The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) has announced a $238 million award to establish regional innovation hubs focused on semiconductor technology development and commercialization.

As part of the CHIPS Act, the Microelectronics Commons program will provide funding to establish hubs at eight research institutions across the US, including the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MassTech), the Applied Research Institute (ARI) in Indiana, the University of Southern California (USC), North Carolina State University (NCSU), the Research Foundation for the State University of New York (SUNY), and others.

The hubs are expected to spur economic development across their respective regions, as well as build education pipelines and training initiatives to ensure that the U.S. has the talent pool needed to thrive in the semiconductor sector.

In all, more than 360 organizations from over 30 states will participate in the program.

“The Microelectronics Commons is focused on bridging and accelerating the lab-to-fab transition, that infamous valley of death between R&D and production,” says Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks.

“President Biden’s CHIPS Act will supercharge America’s ability to prototype, manufacture, and produce microelectronics at scale,” Hicks adds. “CHIPS and Science made clear to America –and the world — that the U.S. government is committed to ensuring that our industrial and scientific powerhouses can deliver what we need to secure our future in this era of strategic competition.”

Source: The U.S. Department of Defense