“It’s a privilege to celebrate the 2023 Awards Gala with such distinguished honorees,” said Deanna Palm, President and CEO of the WCCC, in the organization’s press release announcing the event. She added “This year’s recipients have truly set the bar for excellence. Their outstanding achievements and dedication are not just exemplary; they inspire and elevate the standards of success in our community.”

On behalf of my exceptional, hard-working, talented, and innovative teammates here at CST, I was proud to be to accept this honor on Thursday evening. Even better, I was moved to read these kind words in the event program, used to describe CST when bestowing the award upon us — shared here, so all of my colleagues at CST, our customers, our partners, and our friends and family members can read them too!

“At the heart of Cascade Systems Technology (CST) lies a strong and vibrant company culture that is integral to its success. This culture is characterized by a close-knit team, many of whom have been with the company for 20 to 25 years or more. This longevity within the team speaks volumes about CST’s work environment, emphasizing not just hard work but also enjoyment and a strong sense of camaraderie. It’s a culture where teamwork is paramount and helping each other succeed is a shared goal.

Beyond its internal environment, CST’s commitment to community involvement and workforce development is notable. The company has taken proactive steps to engage with the younger generation and spark interest in technology and manufacturing. CST has hosted several tours for high school students and tech classes from Portland Community College (PCC), providing them with a critical glimpse into a real technology manufacturing factory. These initiatives are not just about showcasing the company’s operations but are aimed at inspiring students and igniting a passion for the field of microelectronics. The impact of these efforts is evident in the feedback received, such as the thank you email from the organizers of the PCC class tour, which highlighted that two students were motivated to pursue careers in microelectronics after their visit.

CST’s involvement extends to significant contributions towards workforce development in Oregon, particularly in relation to the Chips Act. The company has been actively involved in discussions with Oregon legislators, with CST’s President & CEO, Shantanu Gupta testifying about silicon-based manufacturing and its implications for the state’s economy and technological advancement. This involvement has led to a prominent position in the industry, as evidenced by the selection of Shantanu Gupta to be one of the 12 members of Oregon’s Chips Act Task Force. The work of this Task Force resulted in the successful roll out of the Chips Act related funding for 14 semiconductor companies and
R&D tax credit process for Semiconductor Related companies.

These actions demonstrate CST’s dedication not only to its immediate business goals but also to fostering a skilled workforce and supporting the broader technological and manufacturing community in Oregon. Through its strong company culture, community involvement, and active participation in shaping industry policies, CST sets itself apart as a leader committed to the growth and development of both its team and the wider industry.”

It takes an extraordinary team to warrant such praise and achieve such honors — and I feel myself truly blessed and privileged to count myself as a member of one such team. On behalf of everyone at CST, I also want to express my sincere gratitude to the folks at Washington County Chamber of Commerce for this recognition: It genuinely means a lot to us!

–  Shantanu R. Gupta,
President & CEO, Cascade Systems Technology

Not by coincidence, and happily, the event also echoed developments and news on this same front arising from the tech sector (here’s an example on the semiconductor front from Intel) and from Washington, DC, including massive Federal investments in re-onshoring semiconductor capabilities; strategic efforts to curtail access by China and Russia to our most advanced, U.S.-borne chip technology that pose serious risks to national security here at home and among fragile democracies globally; and billions of dollars recently made available to companies developing battery, fuel cell, and adjacent technologies that will both help power future EV fleets and help America meet its aggressive emissions and global-warming mitigation goals.

Tailgating at the TAO event at UO (Go Ducks!)

Highlights of the event included a tour of UO’s new Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact, a happy hour co-sponsored by Onward Eugene and Oregon Bioscience Association, and a terrific tailgate party ahead of a Ducks-Stanford football game (Go Ducks!). For me sporting event at hand served as a fitting metaphor: In the technology field – as on the gridiron — it will take a winning strategy, profound talent, and just the sort of investment UO is making in technology if we are to be “ahead of the game” worldwide. (BTW, the Ducks prevailed in the game: 45 to 27!)

So, what exactly is UO up to on these fronts and, as such, walking the talk of needed tech investment?

According to Sally Bell, “UO’s recent investments are foundational in knitting together the innovation silos across the state. The scope and importance for the expansion of facilities and programs will be an enormous lever for the tech ecosystem for recruitment of top talent, commercialization of new technologies and continued differentiation for Oregon’s economic resilience.”

Just three examples:

• A new UO campus situated in metropolitan Portland focused on experiential and tech-centric learning opportunities, networking, and internships throughout the region. Highlights will include a virtual- and augmented reality lab, PDX fabrication lab, and labs for sports product development and management.
• The Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact, opened in 2019, whose mission focuses on “training new generations of scientists, forging tighter ties with industry and entrepreneurs, and creating new opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students.” Among enumerable resources at the new campus is the Knight Campus Innovation Center, offering leasable labs and offices for startup companies and creating a unique blend of engineering, applied sciences, and business innovation.  Just one for instance among many. According to Knight Campus Executive Director, Robert Guldberg, a pilot startup venture program has already yielded three startup companies that are moving new technologies to market. (You can read more updates from Robert on the impressive and fast-accumulating successes emerging from the campus.)
• Integration with regional technology industries – UO has been making significant, ongoing investments in outreach to, and collaboration with, tech-industry players in Portland and points beyond across Oregon. From stepping up both the volume and quality of student-centric opportunities like hands-on internships and co-ops; to direct involvement of corporate management and engineering professionals in the university’s academic programming, syllabus development, and collaborative research; to forging advisory relationships that inform UO’s future tech planning — my own attendance at the tech/Ducks weekend is an instance of this – the University of Oregon is really undergoing a sea-change in this area and fast becoming a force for tech innovation in the Pacific Northwest and nationally.

A snapshot of some of the folks who attended the TAO tech event at UO recently

There are many other examples and initiatives I could point to at UO (e.g., climbing enrollment, recent hires, very promising graduation stats to report already), but my larger point is that these are precisely the kinds of investments of capital, talent, and infrastructure that I’ve been promoting as being necessary to retaining, and indeed expanding America’s stature as a technology leader.

They also add to the portfolio of case studies in which TAO, itself, has helped to catalyze regional innovation over the last few years despite – and these being accomplished despite significant economic and supply chain issues arising from the pandemic.

Again, I’ll let Sally chime in: “There are four great examples of public/industry/education partnerships that TAO is convening and leading to build an environment for innovation in Oregon.

1. First, in June 2022, TAO hosted a Commerce Chain Summit which brought together thought-leaders from throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond to discuss how best to strengthen our physical, digital and human infrastructure to ensure that businesses, residents and our natural environment benefit from a secure, resilient, and agile commerce chain.
2. Next, Smart and Connected Cities remains a top priority for our region and TAO hosted a three-part series in 2022, focused on cleantech innovation and investment, smart city technologies, cybersecurity, and the digital divide.
3. Third, the historic amount of Federal and State funds for economic recovery and innovation has given rise to TAOs involvement in a wide variety of cross-sector proposals and efforts underway for agricultural technology, cybersecurity, bio- and life- science, centers of innovation excellence and research. This collaborative approach for seeking investment is critical to Oregon’s success in this competitive landscape.
4. And last but not least, TAO is poised to facilitate Future Ready Oregon’s investment in workforce development through an industry-led process to work in lock step with education partners and workforce boards to bring a new era of tech upskilling to the state.“

If, as I stated at the onset, the goal is stay “ahead of the game” by investing in American competitiveness – seems to me we have a winning team and game plan here in Oregon!

–  Shantanu R. Gupta,
CEO, Cascade Systems Technology

Our high-energy, warm-hearted, and teamwork-driven CST Hood-to-Coast relay squad for 2022!

But the term took on a whole new meaning here at Cascade Systems Technology a couple weeks ago, when we once again had the pleasure of sending a team to participate in Hood to Coast 2022: The Mother of All Relays.

Held on August 26-27, 2022 – with teams departing the starting line in the wee hours of that morning – this year’s Hood to Coast marked its 40th anniversary: What began as a fund-raiser in 1982 with eight teams and a total of 80 participants has grown to become the largest relay event of its kind, inspiring similar events across the globe and drawing 20,000 participants from over 40 countries and all 50 U.S. states. Since its inception, the original Portland-based HTC relay – which covers roughly 200 miles from Mount Hood to the beachfront of the Pacific Ocean – has raised over $6 million for cancer research, treatment, and support services.

This year, CST hosted a picnic in honor of (and to send off!) our Hood-to-Coast relay team.

This year’s team – dubbed the “CST Chevrolegs” – included 12 participants from all parts of the CST organization and a some guests. Sent off in style with a rousing picnic at CST, these brave, high-spirited, and big-hearted teammates made us all exceedingly proud – and once again demonstrated many of the traits we admire here at CST (and alluded to in our HTC blog from last year), including teamwork, determination, the power of diversity, charity, stamina, problem-solving, among others. Those who didn’t run helped organize the sendoff picnic with a delicious assortment of food and fun games.

How did the participants themselves feel about the experience? Here are a few of their comments:

• “This was the BEST Hood to Coast ever! Everything went smoothly!”
• “This race Is SO painful, why do I do this every year? Because I love it!”
• “Such a great way to spend time with team members you work with.”
• “We love that CST funds this race each year! Thanks CST!”

For a relay of this magnitude, you need all the energy you can get!

Many of the participants talked about how good It felt to have the team flawlessly execute the race across several planned checkpoints, hand-offs, rest, running with a flashlight through the night – all because of good planning, goal setting and working well together as a team.

Clearly, it was a stirring and meaningful event on many levels. Some of those who didn’t run the race believe it was the good food at the fun send-off picnic that made this meaningful outcome possible! Anything is possible for the good, strong, motivated, focused team at CST. Once again, kudos to this year’s HTC team members: You set a fine example for us all!

–  Shantanu R. Gupta,
CEO, Cascade Systems Technology

On July 14, 2022, Cascade Systems Technology (CST) was proud to host a STEM class from Portland Community College (PCC) – in keeping with our company’s ongoing emphasis on how important STEM initiatives are to our nation’s competitiveness, to our global technology leadership, and to providing our best and brightest youngsters with rewarding careers. (See our previous

Nereida Macias: At a high level, there are about 90 courses offered at PCC that map to STEM occupations as defined by the National Standard Occupational Code (SOC) Policy Committee. Each year, thousands of students enroll in these courses through PCC Career and Technical Education (CTE) programming and Lower Division Collegiate (LDC) programs.

In addition to instructional excellence, PCC supports these courses with a range of resources and facilities, including a makerspace at all PCC campuses complete with 3D printers, CNC milling machines, laser engravers, to list a few.

PCC also emphasizes and has rich opportunities for internships and other kinds of on-the-job exposure. Our summer class visit to Cascade Systems Technology’s facility is an example of that. Called CG-130 — and offered every term as part of the PCC Counseling and Guidance (CG) curriculum — this summer’s class uniquely focused on careers within microelectronics, mechatronics, machine manufacturing, electronic engineering technology, bioscience technology, welding, computer aided design and drafting, aviation maintenance technology, to list a few.

Offered in partnership with the Washington County Chamber of Commerce, the class was comprised of 17 recent high school graduates who enrolled from schools within Washington County. It included an in-depth overview of the equipment and tools they would likely use in their career; visits to three additional programs at our Rock Creek campus (Bioscience Technology, Welding, and Aviation Maintenance Technology); and students received virtual tours of various microelectronic and manufacturing facilities – and, thanks to your generosity — the in-person tour of CST!

Shantanu: We were happy to oblige. But, from your instructor’s perspective, why is it important for school STEM programs to engage with tech companies like ours — and to show students real-world application of STEM skills? in Printed Circuit Board manufacturing, Testing, box assemblies etc.?

Nereida: The uniqueness of this course allowed us the opportunity to introduce students to other opportunities within STEM. Oftentimes, due to the nature of our K-12 educational institutions, students are under the impression that in order to work in STEM they need to follow a traditional transfer pathway to complete a Bachelor of Science degree. However, this course provided students with real-world experiences within STEM where they learned directly from the source — local employees, employers, and CEOs like you — about the multiple pathways into the industry via a short-term degree or certificate. In many cases, students have the career or employer in mind, but are unfamiliar with the steps needed to get there. This course provided a unique opportunity for students to hear firsthand what it takes to be successful in the industry.

Shantanu: What did your students get from the tour or enjoy most? Any fun anecdotes? Epiphanies for students or instructors during the visit and the like?

Nereida: Touring CST was extremely beneficial to our students. Your staff was very friendly and approachable. Since this class primarily focused on career exploration, it was really helpful to hear the career journey of our tour guides. It definitely made getting into the field seem more approachable. It allowed our students to witness first-hand what the industry looks like on a day-to-day basis. At the beginning of class, only 3 students reported an interest in microelectronics and manufacturing. After the tour/the conclusion of class, 10 students reported an interest in microelectronics and manufacturing. Many plan to enroll in CTE programs at PCC this fall, and I believe the shift in career interest was a direct result of the tour at Cascade Systems.

Shantanu: What’s on the horizon for PCC’s STEM programming? Seminal events? Expansions? New programming? Breaking news or things to watch for?

Nereida: For one thing, PCC was recently the meeting space for a statewide press conference by the Oregon Semiconductor Competitiveness Task Force in which both local and state representatives shared the release of the “Seizing Opportunity” report. This report looks at how the State’s semiconductor industry can continue to thrive, grow and create prosperity and opportunity. (A little known fact is that the PCC microelectronics program was created in 1999 at the request of Intel. Since then, PCC has produced a steady pipeline of new technicians for the company and others within Washington County!)

Since this Q&A will be presented as a blog, I hope you won’t mind if I also include in my answer to your question some links to official PCC articles. These will explain some of our recent success more thoroughly and dramatically than I could!

• State, federal officials join PCC in hosting future of semiconductor industry event
• PCC alum Steven Duggan shows how the microelectronics pathway is ripe with opportunity
• PCC is leveraging public dollars to knock down barriers and serve workforce needs
• Suzanne Bonamici tours Willow Creek Center, talks semiconductors

Shantanu: To wrap up, what’s the best way for students, community members, or area tech companies to learn more or get involved?

Nereida: While this class primarily focused on reaching recent high school graduates, PCC offers no-cost, two-week Discover classes for students to learn more about various CTE programs PCC has to offer. Students interested in learning more about work in manufacturing, technology and/or construction and trades should look into the On-Ramp courses offered through the PCC Opportunity Centers.

Additionally, any high school student interested in learning more about these degrees and certificates or any other PCC program should consider attending PCC Preview Days this upcoming Fall/Winter. Registration opens next month!

Should community members and area tech companies want to learn more or get involved, I would encourage them to reach out directly to the program department.

Shantanu: Anything else you’d like to conclude with?

Nereida:
I would just add that support and interaction with local companies and employees like yours have played, and continued to play, an important role in offerings at PCC. This course offered a brief overview of the many opportunities available at PCC. Many of these programs have existed a long time and have provided meaningful education and employment opportunities for students. (A final stat PCC is very proud of: The PCC Microelectronics program in particular has a 100% job placement rate for its graduates!)

We thank those who have worked tirelessly to support and educate students and community members alike.

Like any busy businessperson, my first thoughts were “Do I really have time for this?” and “Can we really afford the disruption of giving students a tour, given all of the work we have in the shop right now?”

But then another notion popped into my head: As I’ve been writing in recent blogs, it occurred to me that this request to host a high-school field trip was actually an opportunity to ‘walk the talk’ about the need for increased investment in American technology.

Our office manager, Lori, connected with the teacher, Mr. Ellsworth at Wahluke High School in Mattawa, WA, about what he was looking for in terms of time commitment, format of his class’s visit, what his objectives were, and what timing he had in mind. If a bus full of motivated high school students and their teacher were planning to drive 4 hours to visit us, we wanted to make sure we hit the mark!

Boy am I glad we did.

I turns out CST was the only one out of 27 tech companies he’d reached out to that even bothered to respond.

Not to cast aspersions on my fellow technologists, but we need to do better. We need to step up and support our nation’s students who are interested in technology and will create the future.

Why?

First, it’s good for our aspiring youngsters. In total, 18 kids and four adult chaperones visited and toured our facility on March 23. That meant 18 fresh, bright minds waiting to be shown that their coursework in school had relevance and practical applications in the real world; 18 impressionable kids we might inspire to pursue their engineering degrees; and 18 young adults who would now have legitimate proof that careers in engineering and technology are worthwhile, meaningful, and exciting. These kids stayed fully engaged when some of our tour-guides and speakers got into the nitty gritty of Gerber drawings, circuit board assembly, box assemblies, rework, SMT, the optical inspection, and other technical aspects. In short, the tour of CST’s engineering department, test labs, and assembly floor – combined with meeting and hearing from my coworkers — made the possibilities of a STEM career real for them in a way no chalkboard or textbook can.
Second — and speaking of CST employees — it was good for them, too. Far from being perceived as an imposition by my staff, hosting a bunch of teenagers for a couple of hours turned out to be an energizing and motivating experience. Honestly, we got a real kick out of showing our workplace, talking about the cool things we do at CST, and explaining how our circuit board assemblies are contributing to and winding up in end-applications they could relate to. “Twenty years ago, the smart phones you’re all holding didn’t even exist yet,” I made a point of saying to some of them. “If you enter this field after college, imagine what new tech you’ll be able to make a reality in the next 20 years.”

Last but hardly least, it’s good for industry and our country. Study after study has shown the U.S. is consistently coming up shy when it comes to supplying the STEM talent we’ll need to keep our nation strong and competitive in critical technology sectors such as computing/ software, defense, healthcare, aviation, energy, unmanned vehicles, among countless others. To name but one such study, the American Action Forum published a report predicted “the U.S. will be short 1.1 million STEM workers” in 2024. Noting that some of that demand will be met by immigration of foreign-born tech talent (a blog topic for another day), our nation’s education system will somehow have the lion’s share of responsibility for filling that gap. If you grasp that concept, it becomes easy to see how important it is to support STEM at the corporate level: Just imagine if 500 tech companies like CST in each of our 50 states helped inspire 25 high school students per year to obtain STEM-related college degrees – through company tours, professional mentoring, internships, or other methods. That’s 625,000 students entering the STEM career funnel.

To sum it up, technological prowess is without question a crucial factor in us continuing to be a leader on the world stage and in solving earth’s most pressing challenges. Another factor is (as it has always been) ensuring our next generation can rise and fulfill their limitless promise and potential.

These bright students are the future and technology will shape the future. In my view, these two paths must converge. And supporting local, regional, state, and national STEM initiatives is a sure fire way to ensure this happens.

I hope you’ll join me.

–  Shantanu R. Gupta,
CEO, Cascade Systems Technology

While few but the most ardent fans of political gamesmanship enjoyed watching the bill-making process in D.C. over the intervening months, the final Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (formally the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act) was signed by President Biden on November 15. Now valued at a total of $1.2 trillion in infrastructure investment, this version unfortunately doesn’t appear to specifically call out semiconductor investments like the original version did – though it’s monster-sized investment in next-gen public transportation, smart energy grids, electric vehicles, water systems, broadband, and other segments of the economy will most definitely require plenty of computing power and indirectly spur growth of the semiconductor and the related technologies sector.

That being said, the $200 billion United States Innovation & Competition Act (USICA) bill passed by the Senate (June 8, 2021) did specially call for $52 billion to expand our semiconductor capacity – and remains viable, even if it has been sidelined by the larger infrastructure push and, right behind it, President Biden’s Build Back Better plan. (You can see a nice summary of USICA’s pros and cons here.)

Fingers crossed on that, as the saying goes!

Why all this fuss about the importance of bringing offshore semiconductor infrastructure and capacity back to the U.S.?

First and foremost – and as the pandemic made abundantly clear — there are the supply-chain problems that arise from not having our own robust semiconductor industry here in the U.S. On this, CEO of Intel, Pat Gelsinger, offered an excellent summary in his late-April op-ed in the Financial Times (shared via a post on LinkedIn). You can also see Pat discuss them at length with Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona and Fast Company’s Stephanie Mehta, last week at the Aspen Ideas Festival. Or check out his most recent comments (C/Net) on his plan to keep Intel competitive in this regard.

As important, if not more so, is the fact that not fully participating in the global semiconductor race from a firm position right here in the U.S. will be tantamount to ceding leadership in a whole range of absolutely vital sectors.

More to the point, I fervently believe that semiconductor leadership is actually critical to the future of this country and our remaining a world superpower. Consider that future AI computing platforms will all run on advanced silicon – and that future AI algorithms and compute solutions will, in turn, drive future breakthroughs in medicine (e.g. mRNA based treatments/Vaccines), mobile communication, cloud-computing, all of our best chances at stemming the literal rising tides of climate change (e.g. autonomous cars, smart cities, advanced clean energy systems), and much more. If the U.S. is not leading these industries, we’ll surely fall from our hard-earned perch at the top of the world’s technology flowchart.

Beyond the loss of economic prowess and competitiveness associated with all of that, next consider how honing and keeping our semiconductor edge is also a matter with serious national security ramifications. That’s because our government, security and cyber-security infrastructure, and military strength are all-but-entirely technology- (and therefore chip-) based, as are the defensive and offensive tools we rely on to protect our borders and promote democracy worldwide, e.g. avionic/drones, guided weapons, missile defense systems, mobile combat equipment, and much more. Put more bluntly: Given rising geopolitical tensions and stakes, imagine the preponderance of our national security infrastructure, advanced weaponry, radar systems, and all manner of military vehicles being based indefinitely on semiconductor content sourced outside from a land afar. Would that secure our position as a superpower?

And, finally, speaking of democracy, remember the adage that ‘nature abhors a vacuum.’ In geopolitical terms, that means that if America does not lead the way in semiconductor innovation — and at least build and maintain a respectable amount of capacity for chip manufacturing on this continent – some other power most certainly will.

What can participants in the tech industry do to help?

As I mentioned in my previous blog, there are a few things each of us can do besides sit passively on the sidelines, hoping policy makers in our nation’s capital ‘get this right.’

• First, whether you are an OEM, PCBA/Circuit Board assembly provider like Cascade Systems Technology, or a raw-materials provider – you can consciously buy more content here in U.S., by gradually ratcheting down over-reliance on suppliers from afar.
• Relatedly, the electronics industry can and should take note of, take pride in, and proactively support the many semiconductor-savvy, innovative and advanced-PCBA design and production resources already here in the U.S. (I count Cascade Systems Technology among these proven American “landing zones” for silicon, as we are an experienced team that is willing, eager, and committed to helping OEMs extract every bit of functionality and magic from their silicon.) In other words, even if you currently rely on chips from abroad, you can still source the rest of your “solution stack” right here in the U.S.
• Next, and as I mentioned in my previous blog on the infrastructure bill, we can all take an active role in supporting the legislation now in the works – specifically the USICA I mention above: Write or call your representative to tell them you back President Biden’s and Congress’s efforts to bring chip-making home with the help of public dollar. To that end, here’s a link to the House of Representative site to ID/reach out to your Representative; and here is the equivalent for the U.S. Senate.
• Lastly, if you are able, make investments in the U.S.-based semiconductor and technology sector, whether that means bringing more of your circuit board or box assemblies to your local CM; supporting technology education in schools and colleges; encouraging the youth of this country to seek careers in technology; forming strategic alliances with U.S. or at least free-world chip suppliers; or employing other here-at-home investment strategies.

Think all this is just so much hyperbole?

Tell that to the nations who could not compete in the great age of sail power for lack of old-growth trees for shipbuilding. Or to countries who effectively missed the original industrial revolution due to a dearth of affordable and easily accessible steel, oil, coal, and water. Or to nations who are struggling, to this day, with raising their citizens’ standard of living for lack of reliable power grids and education systems – the ‘raw materials’ of the early stages of the information age…

In the same way, semiconductors and related technologies today represent the foundation of our future prosperity — but we must play this right, and yes, we can!

–  Shantanu R. Gupta,
CEO, Cascade Systems Technology