WASHINGTON, DC – On Friday, the Department of Commerce announced that the official headquarters of the National Semiconductor Technology Center, a public-private consortium dedicated to semiconductor research and development, will be established in Sunnyvale, California.
In September 2022, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology explained that “semiconductors are the foundation of today’s information age and support the global economy.” “Semiconductors are critical to the U.S. economy and national security, providing the ‘intelligence’ behind the data” centers, communications, automotive, aerospace and defense, personal computing devices, industrial, entertainment, and healthcare. , and to maintain global economic and sector leadership in many other markets.
From a technological perspective, leadership in semiconductors is essential. ”
Officially known as the “CHIPS for America Design and Collaboration Facility,” the headquarters was created by the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, which requires the Department of Commerce to “establish a National Semiconductor Technology Center” to “conduct advanced research and development. ” is expected. We conduct semiconductor manufacturing, design, packaging research, and prototyping that strengthens the entire domestic ecosystem. ”
The image below, courtesy of the National Semiconductor Technology Center Strategic Plan 2025-2027, illustrates the overlapping roles that the public and private sectors play in bringing new semiconductor-related advances to market. Please note that the size of the area shown is not proportional to the investment amount.
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said Friday that “CHIPS and the research and development portion of the Science Act are critical to long-term national security and to ensuring that the United States remains the most technologically competitive place on Earth.” It’s the foundation.” “With this proposed facility, CHIPS for America will provide communities across the country with access to cutting-edge research, tools and workforce opportunities.”
California is home to more semiconductor research and development organizations, design and intellectual property, and electronic design automation companies than Texas, New York, and Oregon combined, according to Sen. Alex Padilla’s office. This was detailed in a Friday press release from.
“California is the clear choice to lead semiconductor innovation and research and development at the National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC).California has built a world-class innovation economy and has been at the forefront of the semiconductor industry for decades. ,” Senator Padilla explained. “Establishing an NSTC headquarters in California allows us to leverage the state’s unparalleled assets to develop a highly skilled workforce and advance the next generation of progress. We are confident that the Act’s funding will advance emerging technologies, protect America’s global semiconductor leadership, and deliver positive results at the same time as “paying jobs to our state.” ”
Santa Clara County alone holds 20 percent of all semiconductor utility patents granted in the past decade.
The National Semiconductor Technology Center is operated by CHIPS and Natcast, a nonprofit organization established under the Science Act to coordinate semiconductor manufacturing funded through legislation across the United States.
Deirdre Hanford, CEO of Natcast, said: “CHIPS for America design and collaboration facility in Sunnyvale, California, is surrounded by established companies and innovative startups, leading research and academic institutions, investors, and stakeholders across the semiconductor value chain. We encourage and enable NSTC members to work together to meet some of the most complex challenges we face as a nation and as a world today.”
The semiconductor-focused headquarters in California follows the Department of Commerce’s previous announcement of an extreme ultraviolet accelerator in New York and an upcoming prototyping and advanced packaging testing facility for the National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program.
