating class have spent at least half of their college experience navigating the uncertainty that the...

The future of work lies in skills—not jobs. The demand for labor during the pandemic recovery is fierce and it’s becoming more difficult to attract workers. There’s an ongoing shift towards a skills-based approach to talent development and retention—through which organizations identify the talent they already have in place and fill in-demand roles internally with...

Addressing wage compression has proven to be one of the most pressing difficulties facing businesses in today’s volatile labor market. Otherwise known as pay compression, this term has presented challenges to companies of all shapes, sizes, and industries. So what are the underlying causes of wage compression, how can it be rectified, and what can...

Since the 1940s, Indian companies have considered the United States to be a promising investment opportunity. In the decades that followed, this pattern has continued to grow in both size and scope. Today, hundreds of companies with headquarters in India have established operational hubs in America and taken advantage of tremendous overseas business opportunities by...