The issuance of U.S. Executive Order 14017 in February 2021 signaled a pivotal moment in national industrial policy, mandating a comprehensive review of the semiconductor supply chain to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities. In the months following the Executive Order, both foundries and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have been under increasing pressure to map their supplier ecosystems with unprecedented precision. The intent is to build a more resilient, transparent, and secure semiconductor sector that can withstand geopolitical tensions and market shocks. To that end, public datasets and digital tools are playing a central role in enabling the level of visibility required by federal stakeholders.
Among the most useful resources in this effort is the open data provided by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), which includes detailed records of domestic and foreign deposits of key semiconductor inputs such as high-purity silicon, gallium, and rare-earth elements. Foundries and OEMs can leverage this data to identify where raw materials originate, assess geopolitical risk, and evaluate alternative sourcing options beyond dominant suppliers like China. The first step is to integrate USGS mineral deposit data into internal procurement and supplier-management systems, enabling dynamic mapping of raw-material flows and source dependencies. This data can be cross-referenced against supplier declarations and import data to validate the origin of inputs used in semiconductor fabrication.
Building on these data foundations, firms should develop interactive dashboards that provide real-time visibility into supply-chain structure. Such dashboards should plot supplier locations, production capacity, and third-party audit status, drawing on certifications from industry groups and government agencies. Ideally, these dashboards should support drill-down functionality, enabling users to examine supplier performance at site level and monitor shifts in capacity or compliance over time. The dashboard should also flag high-risk dependencies—such as sole-source suppliers or those in high-risk jurisdictions—to guide risk-mitigation strategies.
To meet reporting obligations under EO 14017, companies should implement a disciplined process for generating quarterly updates for the Department of Defense. These updates should summarize critical supplier dependencies, including single points of failure, material sourcing risks, and recent audit findings. A standardized template for these reports would include sections on supplier identification (with unique codes linked to dashboard data), material origin and risk classification, capacity metrics, audit summaries, and recommended mitigation actions. This template ensures consistency in reporting and enables the DoD to aggregate industry data for national-level supply chain risk analysis.
Ultimately, the success of EO 14017’s transparency goals depends on industry’s ability to harness open data and digital tools to deliver actionable insights. Foundries and OEMs that proactively embrace these practices will not only meet federal compliance requirements but also enhance their competitiveness in a market increasingly defined by supply-chain resilience.