Global supply chains have been rocked by numerous external factors over the last 2+ years, and Russia’s continued war against Ukraine is taking its toll on these vital, intertwined networks. At the recent Modex 2022 trade show in Atlanta in March, one representative from a large industrial manufacturer pointed to neon as the next silicon chip component to be thrust into the “scarcity” spotlight.
That prediction was right on target (and obviously well-researched in advance of the show). A gas that’s crucial for making chips, neon is produced in Ukraine. And according to Reuters, Ukraine's two leading suppliers of neon—which produce about half the world's supply of the key ingredient for making chips—halted their operations in Moscow in March.
