Maury Blackman urges full U.S. chip supply chain after ASML China sale

Maury Blackman is calling for the United States to build a complete domestic semiconductor ecosystem after recent concerns over ASML’s advanced equipment sales to China. His analysis argues that U.S. national security and economic resilience depend on controlling chip design, manufacturing, materials, tools and workforce at home.

Why it matters: - Blackman says semiconductors are too important to U.S. economic and military power to depend on a distributed global supply chain. - The analysis frames ASML’s sale of advanced lithography machines to China as a warning about U.S. dependence on foreign suppliers. - The proposed shift would require hundreds of billions of dollars and a 10- to 15-year buildout, but Blackman argues the cost of dependency is higher.

What happened: - Maury Blackman, founder and chairman of Insight Integrity Group and managing director of Pierpoint Ventures, published an article calling for a complete domestic semiconductor manufacturing and supply chain ecosystem. - The article, “The ASML Moment: Why America Must Own Its Entire Chip Ecosystem,” responds to concerns over advanced semiconductor equipment exports to China. - Blackman argues the U.S. cannot rely on what foreign companies choose to do with advanced chip technology. - Blackman says the ASML situation shows the U.S. has outsourced too much and become too dependent.

The details: - Blackman’s strategy covers seven areas: chip design, chip manufacturing, equipment manufacturing, materials and chemicals, design tools, testing and packaging, and workforce development. - The plan calls for protecting and expanding U.S. leadership in chip design. - The plan calls for building advanced fabs capable of producing 3nm and beyond chips. - The plan calls for investment in alternatives to ASML’s EUV lithography machines. - The plan calls for domestic production of silicon wafers and specialty chemicals. - The plan calls for keeping American control of EDA software and design tools. - The plan calls for bringing advanced testing facilities back to the U.S. - The plan calls for creating a pipeline of skilled semiconductor workers. - The policy recommendations include increasing CHIPS Act funding and extending it beyond 2032. - The policy recommendations include creating a National Semiconductor Manufacturing Initiative to coordinate government and industry. - The policy recommendations include tax incentives for domestic capacity in critical areas. - The policy recommendations include more R&D investment at universities and national labs. - The policy recommendations include strategic stockpiles of critical materials. - The policy recommendations include export controls on advanced semiconductor equipment to block technology transfer to adversaries. - Blackman said China cutting off rare earth elements could disrupt U.S. chip production. - Blackman said a Taiwan invasion could cut off access to the world’s most advanced fabs.

Between the lines: - The analysis blends industrial policy with national security, arguing that semiconductor resilience is a strategic necessity rather than a market preference. - The call for domestic control spans the full stack, signaling that chip fabrication alone would not be enough to reduce U.S. exposure. - The recommendation for export controls suggests the debate is not only about building more capacity in the U.S. but also about limiting the spread of advanced tools abroad.

What's next: - Blackman is pushing for a larger federal role through longer-term CHIPS Act support and a coordinated national initiative. - The article points to a multi-year effort that would require public investment, private capital and workforce expansion. - The full article is available here.