Semiconductors are the center of the world’s technological projects. Semiconductors and chips are essential components of smartphones.

Apple advised that they will cut their production of the IPhone 13 as a result of the chips scarcity (Bloomberg, October 12, 2021).

On its part, Facebook seems to have joined the Google and Microsoft approach, deciding to reduce their dependence on Broadcom, Intel and Qualcomm and would commence to put in place a strategy to produce specific chips for their central computers (The information).

With the arrival of 5G and also the use of multiple chips in automobiles and other fields they have become a strategic supply.

The lack of semiconductors for automotive manufacture have for example caused SEAT, the Spanish company (SEAT Motor España, Asturias Motor S.A., SEAT Deutschland GmbH) to propose an ERTE (Temporary Regulation Rule), between September 20 and June 30, 2022, in three factories in Cataluña (Europa Press), without indicating the personnel reduction percentage which would apply.

The U.S. reduced their semiconductors production for their own usage from 37% to 12% between 1990 and 2021 (Intel). What is news is that Intel will invest 80 billion US dollars in Europe during the next decade having signed in September 2021 an agreement with the European Union, aiming for digital sovereignty in 2030, ahead of the European Chips Act.

Ursula von der Leyden, President of the European Commission, announced on September 15th the European Chips Act and said that the objective is to create a latest generation European Chips ecosystem including its production, guaranteeing their supply requirements and developing new markets for European Innovative technology.
The objective during the so called “Digital Decade” is to increase the production of semiconductors from the presently 9% to 20% in 2030, looking at the Asian giant.

However in a decade China is expected to be technologically independent.

This full process started in Europe in December 2020 with the DSA and the DMA.

The European Competence Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, presented the ambitious norms for the Internet of the future until 2030, in a decade.

Also the European Commission proposes a single charger unit for the European Union (Reuters), which would became effective in 2024. The aim is an only same standard for the benefit of consumers, facilitating the usage expansion independently from brands, thus reducing costs. At present the main ones are micro USB, USB-C and Apple’s Lightning.

Another measure in the same direction is the extension established of Industry Committee of the EU during 10 years for free roaming for the residents of the EU within it.

The European legislation is planned for the present decade and the tendency is to increase the responsibilities of the large technological platforms regarding the use contents’ algorithms.

Cybersecurity

According to EURACTIV’s Luva Bertuzzi, the European Commission in 2022 will be working on digital initiatives from Brussels and also a Cyber Resilience Act.

This would be an expansion of the UE 2019/ 796 Council regulation design taken account of the supposed cyberattacks from China and Russia, directed to implement sanctions such as freezing funds and other economic means. This EU Cyber-resilience law would provide “a common Cybersecurity standard for interconnected devices”.

Cyber-resilience can be defined as the capacity to resist, protect and defend the use of the space from attackers (incine.es).

Cybersecurity is a priority for the 27 countries that form the EU. Therefore the EU has been speaking since October 2020 about “quantic encryption” and “instrumenting a resilient and digital Europe” (EU 23/3/2021 Cybersecurity Strategy Conclusions).

Cyber diplomacy

With the objective of forming an international coalition, the U.S. made a same call for a virtual meeting to thirty countries, excluding Russia and China, where representatives of Australia, Brazil, Canada, Dominican Republic, United Arab Emirates, Nigeria, South Kores, South Africa and Ukraine participated.

Cyber defense

Cyber defense is for defending critical infrastructure.

Cyber diplomacy and cyber defense are the main strategic matters for the U.S.