Companies from the Manaus Industrial Pole (PIM). Disclosure Almost invisible to the consumer, semiconductors are inside cell phones, computers, vehicles, medical equipment and industrial machines. They also support data centers that process artificial intelligence. Therefore, the dispute over chips began to involve industrial policy, financing and economic autonomy. This scenario seems far from Manaus, but it is not. The Manaus Industrial Pole (PIM) brings together manufacturers of cell phones, televisions, computers, motorcycles and other equipment that are increasingly dependent on these components. The challenge is to transform this scale of production into greater participation in the technological stages of the chain. A recent step was the regulation of the Brasil Semiconductors Program, Brasil Semicon. Decree No. 13,065, published on July 15, created a management council and authorized the activities of the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) and the Studies and Projects Financier (Finep) in supporting the implementation, modernization and expansion of projects in the sector. The policy also seeks to integrate research, professional training, design, software and production. Brazil is far from the scale achieved by the main Asian countries and is unlikely to dominate all stages of manufacturing in the short term. Despite this, there is space in segments such as design, sensors, memories, power components, testing, assembly, encapsulation and module integration. This is where the PIM can find a more realistic position. The region has consolidated experience in electronics manufacturing, automation and assembly of complex products, in addition to a concentrated industrial demand for components. But it still needs to expand its capacity to develop and manufacture part of the technology incorporated into the goods that leave its production lines. The presence of Zilia Technologies offers an example of this connection. The company maintains a factory in Manaus that produces around 7 million memory modules and storage devices per year. The Atibaia unit, in the interior of São Paulo, concentrates annual production of approximately 150 million chips. BNDES approved R$143.3 million for research, acquisition of equipment and modernization of Zilia's operations. The resources will be allocated mainly to the Atibaia factory, including assembly, testing, handling and measuring machines, in addition to the development of memories for servers, data centers and artificial intelligence applications. Still, the Amazonian operation demonstrates that Manaus is already participating in a stage of this industry and offers a starting point to discuss expansion, suppliers, research and training of professionals. While Brazil organizes its support instruments, China shows the financial dimension of this race. Memory maker ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) raised US$8.6 billion in its debut on the Shanghai Stock Exchange on July 27. Its shares ended the first day with an appreciation of 466%. The volume demonstrates how the capital market also began to finance industrial projects considered strategic. Another recent action came from Vietnam, a country that is also seeking to advance from the assembly of electronic products to stages of greater technological value. Also on July 30, the Vietnamese government met with representatives from SEMI Southeast Asia to discuss bringing the country closer to the more than 3,000 companies linked to the entity, attracting investments and training engineers. Without announcing new projects, the meeting adds to the initiatives of countries seeking to strengthen their position in the global semiconductor chain through coordination between government, industry and professional qualifications. Brasil Semicon, public financing and Zilia's presence create a base, but do not guarantee results. Progress will depend on projects capable of connecting national policy to the needs of the sectors installed in the PIM. The question is not whether Manaus will be able to manufacture all types of chips. It is whether it can take advantage of its industrial scale to stop being just a consumer of these components and assume a position of greater technological value in the chain. Cristina Monte is a journalist, columnist and business analyst, specializing in covering industry, innovation and economic development in the Amazon.