Even integrated circuits, according to The Chip by T.R. Reid. He writes that for several years they were too expensive to compete with wiring together discrete

Even integrated circuits, according to The Chip by T.R. Reid. He writes that for several years they were too expensive to compete with wiring together discrete components, but suddenly the space race and arms race demanded small, light electronics, so government purchasing funded the early years of IC development. I don't know if he's right, but it sounds convincing.