While President Joe Biden's proposal to provide $50 billion to the US semiconductor industry as part of the administration's infrastructure plan is laudable, how that money will be distributed is crucial, writes Willy Shih of the Harvard Business School. "Let's hope the political necessities of getting the President's package funded don't result in money being spread so thinly that we don't have enough concentrated efforts to push the frontiers of chip technology forward," Shih states.

Supply chain managers are dealing with pandemic complications such as the return of pantry loading, reduced container ship and air cargo schedules, and spikes in shipping rates, says Willy Shih, a Harvard Business School professor. Some manufacturers are reducing selection and dipping into restaurant supply chains to survive the complications, but ultimately many must decide if it's worth it to make products closer to home, Shih says.

Manufacturers should look to the third tier and beyond to ensure supply chain reliability, writes Harvard Business School professor Willy Shih. They should go further and diversify suppliers and adopt process innovations such as additive and continuous-flow manufacturing.

Eastman Kodak will make active pharmaceutical ingredients with the help of a $765 million federal loan to provide drugs needed during the coronavirus pandemic. One challenge with active pharmaceutical ingredients is that they are easily commoditized and face pricing pressures because consumers don't want to pay more for the final product, writes former Kodak executive Willy Shih, who is now a Harvard Business School professor.