As CT tech manufacturers grapple with supply chain issues, federal bill may offer help
Photo | Office of Sen. Richard Blumenthal
U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal speaks with Infinity's lead systems engineer Karen Murdoch.
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., made a pitch for a bill that would pour billions of dollars into technology research and development during a visit to Windsor’s Infinity Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Inc. on Monday.
Blumenthal is promoting the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, which would commit $250 billion to support semiconductor manufacturing, supply chain security, space exploration and enhanced computer science instruction in schools. The bill, which cleared the Senate last year, is intended to help the U.S. and American companies compete with China, which through various state-backed institutions and groups is making massive investments in fields such as artificial intelligence, telecommunications and biotechnology.
The U.S. House passed its own version of the bill last week, and congressional leaders will now have to hammer out the differences between the two pieces of legislation before a combined proposal can be sent to President Joe Biden.
Blumenthal said Monday that the federal package would help technology and advanced manufacturing firms such as Infinity compete more aggressively with Chinese industry.
“It is enormously important that we support Infinity and other innovative and important companies doing groundbreaking work,” he said.
Infinity makes fuel cell systems for aerospace and defense applications. Its clients include government agencies such as NASA.
Like many companies across a variety of sectors, it has run up against a shortage of needed parts and components over the last several months.
“We have experienced supply chain interruptions, especially in the area of electronics and semiconductors, that has directly impacted some of the flight experiments that we’re preparing,” said Infinity founder and CEO Bill Smith.
In a conversation with Blumenthal, Smith said he’s hopeful federal action could help alleviate supply chain complications and put U.S. businesses on an improved footing as competition with China intensifies.
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