Eleven research institutions have joined forces to create the Midwest Regional Network to Address National Needs in Semiconductor and Microelectronics, which was formed in response to plans by Intel Corporation to build two major chip factories near Columbus. (For more on Intel’s major investment in Ohio and its plans for university partnerships, click here.)
The partnering institutions from Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan will collaborate in the network on both industry-focused research as well as talent development to meet the workforce needs of Intel and other semiconductor companies. The network will also help address the broader national efforts to promote U.S. leadership in semiconductors and microelectronics.
The network will leverage its members’ existing research, curricular and experiential-learning capabilities to support a national effort to expand semiconductor and microelectronics innovation and supply chain ecosystems in the U.S. Network member institutions include Wright State University, Columbus State Community College, Lorain County Community College, Michigan State University, Ohio State University, Purdue University, Sinclair Community College, University of Cincinnati, University of Dayton, University of Michigan and the University of Notre Dame. Membership is expected to grow beyond the initial nine network participants.
Wright State, for one, has been working to shore up and expand an already wide range of initiatives in digital microelectronics, smart manufacturing and industrial engineering, integrated circuit design and semiconductor technologies to meet the needs of the region’s workforce.
“Wright State is ready to address the research and educational needs of the growing semiconductor and microelectronic industries while also helping students prepare for new career opportunities those industries will offer,” said Madhavi Kadakia, PhD, vice president for research and innovation at Wright State. “We currently have strong research thrusts in the areas of semiconductor manufacturing and microelectronics and are already invested in building future areas of research such as quantum computing and cybersecurity.”
The network members plan to develop a common infrastructure that can identify and share expertise and facilities to make it easier to collaborate, added Subhashini Ganapathy, PhD, professor and chair of Wright State’s Department of Biomedical, Industrial and Human Factors Engineering. “Ohio is well-positioned to support Intel and the regional network because of the state’s existing infrastructure that supports manufacturing-related activities,” she said.
Ganapathy is serving as chair of Wright State’s Intel Initiative, an effort to establish a long-term relationship with Intel and align academic programs across the university to help provide a skilled workforce for the company, including Intel internships and co-ops. Many graduates from the College of Computer Science and Engineering are already working at Intel.
Source: Wright State University
