The U.S. Department of Defense announced a new $160 million investment to strengthen U.S. semiconductor manufacturing.
The funding, part of the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act, supports the Microelectronics Commons, a network of eight technology hubs dedicated to increasing the nation’s semiconductor production capacity.
This latest allocation follows previous CHIPS Act investments totaling approximately $269 million in September and approximately $240 million a year ago to strengthen the United States’ global semiconductor leadership. It is something.
Strengthening U.S. semiconductor manufacturing: The role of a hub
Of the latest $160 million, $148 million will go toward the Microelectronics Commons Hub to support infrastructure, operations, and workforce development.
The investment will be distributed across eight established hubs and will target semiconductor innovation and workforce readiness in the region.
Each hub works with local universities, research foundations, and industry leaders to address key challenges for the U.S. semiconductor manufacturing industry.
A closer look at the funding allocation looks like this:
The Northeast Microelectronics Coalition (NEMC), led by the Massachusetts Technology Cooperative, received $18.7 million. The Silicon Crossroads Microelectronics Commons (SCMC), led by the Indiana Applied Research Institute, was awarded $16.6 million. The USC-led California Defense Ready Electronics and Microdevices Superhub (CA DREAMS) received $27 million. North Carolina’s Commercial Leap Ahead for Wide Bandgap Semiconductors (CLAWS), led by North Carolina State University, received $23.7 million. Southwest Advanced Prototyping (SWAP) in Arizona, led by Arizona State University, received $18.7 million. The Midwest Microelectronics Consortium (MEMC) of Ohio was awarded $12.3 million. Northeast Regional Defense Technology (NORDTECH) in New York received $10.6 million. The California-Pacific-Northwest AI Hardware Hub (NWAI), based at Stanford University, was allocated $15.3 million.
An additional $10 million will fund a cross-hub enablement solution (CHES) that facilitates shared access to electronic design automation (EDA) tools and cloud computing resources across all hubs.
National cooperation in the spotlight at the 2024 symposium
The Microelectronics Commons Network held its annual meeting in Washington, DC, October 28-30, drawing more than 2,000 attendees to discuss advances in semiconductor manufacturing and technology.
Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks said, “Chips unite America,” emphasizing the unity and strategic importance of semiconductor production.
At the symposium, each hub presented updates on their progress and highlighted key projects, employee training initiatives, and the importance of the lab-to-fab pathway, an effort to accelerate research to manufacturing.
This cross-industry collaboration is critical to ensuring a robust semiconductor supply chain that supports national security.
Maintaining U.S. leadership in semiconductor innovation
As the U.S. semiconductor manufacturing sector continues to expand through CHIPS and the Science Act, industry participants are optimistic about the United States’ chances of securing its position as a world leader in advanced microelectronics.
Continued investment in the Microelectronics Commons strengthens the path to a resilient and self-sufficient semiconductor industry.
