In 2015, UN member states committed themselves to fostering software supply chain security. But the issue has since been neglected in international forums, even as software supply chain compromises have severely impacted individuals, companies and societies. To begin to close this implementation gap, diplomatic action should focus on global promotion of processes of coordinated vulnerability disclosure (CVD). This would both …
China and Russia: A Lasting Partnership in High Technology
Russia is far from China’s most important technological partner. Yet as the outcomes of Xi Jinping’s recent visit to Moscow confirm, Europeans will need to live with a China-Russia partnership that is increasingly focused on high technology. As foreign sanctions drive Russia into rising economic integration with China, and as China’s access to Western markets and partnerships comes under increasing …
Taiwan, China and Semiconductors
Rising tensions surrounding Taiwan in the wake of Nancy Pelosi’s visit have illuminated the island’s critical role in the global economy, thanks to its singular place in the semiconductor supply chain. Yet rather than increasing Beijing’s incentives to pull the trigger on an invasion of Taiwan, the global importance of TSMC and other Taiwanese semiconductor companies discourages it. Taiwan’s position …
Geopolitics of the Global Semiconductor Value Chain
The semiconductor value chain is highly interdependent, with some areas overwhelmingly dominated by a few companies or countries. Given Europe’s position in the value chain, European policymakers working toward strategic autonomy would do well to consider questions of access, leverage and resilience in addition to ownership. Semiconductors, such as processors or memory chips, are the drivers of the accelerating digitalization …
Supply Chain Security Beyond 5G
The global architecture of supply chains is changing in front of our eyes. The 5G debate and now the COVID-19 pandemic have made us aware of how interconnected the world is and how much we rely on each other. This momentum must be captured. Important decisions about how to re-define supply chains are imminent, and security must be placed at …