Joe Lieberman: “U.S. competitiveness in the high-tech sector of semiconductors, an important enabler in today's world providing the…”

“U.S. competitiveness in the high-tech sector of semiconductors, an important enabler in today's world providing the basis for nearly all electronic products and systems used in both consumer and military applications, is at risk. As we all are aware, global competition is on the rise, U.S. basic research investment is on the decline, and there is serious concern regarding the U.S. science and technology talent base. These issues have long been a concern of mine not only for the health of our economy but also for maintaining and preserving our national security. I released a whitepaper back in June of 2003 titled ``National Security Aspects of the Global Migration of the U.S. Semiconductor Industry'' that discusses and highlights the importance of addressing the accelerating shift in manufacturing overseas. Historically, shifts in manufacturing result over time in migration of research and development which, unfortunately, means we will be essentially offshoring our innovation capacity itself. In the March 21, 2005, edition of Business Week, the cover story article titled ``Outsourcing Innovation'' exactly addresses this issue.…”