WASHINGTON D.C.– 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 created in Sunnyvale, California.
“Semiconductors are the foundation of today’s information age and underpin the global economy,” explained the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology in September of 2022. “They are critical to U.S. economic and national security, and provide the ‘intelligence’ behind data centers, communications, automotive, aerospace and defense, personal computing devices, industrial, entertainment, healthcare, and many other markets. To maintain global leadership from an economic and
technological perspective, leadership in semiconductors is vital.”
The headquarters, officially known as the CHIPS for America Design and Collaboration Facility, was created through the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 which required the Department of Commerce to, “establish the national semiconductor technology center” which would be expected to, “conduct advanced semiconductor manufacturing, design, and packaging research, and prototyping that strengthens the entire domestic ecosystem.”
The image below, courtesy of the National Semiconductor Technology Center Strategic Plan FY 2025-2027, shows the overlapping roles public and private would have in bringing emerging semiconductor-related advancements to market. Note, the size of the depicted regions is not scaled to the amount of investment.
“The research and development component of the CHIPS and Science Act is fundamental to our long-term national security and ensuring the U.S. remains the most technologically competitive place on earth,” stated U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo on Friday. “With this proposed facility, CHIPS for America is providing access to cutting-edge research, tools, and workforce opportunities to communities across the country.”
California hosts more semiconductor research and development organizations, design and intellectual property, and electronic design automation firms than Texas, New York, and Oregon combined detailed a press release Friday from Senator Alex Padilla’s Office.
“California is the clear choice to lead NSTC’s (National Semiconductor Technology Center) semiconductor innovation and R&D. Our state has built a world-class innovation economy and has been at the forefront of the semiconductor industry for decades,” explained Senator Padilla. “Establishing the NSTC headquarters in California will capitalize on our state’s unparalleled assets to grow a highly skilled workforce and develop next-generation advancements. I am confident that this CHIPS Act funding will propel emerging technologies and protect America’s global semiconductor leadership, all while bringing good-paying jobs to our state.”
Santa Clara County alone holds 20 percent of all semiconductor utility patents granted in the last decade added Senator Padilla’s Office.
The National Semiconductor Technology Center will be operated by Natcast, a non-profit entity created through the CHIPS and Science Act to coordinate semiconductor manufacturing funded through the legislation nationwide.
“Silicon Valley is a broad, vibrant, and dynamic semiconductor ecosystem,” said Deirdre Hanford, Natcast’s CEO. “Surrounded by established companies and innovative startups, leading research and academic institutions, investors, and stakeholders from across the semiconductor value chain, the CHIPS for America Design and Collaboration Facility in Sunnyvale, Calif., will encourage and enable NSTC members to work together to address some of the most complex challenges we face as a nation and a world today.”
California’s semiconductor-focused headquarters follows a previous announcement from the Commerce Department of an Extreme Ultraviolet Accelerator in New York and an upcoming Prototyping and National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program Advanced Packaging Piloting Facility.