By Karen Abrams, MBA, AA, Ed.D ‘25
With the passage of the recent “Chips and Science Act”, the United States leaders on both sides of the aisle have stepped up efforts–in a rare moment of bipartisanship, to ensure that the United States remains the world leader in Science and Technology.
The bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act includes a historic investment of $280 billion, to surge production of American-made semiconductors, tackle supply chain vulnerabilities to make more goods in America, revitalize America’s scientific research and technological leadership, and strengthen America’s economic and national security at home and abroad.
Science, Space and Technology Committee Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson stated that the bill’s provisions , “…were built with rigorous input from the scientific community, industry, academia, and other stakeholders on what they need most to succeed in the 21st century. In this bill we are putting forth strong initiatives at NSF, NIST, NOAA, DOE, and NASA.”
The Chips and Science act makes provisions for the building of a diverse STEM workforce, the strengthening of America’s manufacturing capabilities, and the revitalization of American science and innovation as the nation commits to the fight against the climate crisis. Considering America’s history of dominance in science and technology, one should not bet against America 2.0–”The Empire is ready to strike back”
As the US takes steps to invest billions in its citizens, Guyana must continue to invest in and support programs that contribute to the advancement of human capital and those that will prepare Guyana to compete in her rapidly developing 21st century economy. This is especially important where management, technical and innovation talent are scarce and must be shared among hundreds of projects the government has announced since 2020.
The CHIPS and Science Act will boost American semiconductor research, development, and production, ensuring U.S. leadership in the technology; it will also challenge funded organizations to innovate solutions to climate change. The chips act will renew and strengthen federal support for the kinds of research and development initiatives that have made the U.S. a beacon of excellence in science and innovation and finally the chips act will will strengthen US supply chain, revitalize American manufacturing, and bolster America’s national security by preventing shortages of critical goods by making sure more of these goods are made in the U.S.
Guyana must pay close attention to this ambitious US investment and structure her own inclusive and ambitious legislation to support its future technology industries and to prepare its young people for Guyana’s rapidly growing 21st economy.
