When the Computer Chips are Down

Semiconductors are the tiny microchips that are critical to the operation of electronic devices. Working from home means that people want newer smarter devices, driving demand for semiconductors up. At the same time, its fragile global supply chain has been impacted during the pandemic. Industries relying on these tiny silicon chips, like carmakers, are losing money and running out of chips. How did this happen? And should Australia start making its own chips to build up sovereign capability? Guests: Jim Rabeau, director of quantum technologies future science platform at CSIRO Moira Scerri, lecturer in strategic supply chain management at UTS