U.S. Department of Commerce

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo recently appointed 42 industry, business, and civil society leaders to the Environmental Technologies Trade Advisory Committee (ETTAC) to advise on ways that U.S. government programs and activities can strengthen the competitiveness of the U.S. environmental technologies industry. The appointees will serve a two-year term, advocating for the interests of American businesses and workers while promoting the expansion of U.S. environmental technology exports.

“The U.S. environmental technologies sector represents $432 billion in revenue and employs 1.8 million American workers – making it a vital industry for driving innovation and positioning the United States as a global leader in environmental technologies,” said Secretary Raimondo. “I look forward to receiving the committee’s recommendations on approaches for how the Department can continue supporting the competitiveness of American environmental technologies.” 

The ETTAC was established pursuant to statute in 1994 to advise the Secretary of Commerce on the development and administration of programs to foster U.S. exports of environmental technologies, goods and services.

ETTAC recommendations cover trade policies and programs related to U.S. environmental technologies exports, including ways to support innovative and emerging environmental technologies, strengthen supply chain resilience, enhance private sector awareness and utilization of U.S. government export promotion programs, and ensure fair trade with foreign partners.

ETTAC members represent sectors across the environmental technologies industry, including the water and wastewater treatment, air pollution monitoring and control, and solid waste management and recycling sectors.

The appointed members for the 2024-2026 term of the ETTAC are:

• James Bailey III, Vice President of Federal Government Relations, Ecolab Inc.
• Dana Blumberg, Vice President Federal and International Services, SCS Engineers
• Rastislav Brezny, Executive Director, Manufacturers of Emission Controls Association
• Dennis Calvert, President and CEO, BioLargo, Inc.
• Thomas Cavett, Vice President of Government Affairs, Tomorrow.io
• Chuck Chaitovitz, Vice President Environmental Affairs and Sustainability, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
• Henry Charrabé, Chief Executive Officer, Seven Seas Water Group
• Lina Chiaverini, General Manager, Stamford Scientific International
• Bella Corpora, Director, Carbon Business Council
• John Corrigan, Senior Director for Trade and Climate, Silverado Policy Accelerator
• Joseph Danyluk, Director of OneWater, Jacobs Engineering Group Inc.
• Scott Daugherty, Chief Operating Officer, Cormetech, Inc.
• Tom Dower, Vice President, Public Policy, LanzaTech Global, Inc.
• Matt Durbin, Senior Vice President of Digital Asset Strategy and Technical Services, Cyclyx International, LLC
• Richard Ebel, Executive Program Sponsor, Environmental Chemical Corporation
• Anne Germain, Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, National Waste and Recycling Association
• Max Herzog, Program Manager, Cleveland Water Alliance
• Patrick Hill, Vice President and General Manager, Process Systems and Clean Water, Mott Corporation
• Jason Hochman, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Direct Air Capture Coalition
• Debra Johnson, Senior Strategist for Net Zero and Sustainable Mining, Minerals, and Metals, Stantec Consulting Services
• Ajay Kasarabada, Associate Vice President and Director of Environmental Solutions, Black & Veatch
• Stephanie Lezcano, Government Affairs Specialist, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
• Jay Koh, Managing Director, The Lightsmith Group
• Joshua Mahan, Government and Industry Relations, Xylem
• Barbara Martin, Director of Engineering and Technical Services, American Water Works Association
• Sarampal Matharu, Senior Vice President Enterprise Services, Aquatech International
• David Moth, Chief Executive Officer, Red Meters LLC
• Kristyn Oldendorf, Senior Director of Public Policy & Communications, Solid Waste Association of North America
• Jeremy Pollack, Director of Government Affairs, Water Quality Association
• Ashish Raval, President, Synoptic Data PBC
• Eric Reading, Chief Climate Officer, Abt Global
• Jonathan Roumel, Chief Strategy Officer, Honeywell International
• Clare Schulzki, Senior Project Director, AJW Inc.
• Roderick Scott, Board Chair, Flood Mitigation Industry Association
• Adam Shaffer, Assistant Vice President of Trade and Global Affairs, Recycled Materials Association
• Scott South, Chief Executive Officer, Stevens Water Monitoring Systems Inc.
• Claudio Ternieden, Executive Director, Water & Wastewater Equipment Manufacturers Association
• Craig Updyke, Director of Global Policy & International Trade, ASTM International
• Roberto Vengoechea, Senior Vice-President, Fluid Solutions & Drains, Watts Water Technologies
• Ashley Voskuhl, Senior Manager of Regulatory Affairs, Water Environment Federation
• Sean Wihera, Vice President of Business Development and Partnerships, Clarity Movement
• David Yellen, Director, Climate Policy Innovation, Clean Air Task Force

For more information on the ETTAC, please visit trade.gov/ettac.

CHIPS Award Will Support Micron’s 20-year Manufacturing Vision to Expand Leading-Edge DRAM Production in Idaho and New York

CHIPS PMT Would Support Expansion of Virginia Facility to Onshore Important Memory Production

Today, the Biden-Harris Administration announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce awarded Micron Technology up to $6.165 billion in direct funding under the CHIPS Incentives Program’s Funding Opportunity for Commercial Fabrication Facilities. The award follows the previously signed preliminary memorandum of terms, announced on April 25, 2024, and the completion of the Department’s due diligence. This funding will support the first step in Micron’s two-decade vision to invest approximately $100 billion in New York and $25 billion in Idaho, which will create approximately 20,000 jobs and will help the U.S. grow its share of advanced memory manufacturing from less than 2% today to approximately 10% by 2035. The Department will disburse the funds based on Micron’s completion of project milestones.

This investment will help strengthen U.S. economic resiliency by bolstering a reliable domestic supply of leading-edge DRAM chips that are important components for advanced technologies such as, personal computing, industrial, high-performance compute, automotive, industrial, wireless communications and artificial intelligence. Micron’s DRAM chips also power the company’s performance memory, known as High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM), which is critical for enabling new AI models. With this funding, Micron plans to expand the development and production of the most advanced memory semiconductor technology in New York and Idaho and is committing to spend approximately $50 billion before the end of the decade.

In addition, the Biden-Harris Administration announced the Department of Commerce has signed a non-binding Preliminary Memorandum of Terms (PMT) with Micron Technology for up to $275 million in proposed funding to expand and modernize its facility in Manassas, Virginia. The expected capital expenditure for the modernization will be $2 billion over the next several years. The proposed project would onshore Micron’s 1-alpha technology to its Manassas facility, significantly increasing monthly wafer output.  Micron’s 1-alpha node, an advanced DRAM process technology, offers meaningful improvements in bit density, power efficiency, and performance capability. Supporting a stable supply of Micron’s 1-alpha technology would advance U.S. supply chain resiliency because the legacy DRAM memory chips that would be made in Virginia are important components for the automotive and industrial markets. Micron’s proposed project in Manassas would be expected to create over 400 manufacturing jobs and up to 2700 community jobs at the peak of the project. 

“Memory chips are foundational to all advanced technologies, and thanks to the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act, America is rebuilding its capacity to produce these critical capabilities, said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “With this investment in Micron, we are delivering on one of the core objectives of the CHIPS program – onshoring the development and production of the most advanced memory semiconductor technology, which is crucial for safeguarding our leadership on artificial intelligence and protecting our economic and national security.” 

“As the only U.S.-based manufacturer of memory, Micron is uniquely positioned to bring leading-edge memory manufacturing to the U.S., strengthening the country’s technology leadership and fostering advanced innovation,” said Micron President and CEO Sanjay Mehrotra. “Micron’s investments in domestic semiconductor manufacturing capabilities, supported by the bipartisan CHIPS Act, will help drive economic growth and ensure that the U.S. remains at the forefront of technological advancements. We appreciate New York’s Green CHIPS legislation and the local partnership with Micron to create a Community Investment Framework to revitalize central New York. Many federal, state and community leaders have played a pivotal role in the process, from the development of Micron’s plans to finalizing essential investment tax credits. These include New York Governor Kathy Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, U.S. Senator Mark Warner, U.S. Senator Mike Crapo, U.S. Senator James Risch, Idaho Governor Brad Little, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, Mayor Lauren McLean, and County Executive Ryan McMahon. Their contributions support Micron's continued industry leadership as we work to meet the growing demand for memory.” 

For more information about Micron’s award, please visit the CHIPS for America website.

As stated in the CHIPS Notice of Funding Opportunity for Commercial Fabrication Facilities, CHIPS for America will distribute direct funding to recipients for capital expenditures based on the completion of construction, technology, production, and commercial milestones. The program will track the performance of each CHIPS Incentives Award via financial and programmatic reports, in accordance with the award terms and conditions. 

Additionally, as explained in its first Notice of Funding Opportunity, the Department of Commerce may offer applicants a PMT on a non-binding basis after satisfactory completion of the merit review of a full application. The PMT outlines key terms for a potential CHIPS incentives award, including the amount and form of the award. The award amounts are subject to due diligence and negotiation of award documents and are conditional on the achievement of certain milestones. After a PMT is signed, the Department of Commerce begins a comprehensive due diligence process on the proposed projects and continues negotiating or refining certain terms with the applicant. The terms contained in any final award documents may differ from the terms of the PMT being announced today.

About CHIPS for America

CHIPS for America has awarded over $25 billion of the over $36 billion in proposed incentives funding allocated to date. These announcements across 21 states are expected to create over 125,000 jobs. Since the beginning of the Biden-Harris Administration, semiconductor and electronics companies have announced over $450 billion in private investments, catalyzed in large part by public investment. CHIPS for America is part of President Biden and Vice President Harris’s economic plan to invest in America, stimulate private sector investment, create good-paying jobs, make more in the United States, and revitalize communities left behind. CHIPS for America includes the CHIPS Program Office, responsible for manufacturing incentives, and the CHIPS Research and Development Office, responsible for R&D programs, that both sit within the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) at the Department of Commerce. Visit chips.gov to learn more.  

 

Proposed CHIPS Investments in Minnesota and Texas Would Help Enhance Production Capacity of Important Semiconductor Manufacturing Components

Today, the Biden-Harris Administration announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce signed three separate preliminary memoranda of terms (PMT) under the CHIPS and Science Act to provide up to $33 million in proposed direct funding to Coherent, up to $16 million in proposed direct funding to SkyWater Technology Foundry Inc., and up to $50 million in proposed direct funding to X-Fab. President Biden signed the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act to usher in a new era of semiconductor manufacturing in the United States, bringing with it a revitalized domestic supply chain, good-paying jobs, and investments in the industries of the future. The proposed investment in Coherent would support the expansion and modernization of the company’s existing facility in Sherman, Texas and is expected to support approximately 70 direct jobs. The proposed investment in SkyWater would support the modernization of its existing facility in Bloomington, Minnesota and is expected to create approximately 70 jobs. The proposed investment in X-Fab would support the modernization and expansion of its existing silicon carbide fab in Lubbock, Texas and is expected to create up to an estimated 150 jobs.

“The Biden-Harris Administration’s bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act is making targeted investments to meet market demands for technology critical to our national and economic security,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “Today’s proposed investments across Texas and Minnesota would help bolster domestic chip production and help secure our supply chain for decades to come.”

“Today’s three semiconductor announcements recognize that America’s innovative edge is rooted in communities like Sherman and Lubbock, Texas and Bloomington, Minnesota. The President and Vice President’s CHIPS & Science Act is creating jobs, supporting small businesses, and securing the resilience of our supply chains all throughout the United States,” said National Economic Advisor Lael Brainard.

The proposed funding announced today would support the following projects:

• Coherent (Sherman, Texas): The Biden-Harris Administration’s proposed investment of up to $33 million would support the modernization and expansion of a state-of-the-art manufacturing cleanroom in Coherent’s existing 700,000 square-foot facility in Sherman, Texas to establish the world’s first 150mm indium phosphide (InP) manufacturing line by adding advanced wafer fabrication equipment to produce InP devices at scale. InP optoelectronic devices are widely used in applications such as datacom and telecom transceivers, including for AI infrastructure applications, advanced sensing for consumer electronics, and medical and automotive applications. The increased production of Coherent’s InP devices, which are increasingly growing in demand, would allow the U.S. to advance supply chain resiliency and technological leadership and create approximately 70 jobs.
   
• SkyWater Technology (Bloomington, Minnesota): The Biden-Harris Administration’s proposed investment of up to $16 million in SkyWater would support the modernization of its existing facility in Bloomington, Minnesota to improve the quality of production and wafer services by replacing equipment, upgrading the facility’s cleanroom and space and IT systems, and increase overall production capacity of 90nm and 130nm wafers by approximately 30%. SkyWater’s Bloomington facility offers its customers in the aerospace and defense, automotive, biomedical and industrial markets the ability to prototype and scale to volume production differentiated technology. The company is a Department of Defense (DoD) Trusted Foundry; as a result of proposed CHIPS funding, the company would be able to improve productivity and enhance operational sustainability to support DoD missions as well as grow its commercial business. The proposed CHIPS investment would build upon the company’s 40-year history in Bloomington, Minnesota and is expected to create approximately 70 jobs. SkyWater’s community workforce development efforts include its ongoing partnership with Hennepin Technical College, Greater Minneapolis Saint Paul Regional Economic Development Partnership, and the University of Minnesota Twin Cities and working with the Minnesota CHIPS coalition to support its short and long-term workforce development goals. In addition, the State of Minnesota’s Forward Fund would provide $19 million in dedicated funding to support this proposed project.
   
• X-Fab (Lubbock, Texas): The Biden-Harris Administration’s proposed investment of up to $50 million would support the expansion and modernization of X-Fab’s Silicon Carbide (SiC) foundry facility, the only high-volume SiC foundry in the U.S. SiC technology is key to the global decarbonization efforts in the automotive and industrial sectors and offers multiple advantages over conventional silicon-based technologies for high-power applications. The proposed CHIPS funding would bolster supply resiliency for critical infrastructure markets that were adversely impacted by foundry capacity shortages and supply chain disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic. The proposed terms provide support for workforce development efforts including X-Fab’s current partnerships with Texas Tech College of Engineering, South Plains College, Western Technical College, Lubbock Area United Way, SEMI Foundation, and the Lubbock Economic Development Alliance. The proposed CHIPS investment would create an estimated 150 jobs.

“This proposed investment allows Coherent to accelerate its industry leadership in InP technology and manufacturing,” said Dr. Giovanni Barbarossa, Chief Strategy Officer and President, Materials Segment, for Coherent. “We are very excited for this opportunity to accelerate the delivery of world-class optoelectronic products that will enable America’s economic future.”

“We are pleased to receive this important proposed CHIPS funding, including the Advanced Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit to expand our nation’s onshore capacity. We’ve been the beneficiary of many government program awards over the past several years, and we’re proud of our role in helping to expand the domestic microelectronics infrastructure and strengthen the U.S. supply chain,” said SkyWater CEO, Thomas Sonderman. “As America’s Trusted Foundry, through our business model and expanding capabilities, we are creating a national asset for technology development, which is in a critical state domestically. We have been working to meet the specific needs of the Defense Industrial Base and commercial companies developing the technologies of the future. The proposed investments today are another milestone along this path.”

“The demand for silicon carbide technologies will be strong for the long term, and we are proud to provide solutions that support the transition to electric mobility and renewable energy sources, said Rico Tillner, CEO of X-FAB Texas. X-FAB Texas' silicon carbide technologies are leading in quality and yield and provide a long-term perspective for the site. The proposed CHIPS funding will support the future success of X-FAB Texas and will contribute to the establishment of a domestic supply chain for silicon carbide.”

Coherent, SkyWater and X-Fab have indicated they plan to claim the Department of the Treasury’s Advanced Manufacturing Investment Credit (CHIPS ITC), which is 25% of qualified capital expenditures. Click here to learn more about the tax credit.

As explained in its first Notice of Funding Opportunity, the Department of Commerce may offer applicants a PMT on a non-binding basis after satisfactory completion of the merit review of a full application. The PMT outlines key terms for a potential CHIPS incentives award, including the amount and form of the award. The award amounts are subject to due diligence and negotiation of award documents and are conditional on the achievement of certain milestones. After a PMT is signed, the Department of Commerce begins a comprehensive due diligence process on the proposed projects and continues negotiating or refining certain terms with the applicant. The terms contained in any final award documents may differ from the terms of Coherent, SkyWater and X-Fab’s PMT’s being announced today.

About CHIPS for America

CHIPS for America has awarded over $19 billion of the over $36 billion in proposed incentives funding allocated to date. These announcements across 20 states are expected to create over 125,000 jobs. Since the beginning of the Biden-Harris Administration, semiconductor and electronics companies have announced over $450 billion in private investments, catalyzed in large part by public investment. CHIPS for America is part of President Biden and Vice President Harris’s economic plan to invest in America, stimulate private sector investment, create good-paying jobs, make more in the United States, and revitalize communities left behind. CHIPS for America includes the CHIPS Program Office, responsible for manufacturing incentives, and the CHIPS Research and Development Office, responsible for R&D programs, that both sit within the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) at the Department of Commerce. Visit chips.gov to learn more.  

This week, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and His Excellency Mr. Rui Miguêns de Oliveira, Minister of Commerce and Industry for the Republic of Angola, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to launch the U.S.-Angola Commercial and Investment Partnership (CIP). This initiative can create new opportunities for cooperation between the U.S. Department of Commerce and Angola’s Ministry of Industry and Commerce to facilitate private sector-led trade and investment in both countries.

The CIP, co-chaired by the Secretary of Commerce and Minister of Industry and Commerce, seeks to enable meaningful engagement between business and governments as well as with other businesses to advance its goals. Through the CIP, the Department and Ministry plans to engage with private sector stakeholders and leverage their expertise to develop closer business relationships between the U.S. and Angolan business communities and promote equitable, private sector-led economic growth. They also intend to collaborate on a government-to-government level to identify business environment issues that hinder bilateral trade and investment and propose potential solutions. Additionally, through the CIP, the Department and Ministry will seek to identify and facilitate commercial and investment opportunities in priority sectors, such as agricultural technology and infrastructure.

To learn more about the Commerce Department’s engagement with Angola and to explore commercial opportunities in the Angolan market, visit www.trade.gov/angola.

CHIPS Incentives Awards in Georgia and Colorado Would Advance U.S. Technology Leadership and Supply Chain Security

Today, the Biden-Harris Administration announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce has finalized two separate awards under the CHIPS Incentives Program’s Funding Opportunity for Commercial Fabrication Facilities. The Department awarded Absolics, an affiliate of the Korea-based SKC, up to $75 million in direct funding, and awarded Entegris up to $77 million in direct funding. The awards come after the previously signed preliminary memoranda of terms, announced on May 23, 2024, and June 26, 2024, respectively, and the completion of the Department’s due diligence. The Department will distribute the funds based on the companies’ completion of project milestones.

“The Biden-Harris Administration’s investments in Absolics and Entegris are another example of how we are making investments up and down the semiconductor supply chain to advance U.S. economic and national security,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “As a result of these investments, the states of Colorado and Georgia will play an important role in revitalizing the U.S. semiconductor industry while creating thousands of jobs in the process.”

“Today’s announcement shows how we’re putting President Biden’s CHIPS and Science Act to work,” said Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Arati Prabhakar. “These new facilities will develop cutting-edge technologies that are essential to U.S. semiconductor leadership. And that means that as they create good-paying jobs that support families, they will be bolstering our national security and strengthening our economy.”

The awards announced today would support the following projects:

• Absolics: The Department’s award of up to $75 million supports the construction of a 120,000 square-foot facility in Covington, Georgia, and the development of substrates technology for use in semiconductor advanced packaging. Absolics glass substrates will be used as an important advanced packaging technology to increase the performance of leading-edge chips for AI and high-performance compute and data centers by reducing power consumption and system complexity. Currently, the advanced packaging substrates market is concentrated in Asia, and because of this investment, U.S.-based companies will have an expanded domestic supply of glass substrates for advanced packaging. This investment is expected to support approximately 1,200 construction, manufacturing, and R&D jobs. For more information about the award, please visit the CHIPS for America website.
• Entegris: The Department’s award of up to $77 million will onshore critical semiconductor supply chain and manufacturing equipment materials for leading-edge chip production and support Entegris’ construction of its state-of-the-art manufacturing center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Entegris is a leading supplier of advanced materials and process solutions for the semiconductor industry. The manufacturing center, which is targeted to begin initial commercial operations in 2025, will initially support production of liquid filtration products, as well as Front-Opening-Unified Pods (FOUPs). FOUPs are highly specialized containers that secure semiconductor wafers while they are handled and transported during the manufacturing process. These internal transportation systems have dramatically enhanced the production of semiconductor manufacturing over the last two decades with some of the world’s largest chipmakers being major customers for these carriers. The investment is expected to create approximately 900 jobs. For more information about the award, please visit the CHIPS for America website.

“With the stable securing of funding, we will be able to proceed smoothly with the planned commercialization of the glass substrate. We will continue to promote research and development to maintain a technological edge based on our glass substrate technology,” said a SKC Spokesperson. 

“We are pleased to receive this important funding to help strengthen the U.S. semiconductor industry infrastructure,” said Entegris President and Chief Executive Officer Bertrand Loy. “This further expands our ability to meet the critical needs of our customers while contributing back to the local economy in Colorado Springs.”

As stated in the CHIPS Notice of Funding Opportunity for Commercial Fabrication Facilities, CHIPS for America will distribute direct funding to recipients for capital expenditures based on the completion of construction, production, and commercial milestones. The program will track the performance of each CHIPS Incentives Award via financial and programmatic reports, in accordance with the award terms and conditions.

About CHIPS for America

CHIPS for America has awarded over $19 billion of the over $36 billion in proposed incentives funding allocated to date. These announcements across 20 states are expected to create over 125,000 jobs. Since the beginning of the Biden-Harris Administration, semiconductor and electronics companies have announced over $450 billion in private investments, catalyzed in large part by public investment. CHIPS for America is part of President Biden and Vice President Harris’s economic plan to invest in America, stimulate private sector investment, create good-paying jobs, make more in the United States, and revitalize communities left behind. CHIPS for America includes the CHIPS Program Office, responsible for manufacturing incentives, and the CHIPS Research and Development Office, responsible for R&D programs, that both sit within the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) at the Department of Commerce. Visit chips.gov to learn more.

CHIPS Investment of up to $7.865 Billion Reinforces U.S. Supply Chain Security and Supports Multiple Projects in Arizona, New Mexico, Ohio, and Oregon

Today, the Biden-Harris Administration announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce awarded Intel Corporation up to $7.865 billion in direct funding under the CHIPS Incentives Program’s Funding Opportunity for Commercial Fabrication Facilities. The award follows the previously signed preliminary memorandum of terms, announced on March 20, 2024, and the completion of the Department’s due diligence. The award will directly support Intel’s expected U.S. investment of nearly $90 billion by the end of the decade, which is part of the company’s overall $100+ billion expansion plan. The Department will disburse the funds based on Intel’s completion of project milestones.

“The CHIPS for America program will supercharge American innovation and technology and make our country more secure – and Intel is playing an important role in the revitalization of the U.S. semiconductor industry through its unprecedented investments across Arizona, New Mexico, Ohio, and Oregon,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “Thanks to the leadership of President Biden and Vice President Harris, our CHIPS award is enabling Intel to drive one of the most significant semiconductor manufacturing expansions in U.S. history.”

“Today’s award marks another key step in implementing President Biden’s CHIPS and Science Act and the Investing in America agenda to reshore manufacturing, create thousands of good-paying jobs, and strengthen our economy,” said White House Deputy Chief of Staff Natalie Quillian. “Intel’s investments across the country demonstrate once again how President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is delivering for the American people.”

Leading-edge chips power the most sophisticated technology on the planet, including developing AI and building critical military capabilities. Intel’s process technologies, such as Intel 18A and advanced packaging technologies, combined with its foundry services, would strengthen the domestic supply of these advanced chips. The Department’s investment in Intel would support both the fabrication and advanced packaging of leading-edge chips through projects in Arizona, New Mexico, Ohio, and Oregon. As previously announced and with the Department's support, Intel's overall expansion plan is estimated to support approximately 10,000 manufacturing jobs and 20,000 construction jobs across all four states.

“With Intel 3 already in high-volume production and Intel 18A set to follow next year, leading-edge semiconductors are once again being made on American soil,” said Pat Gelsinger, CEO of Intel. “Strong bipartisan support for restoring American technology and manufacturing leadership is driving historic investments that are critical to the country’s long-term economic growth and national security. Intel is deeply committed to advancing these shared priorities as we further expand our U.S. operations over the next several years.”

For more information about Intel’s award, please visit the CHIPS for America website.

As stated in the CHIPS Notice of Funding Opportunity for Commercial Fabrication Facilities, CHIPS for America will distribute direct funding to recipients for capital expenditures based on the completion of construction, technology, production, and commercial milestones. The program will track the performance of each CHIPS Incentives Award via financial and programmatic reports, in accordance with the award terms and conditions.

About CHIPS for America

CHIPS for America has awarded over $19 billion of the over $36 billion in proposed incentives funding allocated to date. These announcements across 20 states are expected to create over 125,000 jobs. Since the beginning of the Biden-Harris Administration, semiconductor and electronics companies have announced over $450 billion in private investments, catalyzed in large part by public investment. CHIPS for America is part of President Biden and Vice President Harris’s economic plan to invest in America, stimulate private sector investment, create good-paying jobs, make more in the United States, and revitalize communities left behind. CHIPS for America includes the CHIPS Program Office, responsible for manufacturing incentives, and the CHIPS Research and Development Office, responsible for R&D programs, that both sit within the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) at the Department of Commerce. Visit chips.gov to learn more.  

CHIPS Incentives Awards in New Hampshire and New Mexico Would Advance U.S. Supply Chain Security of Important Components for Defense Capabilities

Today, the Biden-Harris Administration announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce has finalized two separate awards under the CHIPS Incentives Program’s Funding Opportunity for Commercial Fabrication Facilities. The Department awarded BAE Systems Electronic Systems, a business unit of BAE Systems, Inc., up to $35.5 million in direct funding, and awarded Rocket Lab, the parent company of space power provider SolAero Technologies Corp., up to $23.9 million in direct funding. The awards come after the previously signed preliminary memoranda of terms, announced on December 11, 2023, and June 11, 2024, respectively, and the completion of the Department’s due diligence. The Department will disburse the funds based on the companies’ completion of project milestones.

“From satellites in space to defense systems on the ground, our most advanced defense and commercial technology rely on mature-node and compound semiconductors to operate,” said Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and National Institute of Standards and Technology Director Laurie E. Locascio. “By finalizing these awards, we are strengthening America’s domestic semiconductor supply chain resilience and broadening our manufacturing capabilities. Thanks to this investment, the United States is continuing to develop new pathways for the innovation that will reinforce our nation as a global technology leader for decades to come.”

“America's space and military systems are the most capable in the world, and that would not be possible without advanced semiconductor technology,” said Arati Prabhakar, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. “Thanks to President Biden and Vice President Harris' leadership, we're making the semiconductor supply chain investments today that will bolster American global competitiveness and security tomorrow.”

The awards announced today would support the following projects:

• BAE Systems, Inc.: The Department’s award of up to $35.5 million will support the modernization of the company’s Microelectronics Center in Nashua, New Hampshire, which is designated as a Trusted Foundry by the U.S. Department of Defense. As a result of the modernization, the company will quadruple its production capacity for Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC) chips, which are critical components for advanced military aircraft and commercial satellite systems, and replace aging tools with the latest technology and equipment, mitigating the risk of an operational disruption. The investment will also cut the company’s modernization timeline in half, bolstering the facility’s ability to serve mission-critical defense programs. For more information about the award, please visit the CHIPS for America website.

• Rocket Lab: The Department’s award of up to $23.9 million will create a more robust and resilient supply of space-grade solar cells that power spacecrafts and satellites. Rocket Lab is one of two companies in the United States that specialize in the production of highly efficient and radiation resistant compound semiconductors called space-grade solar cells – devices used in space to convert light to electricity. Rocket Lab’s space-grade solar cells are key to important U.S. space programs, such as missile awareness systems and world-leading science missions, including the James Webb Space Telescope, NASA’s Artemis program, the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, and the Mars Insight Lander. Rocket Lab’s technology also serves a growing commercial satellite market. The Department’s investment will support the modernization and expansion of Rocket Lab’s facility in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which will increase the company's compound semiconductor production by 50% within the next three years – helping to meet the growing national security and commercial demand for these solar cells in the United States. The investment is expected to create over 100 direct jobs. For more information about the award, please visit the CHIPS for America website.

“This investment marks a significant step forward for the modernization of our Microelectronics Center, enhancing our national security and American technological leadership,” said Cheryl Paradis, vice president and general manager of FAST Labs at BAE Systems, Inc. “At BAE Systems, we remain committed to driving innovation, developing a highly skilled workforce, and ensuring that the U.S. maintains its edge in the critical aerospace and defense industry.”

“We’re proud to be a part of this effort to revitalize and grow U.S. domestic semiconductor manufacturing capability. This award will help to ensure U.S. leadership in compound semiconductor manufacturing capability while reenforcing Rocket Lab’s position as a leader in space-grade solar cell production,” said Brad Clevenger, Vice President of Rocket Lab Space Systems. “The investment will enable Rocket Lab to expand production, create highly skilled manufacturing jobs and generate economic and workforce development activity in New Mexico.”

As stated in the CHIPS Notice of Funding Opportunity for Commercial Fabrication Facilities, CHIPS for America will distribute direct funding to recipients for capital expenditures based on the completion of construction, production, and commercial milestones. The program will track the performance of each CHIPS Incentives Award via financial and programmatic reports, in accordance with the award terms and conditions.

About CHIPS for America

CHIPS for America has awarded over $10 billion of the over $36 billion in proposed incentives funding allocated to date. These announcements across 20 states are expected to create over 125,000 jobs. Since the beginning of the Biden-Harris Administration, semiconductor and electronics companies have announced over $450 billion in private investments, catalyzed in large part by public investment. CHIPS for America is part of President Biden and Vice President Harris’s economic plan to invest in America, stimulate private sector investment, create good-paying jobs, make more in the United States, and revitalize communities left behind. CHIPS for America includes the CHIPS Program Office, responsible for semiconductor manufacturing incentives, and the CHIPS Research and Development Office, responsible for semiconductor R&D programs, which both sit within the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) at the Department of Commerce. Visit https://www.chips.gov to learn more.  

Projects in Georgia, California, and Arizona aim to strengthen America’s leadership in cutting-edge substrate technology for critical industries like AI

Today, the Biden-Harris Administration announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) is entering negotiations to invest up to $300 million in advanced packaging research projects in Georgia, California, and Arizona to accelerate the development of cutting-edge technologies essential to the semiconductor industry. The expected recipients are Absolics Inc. in Georgia, Applied Materials Inc. in California, and Arizona State University in Arizona.  

These competitively awarded research investments, each expected to total as much as $100 million, represent novel efforts in advanced substrates. Advanced substrates are physical platforms that allow multiple semiconductor chips to be assembled seamlessly together, enable high-bandwidth communication between those chips, efficiently deliver power, and dissipate unwanted heat. The advanced packaging enabled by advanced substrates translates to high performance computing for AI, next-generation wireless communication, and more efficient power electronics. Such substrates are not currently produced in the United States but are foundational to establishing and expanding domestic advanced packaging capability. Up to $300 million in federal funding will be paired with additional investments from the private sector, bringing the expected total investment across all three projects to over $470 million. This combined effort will help ensure U.S. manufacturers stay competitive and continue to drive technological innovation, giving companies a stronger edge in global competition.

"The key to the United States’ long-term competitiveness hinges on our ability to out-innovate and out-build the rest of the world. That’s why the R&D side of the CHIPS for America Program is so fundamental to our success, and these proposed investments in advanced packaging underscore the work we’re doing to prioritize every step of the semiconductor supply chain pipeline,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “Emerging technology like AI requires cutting-edge advances in microelectronics, including advanced packaging. Thanks to President Biden’s and Vice President Harris’ leadership, and through these proposed investments, we are positioning the United States as a global leader in designing, manufacturing and packaging the microelectronics that will fuel tomorrow’s innovation.”

“Today’s awards are vital to secure America’s global leadership in semiconductors-- making sure the supply chain here in America is on the cutting edge from end to end,” said National Economic Advisor Lael Brainard.

Rising power consumption, computational performance in AI data centers, and scalability in mobile electronics will not be solved with current packaging technology. Sustaining these industries of the future in America will require innovation at all levels. The CHIPS National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program (NAPMP) set aggressive technical targets for the substrates that all three entities are expected to meet or exceed. Advanced substrates are the basis for advanced packaging, which will enhance key advanced packaging technologies including but not limited to equipment, tools, processes, and process integration. The projects will play a vital role in helping to ensure that American innovation drives cutting-edge developments in semiconductor research and development (R&D) and manufacturing.

"Advanced packaging is essential to the development of the advanced semiconductors that are the drivers of emerging technology like artificial intelligence,” said Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and National Institute of Standards and Technology Director Laurie E. Locascio. “These first investments of the National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program will drive breakthroughs that address a critical need in the CHIPS for America’s mission to create a robust domestic packaging industry where advanced node chips manufactured in the U.S. and abroad can be packaged within the United States.”

The proposed projects are:

• Absolics, Inc. in Covington, Georgia:  Absolics is poised to revolutionize glass core substrate panel manufacturing by developing cutting-edge capabilities in partnership with over 30 partners including academic institutions, large and small businesses, and non-profit entities, having been recognized as the recipient in the glass materials and substrates areas, with up to $100 million in potential funding. Through its Substrate and Materials Advanced Research and Technology (SMART) Packaging Program, Absolics aims to build a glass-core packaging ecosystem. In addition to developing the SMART Packaging Program, Absolics and their partners, is planning to support education and workforce development efforts by bringing training, internship, and certification opportunities into technical colleges, the HBCU CHIPS Network, and Veterans programs. Through these efforts, Absolics would leapfrog the current glass core substrate panel technology and support investments in a future high-volume manufacturing capability. 

• Applied Materials in Santa Clara, California: Applied Materials, along with a team of 10 collaborators, is working on developing and scaling a disruptive silicon-core substrate technology for next-generation advanced packaging and 3D heterogeneous integration. Applied’s silicon-core substrate technology has the potential to advance America’s leadership in advanced packaging and help catalyze an ecosystem to develop and build next-generation energy-efficient artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC) systems in the US. In addition, Applied Materials’ education and workforce development plan is designed to strengthen the training and internship pipeline in the US between state universities and the semiconductor industry.

• Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona: Arizona State University is leading the charge in developing the next generation of microelectronics packaging through fan-out-wafer-level-processing (FOWLP). At the heart of this initiative is the ASU Advanced Electronics and Photonics Core Facility, where researchers are exploring the commercial viability of 300 mm wafer-level and 600 mm panel-level manufacturing, a technology that does not exist in as a commercial capability in the U.S. today.  ASU’s team of over 10 partners, led by industry pioneer Deca Technologies, is centered in a regional stronghold for microelectronics manufacturing and is composed of large and small businesses, universities and technical colleges, and non-profits. This team spans the entire United States with industrial leaders in materials, equipment, chiplet design, electronic design automation, and manufacturing. ASU will establish an interconnect foundry that connects advanced packaging and workforce development programs with semiconductor fabs and manufacturers. ASU’s education and workforce development efforts bring industry-relevant training such as train the trainer, microcredentials, and quick start programs for working professionals. Inclusion of the HBCU CHIPS network and the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development is integral to their workforce development plan.          

About CHIPS for America    

CHIPS for America is part of President Biden’s economic plan to invest in America, stimulate private sector investment, create good-paying jobs, make more in the United States, and revitalize communities left behind. CHIPS for America includes the CHIPS Program Office, responsible for manufacturing incentives, and the CHIPS Research and Development (R&D) Office, responsible for R&D programs. Both offices sit within the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) at the Department of Commerce. NIST promotes U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life. NIST is uniquely positioned to successfully administer the CHIPS for America program because of the bureau’s strong relationships with U.S. industries, its deep understanding of the semiconductor ecosystem, and its reputation as fair and trusted. Visit https://www.chips.gov to learn more.  

About CHIPS National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program (NAPMP)

To enable the CHIPS Research and Development Office’s vision for success, the CHIPS National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program will make approximately $3 billion in investments to develop critical and relevant innovations for advanced packaging technologies and accelerate their scaled transition to U.S. manufacturing entities. These investments will include research programs for core technologies that can be scaled to high-volume manufacturing, an advanced packaging piloting facility to support this scaling, resources to support the expansion of advanced packaging solutions, and workforce development. As a result, within a decade, NAPMP-funded activities, coupled with CHIPS manufacturing incentives, will establish a vibrant, self-sustaining, high-volume, domestic, advanced packaging industry where advanced-node chips manufactured in the United States are packaged in the United States. The technology developed will be leveraged in new applications and market sectors and at scale.

The Testing Risks of AI for National Security (TRAINS) Taskforce brings together experts from Commerce, Defense, Energy, Homeland Security, NSA, and NIH to address national security concerns and strengthen American leadership in AI innovation.

Today, the U.S. Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute at the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced the formation of the Testing Risks of AI for National Security (TRAINS) Taskforce, which brings together partners from across the U.S. Government to identify, measure, and manage the emerging national security and public safety implications of rapidly evolving AI technology. This announcement comes as the United States is set to host the first-ever convening of the International Network of AI Safety Institutes in San Francisco.

The Taskforce will enable coordinated research and testing of advanced AI models across critical national security and public safety domains, such as radiological and nuclear security, chemical and biological security, cybersecurity, critical infrastructure, conventional military capabilities, and more. 

These efforts will advance the U.S. government imperative to maintain American leadership in AI development and prevent adversaries from misusing American innovation to undermine national security. 

The TRAINS Taskforce is chaired by the U.S. AI Safety Institute and includes initial representation from the following federal agencies:

• The Department of Defense, including the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO) and the National Security Agency
• The Department of Energy and ten of its National Laboratories
• The Department of Homeland Security, including the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)
• The National Institutes of Health (NIH) at the Department of Health and Human Services

Each member will lend its unique subject matter expertise, technical infrastructure, and resources to the Taskforce and will collaborate on the development of new AI evaluation methods and benchmarks, as well as conduct joint national security risk assessments and red-teaming exercises. 

“Enabling safe, secure, and trustworthy AI innovation is not just an economic priority – it's a public safety and national security imperative,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “Every corner of the country is impacted by the rapid progress in AI, which is why establishing the TRAINS Taskforce is such an important step to unite our federal resources and ensure we’re pulling every lever to address the challenges of this generation-defining technology. The U.S. AI Safety Institute will continue to lead by centralizing the top-notch national security and AI expertise that exists across government in order to harness the benefits of AI for the betterment of the American people and American business.”

This effort operationalizes the whole-of-government approach to AI safety, as directed by the recent National Security Memorandum on AI, and the TRAINS Taskforce is expected to expand its membership across the federal government as its work continues.

The Network will drive alignment on and build the scientific basis for safe, secure, and trustworthy AI innovation around the world. 

Ahead of the convening, the Network is announcing key developments including a joint mission statement, more than $11 million in funding toward synthetic content research, findings from the Network’s first multilateral testing exercise, and a joint statement on risk assessments of advanced AI systems.

This technical-level working meeting gathers network members and industry, academic, and civil society experts to advance the Network’s work on the road to the AI Action Summit hosted by France in February. 

San Francisco, California – Today the U.S. Department of Commerce and U.S. Department of State are co-hosting the inaugural convening of the International Network of AI Safety Institutes, a new global effort to advance the science of AI safety and enable cooperation on research, best practices, and evaluation. To harness the enormous benefits of AI, it is essential to foster a robust international ecosystem to help identify and mitigate the risks posed by this breakthrough technology. Through this Network, the United States hopes to address some of the most pressing challenges in AI safety and avoid a patchwork of global governance that could hamper innovation.

The United States will serve as the inaugural chair of the International Network of AI Safety Institutes, whose initial members include Australia, Canada, the European Union, France, Japan, Kenya, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Over the next two days in San Francisco, California, technical experts from member governments will be joined by leading AI developers, academics, civil society leaders, and scientists from non-Network governments to discuss key areas of collaboration on AI safety and lend their technical and scientific expertise to the Network’s mission. 

The convening is structured as a technical working meeting that will address three high-priority topics that stand to urgently benefit from international coordination, specifically: (1) managing risks from synthetic content, (2) testing foundation models, and (3) conducting risk assessments for advanced AI systems. 

By bringing together the leading minds across governments, industry, academia, and civil society, we hope to kickstart meaningful international collaboration on AI safety and innovation, particularly as we work toward the upcoming AI Action Summit in France in February and beyond.

1) Adopting an aligned mission statement for the International Network of AI Safety Institutes.

• Launching the International Network of AI Safety Institutes is an essential step forward for global coordination on safe AI innovation. The Network will enable its members to leverage their respective technical capacity to harmonize approaches and minimize duplication of resources, while providing a platform to bring together global technical expertise.
• Ahead of the inaugural convening of the Network, all 10 initial members have agreed to a joint mission statement that reads in part:

• “The International Network of AI Safety Institutes is intended to be a forum that brings together technical expertise from around the world. Recognizing the importance of cultural and linguistic diversity, we aim to facilitate a common technical understanding of AI safety risks and mitigations based upon the work of our institutes and of the broader scientific community that will support international development and the adoption of interoperable principles and best practices. We also intend to encourage a general understanding of and approach to AI safety globally, that will enable the benefits of AI innovation to be shared amongst countries at all stages of development.” 

• The International Network Members have also aligned on four priority areas of collaboration: pursuing AI safety research, developing best practices for model testing and evaluation, facilitating common approaches such as interpreting tests of advanced AI systems, and advancing global inclusion and information sharing.
• The United States AI Safety Institute (US AISI) will serve as the inaugural Chair of the International Network of AI Safety Institutes and Network members will discuss additional details of governance, structure, and meeting cadence at the convening. 
• The Network will also discuss priorities and a roadmap for continued work toward the forthcoming AI Action Summit in Paris in February 2025 and beyond.

2) Announcing more than $11 million in global research funding commitments to address the International Network’s new joint research agenda on mitigating risks from synthetic content.

• With the rise of generative AI and the rapid development and adoption of highly capable AI models, it is now easier, faster, and less expensive than ever to create synthetic content at scale. Though there are a range of positive and innocuous uses for synthetic content, there are also risks that need to be identified, researched, and mitigated to prevent real-world harm – such as the generation and distribution of child sexual abuse material and non-consensual sexual imagery, or the facilitation of fraud and impersonation.
• To advance the state of the science and inform novel ways to mitigate synthetic content risks, the International Network of AI Safety Institutes has outlined a joint research agenda calling for urgent and actionable inquiry by the scientific community into key gaps in the current literature.
  • Priority research topics include understanding the security and robustness of current digital content transparency techniques, exploring novel and emergent digital content transparency methods, and developing model safeguards to prevent the generation and distribution of harmful synthetic content.
  • The International Network research agenda encourages a multidisciplinary approach, including technical mitigations as well as social scientific and humanistic assessments to identify problems and solutions. 
• In response to this agenda, government agencies and several leading philanthropies have committed a total of more than $11 million (USD) to spur this vital research.
  • The United States, through USAID, is designating $3.8 million this fiscal year to strengthen capacity building, research, and deployment of safe and responsible AI in USAID partner countries overseas, including supporting research on synthetic content risk mitigation.
  • Australia’s national science agency, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), is investing $2.2 million (AUD) ($1.42 million USD) annually in research aimed at identifying and mitigating the risks of synthetic content. 
  • The Republic of Korea will commit $1.8 million (USD) annually for 4 years, totaling $7.2 million (USD), toward research and development efforts on detecting, preventing, and mitigating the risks of synthetic content through the ROK AISI program.
  • The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation is committing $3 million (USD) to support scholarship aligned with the research agenda on mitigating risks from synthetic content.
  • The AI Safety Fund (AISF), an independently administered non-profit collaboration between leading frontier AI developers and philanthropic partners, will contribute $1 million (USD) in support of the research agenda, focusing on safeguards in the design, use, and evaluation of AI models and systems to reduce risks to security and public safety from model outputs.
  • An additional $250,000 (USD) in 2025 funding by the Omidyar Network has been pledged in support of the research agenda.
  • At the convening, the International Network will also discuss shared Network principles for mitigating synthetic content risks, including best practices and innovations for improving the security, reliability, privacy, transparency, and accessibility of generative AI. These inputs will help advance an aligned perspective from the members, which we hope to share at the forthcoming France AI Action Summit.
• To support this work, US AISI is releasing the final version of its first synthetic content guidance report, NIST AI 100-4: Reducing Risks Posed by Synthetic Content, which identifies a series of voluntary approaches to address risks from AI-generated content like child sexual abuse material, impersonation, and fraud.
  • This final version reflects input and feedback from an array of external experts and public comment solicited over the past several months.

(3) Methodological insights on multi-lingual, international AI testing efforts from the International Network of AI Safety Institutes’ first-ever joint testing exercise.

• The International Network of AI Safety Institutes completed its first-ever joint testing exercise, led by technical experts from US AISI, UK AISI, and Singapore’s Digital Trust Centre. 
• The Network conducted this exercise to explore methodological challenges, opportunities, and next steps for joint work that the Network can pursue to advance more robust and reproducible AI safety testing across languages, cultures, and contexts.
• This exercise raised key considerations for international testing, such as the impact that small methodological differences and model optimization techniques can have on evaluation results, and highlighted strategies for potentially mitigating these challenges. 
• This exercise was conducted on Meta’s Llama 3.1 405B to test across three topics – general academic knowledge, ‘closed-domain’ hallucinations, and multi-lingual capabilities – and will act as a pilot for a broader joint testing exercises leading into the AI Action Summit in Paris this February. The learnings from the pilot testing process will also lay the groundwork for future testing across international borders and evaluation best practices.

(4) A joint statement on risk assessments of advanced AI systems, including a plan for advancing International Network alignment.

• Assessing the risks of advanced AI systems presents novel challenges, and it is central to the mission of the International Network of AI Safety Institutes to address these challenges and align on a framework for understanding the risks and capabilities posed by this technology.
• While recognizing that the science of AI risk assessment continues to evolve and that each Network member operates within its own unique context, the International Network of AI Safety Institutes agreed to establish a shared scientific basis for risk assessments, building on six key aspects outlined by the Network – namely, that risk assessments should be (1) actionable, (2) transparent, (3) comprehensive, (4) multistakeholder, (5) iterative, and (6) reproducible. 
• This shared approach builds on commitments made in in the Bletchley Declaration and the Seoul Statement of Intent, as well as the progress made through the OECD, the G7 Hiroshima Process, the Frontier AI Safety Commitments, and other relevant international AI safety initiatives.
• At the convening, the International Network will solicit feedback and insight from members and gathered experts on how to operationalize a shared approach to risk assessments and build a roadmap for advancing global alignment and interoperability. 

(5) Establishing a new U.S. Government taskforce led by the U.S. AI Safety Institute to collaborate on research and testing of AI models to manage national security capabilities and risks.

• The Testing Risks of AI for National Security (TRAINS) Taskforce brings together experts from the Departments of Commerce, Defense, Energy, Homeland Security, as well as the National Security Agency (NSA) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) to address national security concerns and strengthen American leadership in AI innovation.
• The Taskforce will enable coordinated research and testing of advanced AI models across critical national security and public safety domains, such as radiological and nuclear security, chemical and biological security, cybersecurity, critical infrastructure, conventional military capabilities, and more. 
• These efforts will advance the U.S. government imperative to maintain American leadership in AI development and prevent adversaries from misusing American innovation to undermine national security. More information can be found here in the press release.

For press inquires, please reach out to usaisi@nist.gov

CHIPS Investment of Up to $1.5 Billion Will Support Multiple Projects in New York and Vermont and Create Approximately 10,000 Good Construction and Manufacturing Jobs

Today, the Biden-Harris Administration announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce awarded GlobalFoundries (GF) up to $1.5 billion in direct funding under the CHIPS Incentives Program’s Funding Opportunity for Commercial Fabrication Facilities. The award comes after the previously signed preliminary memorandum of terms, announced on February 19, 2024, and the completion of the Department’s due diligence. The award will bolster U.S. competitiveness in current-generation semiconductor production by supporting the company’s investment of approximately $13 billion over the next 10-plus years in its U.S manufacturing sites in New York and Vermont, which produce essential automotive, smart mobile, aerospace and defense, and communications semiconductor technologies. The Department will disburse the funds based on GF’s completion of project milestones.

“By investing in GF’s domestic manufacturing capabilities, we are helping to secure a stable domestic supply of chips that are found in everything from home electronics to advanced weapons systems,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “Thanks to President Biden’s leadership and because of CHIPS for America, we are strategically strengthening every part of the semiconductor supply chain to ensure we meet our national security objectives and have the ability to out-compete and out-innovate the rest of the world.”  

“After we saw semiconductor supply chain disruptions during the pandemic creating a shortage of everything from cars to washing machines, President Biden got to work passing the CHIPS and Science Act to bring semiconductor manufacturing back to America,” said White House Deputy Chief of Staff Natalie Quillian. “Today's award is a testament to how the Biden-Harris Administration continues to drive an American manufacturing renaissance, strengthen our supply chains, and create thousands of good-paying jobs in New York, Vermont, and communities across the country.”

Currently, there are only four companies outside of China that provide current and mature foundry capabilities at the scale of GF, and GF is the only one of those companies that is headquartered in the United States. Shortages of these semiconductors caused major disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in a particularly acute impact on the availability and price of a broad range of goods for Americans, as well as the shutdown of automobile manufacturing sites. The Department's investment in GF will help advance U.S. economic and national security by increasing domestic manufacturing capacity, strengthening supply chain resilience, and onshoring technologies for the first time that are important to the U.S. defense and intelligence communities. The investment includes a new state-of-the-art facility in New York, the capacity expansion and modernization of an existing facility in New York, and the modernization of the company’s operations in Vermont. The investment is estimated to create approximately 9,000 construction and 1,000 manufacturing jobs across both sites, while supporting the work of the Upstate New York Investing in America Workforce Hub, which is helping ensure New Yorkers are trained for good-paying jobs up and down the semiconductor supply chain.

For more information about the GF award, please visit the CHIPS for America website here and here.

“The idea of strengthening U.S. semiconductor manufacturing has been five-plus years in the making. With bipartisan support, that idea evolved into the CHIPS and Science Act,” said Dr. Thomas Caulfield, president and CEO of GF. “GF's essential chips are at the core of U.S. economic, supply chain and national security. We greatly appreciate the support and funding from both the U.S. Government and the states of New York and Vermont, which we will use to ensure our customers have the American-made chips they need to succeed and win.”

As stated in the CHIPS Notice of Funding Opportunity for Commercial Fabrication Facilities, CHIPS for America will distribute direct funding to recipients for capital expenditures based on the completion of construction, production, and commercial milestones. The program will track the performance of each CHIPS Incentives Award via financial and programmatic reports, in accordance with the award terms and conditions.

About CHIPS for America

CHIPS for America has awarded over $10 billion of the over $36 billion in proposed incentives funding allocated to date. These announcements across 20 states are expected to create over 125,000 jobs. Since the beginning of the Biden-Harris Administration, semiconductor and electronics companies have announced over $450 billion in private investments, catalyzed in large part by public investment. CHIPS for America is part of President Biden and Vice President Harris’s economic plan to invest in America, stimulate private sector investment, create good-paying jobs, make more in the United States, and revitalize communities left behind. CHIPS for America includes the CHIPS Program Office, responsible for manufacturing incentives, and the CHIPS Research and Development Office, responsible for R&D programs, that both sit within the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) at the Department of Commerce. Visit chips.gov to learn more.  

AI is a technology like no other in human history.

Historically, when new technologies emerge, certain tasks are automated which leads to disruptions in the job market. But over time, workers find new jobs which ultimately made us more productive and more prosperous.

But AI is different. AI won't just automate one tool or task. It has the potential to replace the human mind – and with that, all of us and our work. Some experts even worry it could go off the rails and lead to our extinction.

It’s a technology with tremendous potential but also tremendous risk, and people are understandably worried. Workers are worried it will take their jobs. Parents are worried their kids will be harassed with deepfake explicit images. National security experts are worried AI applied to bioterrorism.

My primary point today is that we have a choice. We are the ones developing this technology, and we will ultimately decide what that looks like. Why would we choose to allow this technology to replace us, cause widespread unemployment and societal disruption, and compromise our global security?

We have an obligation to keep our eyes wide open to these risks and prevent them from happening.  We cannot let our ambition allow us to sleepwalk into our own undoing.

This isn’t about slowing innovation. But if we allow AI competition to be reckless, our world will be less safe. A single-minded focus on speed and productivity will drive us down a dangerous path. We have learned the painful lesson that unchecked market forces and the blind pursuit of profits do not always lead to good outcomes. 

For example, we learned this lesson with our supply chains, which became brittle as we optimized solely for efficiency and profit. It's true we saw cheaper goods and higher profits, but American workers watched their jobs disappear, their communities crumble, and our national be security compromised.                                                

We cannot let the same thing happen with AI.

Just because we can do something, doesn’t mean we should. Advancing AI as quickly as possible without thinking of the consequences is not the right or smart thing to do. Instead, we need to innovate, but always keep two principles in mind.

First, we cannot release models that will endanger people.

Second, we need to ensure AI is serving people, not the other way around.

Here’s how we can do it.

First, governments need to know that AI systems are safe. If we can’t certify an AI system is safe, it shouldn’t be released.

That means we need to rapidly advance the science of AI safety – testing and evaluation. And we need to agree on international best practices and rules of the road.

Advancing the science of AI safety is fundamental, but it is not easy. And while we aren’t where we need to be yet, we – you! – should be encouraged by the progress this international community has made in the last year. A little over a year ago, there were no major government initiatives to advance the science of AI safety. Today, there are 10 members of the International AI Safety Institute Network, with more underway.

In the U.S., the Commerce Department’s AI Safety Institute has been laser focused on one question: how to root out national security and public safety risks from AI. A team of scientists and engineers are developing state-of-the-art methodology for pre- and post-deployment testing, and we’re ensuring we fire on all cylinders to evaluate models.

The Institute is not a regulator, but rather a body of scientific excellence that ensures the work government is doing on AI is smart, cutting-edge, and informed by science. We’ve had some of the brightest minds from industry and civil society come to the Institute to do this important work, and I hope more people will join them.

Government work isn’t as lucrative as the private sector, but it’s just as important, if not more important, to the safety of our country and the success of humanity.

And this work is bigger than politics – it’s not in anyone’s interest for dangerous AI to get into the hands of malicious non-state actors that want to cause destruction and sow chaos. 

I also want to be clear that the Institute’s work will not stifle innovation – it’s essential to it. Safety breeds trust, which speeds adoption and leads to more innovation. It also avoids the risk of overly burdensome regulation from government, which could stifle the industry.

That’s why industry has been leading the way on safety – and why industry has pushed for and supported these safety institutes. The U.S. AI Safety Institute has partnered with OpenAI and Anthropic to do voluntary pre-deployment testing. Together with the UK Safety Institute, they just released their first ever joint governmental pre-deployment test of an advanced AI model.

We want the work of the Institute to help industry, not hinder it. And to do that, we need your help and want to work with you.

Next, we need to ensure that AI serves people, and not the other way around. We need to take the threats of widespread unemployment seriously.

Part of this is about managing the transition that is coming and being honest about the magnitude of change. As AI becomes more integrated into society, we will need new and innovative worker training and tech access programs to ensure everybody can participate in the prosperity that AI promises.

We can't just talk about "lifelong learning" and re-training, we need to get much more serious about restructuring how we deliver education for people at every step of a long career.

Part of this is about making choices as a society that benefit humans. Choosing how AI is used to automate tasks to supplement humans, not replace them entirely.

We don’t yet have all the answers. So, part of this is about developing AI at a pace that allows us to adjust, without displacing workers or devastating communities and to think creatively about solutions.

Part of managing this transition is showing people what AI can do for them. We need to work harder to make sure that AI isn’t just safe but will also make people’s lives better.

The flipside of the worst-case scenarios is ensuring that AI supplements us and helps us create a world of incredible abundance. Hundreds of millions of AIs deployed everywhere, helping to engineer solutions to the world’s hardest problems.

For example, right now, it takes years of testing, billions of dollars, and huge numbers of leading researchers to develop a new cancer drug – and 97% of these drugs don’t even make it out of clinical trials. AI can be used at almost every point of the drug development process to accelerate the work medical professionals are doing and make it cheaper.

I want to pause for a moment to underscore just how big this would be. If AI can help us discover cures for cancers even one year sooner than we could now, we could save millions of lives all over the world. And these medicines would be much more affordable.

And we’re not using AI to replace doctors. But instead using AI to help doctors – from interpreting ultrasounds and CT scans so that diseases are caught and treated earlier to performing administrative tasks so doctors can spend more time with patients. It can make health care cheaper and more accessible, so that the best quality care isn’t only available in a small number of cities around the world.

The same can be said for education. Teachers have one of the most important jobs in our society. And as a former Governor, I know that teachers spend too much time on administrative paperwork. AI could reduce that burden so they can spend more time with students and tailor education to those students' needs.

There are so many ways technology can make our lives better, healthier, and more affordable. But only if we build AI in a way that enhances people’s lives.

We are still early in AI’s development, and we have decisions to make. Will this be the technology that pushes humanity to a new age, supercharging productivity, creating new jobs, and bringing benefits to families? Or will it be the technology that pushes humanity aside, leaving millions without work and radically worsening our current income inequality?

My challenge to everyone here is to think critically about what we want the impact of AI to be and how our actions contribute to the development of AI. At every step along the way in the development of AI, we need to think about if and how what we’re doing will help working people here in America and all over the world. You must develop a technology that helps working people reach their full potential – not one that pulls the rug out from under them.

The people in this room and at companies here in this city and across the world will develop the defining technology of this century and write the rules of the road for how it is used. You must do that deliberately and at a pace that works for all humanity – ensuring this incredible technology makes all of us safer, healthier, and more productive.

Thank you.

Cutting-Edge Technology Allows for New, Collaborative Design and Research for the Semiconductor Industry

Today, the Biden-Harris Administration announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Semiconductor Research Corporation Manufacturing Consortium Corporation (SRC) are entering negotiations for the Department to provide SRC $285 million to establish and operate a Manufacturing USA institute headquartered in Durham, North Carolina. With combined funding totaling $1 billion, this investment will support the launch of the first-of-its-kind CHIPS Manufacturing USA Institute. The new institute, known as SMART USA (Semiconductor Manufacturing and Advanced Research with Twins USA) will focus on efforts to develop, validate, and use digital twins to improve domestic semiconductor design, manufacturing, advanced packaging, assembly, and test processes. SMART USA will join an existing network of seventeen institutes designed to increase U.S. manufacturing competitiveness and promote a robust R&D infrastructure. SRC is an important part of North Carolina’s research ecosystem, including decades-long relationships with North Carolina’s universities.

“America’s technological leadership on the world stage depends on its ability to collaborate with the best and brightest around the globe,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “Thanks to the leadership of President Biden and Vice President Harris, we’re opening new avenues to better safeguard U.S. national security and further technological innovation with the establishment of the SMART USA Institute. With new Digital Twin capabilities, America is fostering unparalleled opportunities to collaborate with experts and researchers anywhere in the world to develop the next frontier of technological advancements in the semiconductor industry.” 

Digital twins are virtual models that replicate physical objects, like chips or complex machinery. Engineers and researchers can use these virtual models to design, develop, and test processes digitally before applying them in real life. Digital twin-based research can also leverage emerging technology like artificial intelligence to optimize chip design, improve production efficiency, and lower costs by streamlining operations and reducing the need for costly adjustments. Additionally, these technologies will expand workforce opportunities by providing real-time feedback, place-based learning, and exposure to systems previously inaccessible. Through digital twins, researchers and technicians can develop new technical skills, tools, mechanical systems, and chemicals, while protecting workplace safety.

“Today’s announcement is another step forward under President Biden’s leadership to bring semiconductor manufacturing back to the United States—and invest in the research and development needed to win the future,” said Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Arati Prabhakar. “With the CHIPS and Science Act, we’re catalyzing private sector investments that are advancing a supply chain that feeds so many other industries. And we’re creating good-paying jobs that support families and change people’s lives.”

SMART USA will convene companies, startups, researchers and academia and provide access to physical assets and novel digital capabilities, to:

• Speed up the development and adoption of advanced semiconductor technologies. By streamlining this process and reducing time-to-market, SMART USA will help accelerate innovation in U.S. chips design and manufacturing.
• Shorten the time and cost of chip production. The institute will implement efficient design and validation methods using digital twins, significantly cutting expenses and improving productivity.
• Provide training opportunities for the next generation of semiconductor workers: this includes creating programs aimed at skill development and workforce readiness.

“Digital Twin technology can unleash a new frontier for innovation in America’s semiconductor R&D ecosystem,” said Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and National Institute of Standards and Technology Director Laurie E. Locascio. “With the new SMART USA Institute, America is both expanding its semiconductor manufacturing and R&D capabilities and bolstering the domestic semiconductor R&D ecosystem that will be a key innovation engine for years to come.”

“We are honored by CHIPS for America's recognition of SMART USA Institute's pivotal role in driving semiconductor innovation. This designation as the CHIPS Manufacturing USA institute reaffirms our dedication to fostering collaboration and excellence across the semiconductor ecosystem. At its core, the SMART USA Manufacturing Institute is about bringing people together as a cohesive team. Through this collaboration, we harness the collective strengths and expertise of our partners. Teaming is the cornerstone of our strategy, and it is through this united effort that we will succeed in achieving our ambitious goals,” said Todd Younkin, Executive Director of SMART USA. 

SMART USA and its planned members span more than 30 states, with more than 150 expected partner entities representing industry, academia, and the full spectrum of supply chain design and manufacturing. Collaborators also include ten national laboratories, five Manufacturing USA institutes, five economic development agencies, and four Trade and Union groups. The CHIPS Manufacturing USA Institute will join an existing network of seventeen Institutes designed to increase U.S. manufacturing competitiveness and promote a robust R&D infrastructure.

Within five years, SMART USA aims to:

• Convene stakeholders across the semiconductor design, manufacturing, advanced packaging, assembly, and test industry to address shared challenges relevant to digital twins, in a collaborative environment;
• Reduce U.S. chip development and manufacturing costs by more than 35% by improving capacity planning, production optimization, facility upgrades, and real-time process adjustments using digital twins;
• Reduce development cycle times by 30% for semiconductor manufacturing, advanced packaging, assembly, and test and accelerate the development and adoption of relevant innovative technologies, including breakthrough tools, materials, and manufacturing processes;
• Demonstrate a 25% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions associated with semiconductor manufacturing; and
• Train more than 100K workers and students on digital twin technology.

Today’s announcement builds on the Administration’s historic work to bring back manufacturing to America after decades of offshoring. Investments in R&D programs, such as SMART USA, will ensure America stays at the cutting-edge of manufacturing far into the future. President Biden’s landmark Investing in America agenda includes key tax incentives and funding opportunities, which have helped catalyze nearly $1 trillion in private sector investment commitments across 21st century industries.

About CHIPS for America    

CHIPS for America is part of President Biden’s economic plan to invest in America, stimulate private sector investment, create good-paying jobs, make more in the United States, and revitalize communities left behind. CHIPS for America includes the CHIPS Program Office, responsible for manufacturing incentives, and the CHIPS Research and Development (R&D) Office, responsible for R&D programs. Both offices sit within the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) at the Department of Commerce. NIST promotes U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life. NIST is uniquely positioned to successfully administer the CHIPS for America program because of the bureau’s strong relationships with U.S. industries, its deep understanding of the semiconductor ecosystem, and its reputation as fair and trusted. Visit https://www.chips.gov to learn more.

About Manufacturing USA

Manufacturing USA was created to help secure U.S. global leadership in advanced manufacturing through large-scale public-private collaboration on technology, supply chain, and advanced manufacturing workforce development. The network comprises the U.S. Departments of Commerce, Energy and Defense, their sponsored manufacturing innovation institutes, currently seventeen, and six additional federal agency partners, creating a whole-of-government, national effort to drive innovation in manufacturing. In 2023, the network worked with over 2,900 member organizations, including more than 1,315 mostly small manufacturers; collaborated on over 920 applied R&D projects; engaged over 150,000 people in advanced manufacturing workforce development; and generated investments of $539 million in these activities from state, federal and industry funds. Visit https://www.manufacturingusa.com/ to learn more.     

About Semiconductor Research Corporation

Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC) is a world-class, non-profit consortium that works with industry, government, and academia partners to define, fund and manage university research on behalf of its member companies. Through its highly regarded research programs, SRC plays an indispensable part in both research and development strategies of the most influential industry leaders. Members of SRC gain access to research results, fundamental IP, and highly experienced students to compete in the global marketplace and build the workforce of tomorrow.

CHIPS Investment Incentivizes Creation of Leading-Edge Cluster in Phoenix, Arizona, and Over 20,000 Jobs; and Includes Commitment to Produce A16 Technology

Today, the Biden-Harris Administration announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce awarded TSMC Arizona Corporation (TSMC Arizona), a subsidiary of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (TSMC), up to $6.6 billion in direct funding under the CHIPS Incentives Program’s Funding Opportunity for Commercial Fabrication Facilities. The award comes after the previously signed preliminary memorandum of terms, announced on April 8, 2024, and the completion of the Department’s due diligence. The award will support the company’s planned investment of more than $65 billion in three greenfield leading-edge fabs in Phoenix, Arizona. The Department will disburse the funds based on TSMC Arizona’s completion of project milestones.

“Two years ago, shortly after I signed the CHIPS & Science Act, I visited Arizona to announce a commitment by TSMC to invest in America, create American jobs, and shore up American supply chains. On that day, I spoke about how the United States invented semiconductors and used to manufacture nearly 40% of the world’s chips, but now makes closer to 10% of them and none of the most advanced chips. I came to office determined to change that, and we have since delivered on that promise, catalyzing nearly $450 billion in private investment in semiconductors, creating over 125,000 new construction and manufacturing jobs, and reshoring critical technologies to bolster our national and economic security,” said President Joe Biden. “Today’s final agreement with TSMC – the world’s leading manufacturer of advanced semiconductors – will spur $65 billion dollars of private investment to build three state-of-the-art facilities in Arizona and create tens of thousands of jobs by the end of the decade. This is the largest foreign direct investment in a greenfield project in the history of the United States. The first of TSMC’s three facilities is on track to fully open early next year, which means that for the first time in decades an America manufacturing plant will be producing the leading-edge chips used in our most advanced technologies – from our smartphones, to autonomous vehicles, to the data centers powering artificial intelligence. Today’s announcement is among the most critical milestones yet in the implementation of the bipartisan CHIPS & Science Act, and demonstrates how we are ensuring that the progress made to date will continue to unfold in the coming years, benefitting communities all across the country.”

“The Biden-Harris Administration’s investment in TSMC Arizona is a turning point for American innovation and manufacturing that will strengthen our economic and national security,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “The leading-edge chips that will be manufactured in Arizona are foundational to the United States' technological and economic leadership in the 21st century. Because of President Biden and Vice President Harris, the most advanced semiconductor technology on the planet will be made in America, creating thousands of jobs in the process.”

Through this investment in TSMC Arizona, the CHIPS Program Office is taking a significant step to strengthen U.S. economic and national security by helping to provide a reliable domestic supply of the chips that will underpin the 21st century technology economy, powering artificial intelligence (“AI”) and other fast-growing industries like high-performance computing, consumer electronics, automotive, and Internet of Things. At full capacity, TSMC Arizona’s three fabs are expected to manufacture tens of millions of leading-edge logic chips that will power products like 5G/6G smartphones, autonomous vehicles, and high-performance computing and AI applications. Early production yields at the first TSMC plant in Arizona are on par with similar factories in Taiwan. The advanced chips that TSMC manufactures for its customers – including its A16 technology, which is the most advanced semiconductor technology in the world – are the backbone of central processing units (“CPUs”) for servers in large-scale datacenters and of specialized graphics processing units (“GPUs) used for machine learning. The Biden-Harris Administration’s investment is expected to create approximately 6,000 direct manufacturing jobs and more than 20,000 total unique construction jobs. 

“Entering this phase of the U.S. CHIPS and Science Act marks a pivotal step in strengthening the semiconductor ecosystem in the United States,” said TSMC Chairman and CEO Dr. C.C. Wei. “TSMC appreciates the continual collaboration with customers, partners, local communities and the U.S. government beginning in early 2020. The signing of this agreement helps us to accelerate the development of the most advanced semiconductor manufacturing technology available in the U.S.”

For more information about TSMC Arizona’s award, please visit the CHIPS for America website.

In addition to the direct funding of up to $6.6 billion, the CHIPS Program Office will provide up to $5 billion of proposed loans – which is part of the $75 billion in loan authority provided by the CHIPS and Science Act – to TSMC Arizona under the award. As stated in the CHIPS Notice of Funding Opportunity for Commercial Fabrication Facilities, CHIPS for America will distribute direct funding to recipients for capital expenditures based on the completion of construction, production, and commercial milestones, and disburse loans to TSMC Arizona for amounts invested in capital expenditures. The program will track the performance of each CHIPS Incentives Award via financial and programmatic reports, in accordance with the award terms and conditions.

About CHIPS for America

CHIPS for America has awarded approximately $6.72 billion and allocated over $36 billion in proposed funding across 20 states and proposed to invest billions more in research and innovation, which is expected to create over 125,000 jobs. Since the beginning of the Biden-Harris Administration, semiconductor and electronics companies have announced over $450 billion in private investments, catalyzed in large part by public investment. CHIPS for America is part of President Biden and Vice President Harris’s economic plan to invest in America, stimulate private sector investment, create good-paying jobs, make more in the United States, and revitalize communities left behind. CHIPS for America includes the CHIPS Program Office, responsible for manufacturing incentives, and the CHIPS Research and Development Office, responsible for R&D programs, that both sit within the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) at the Department of Commerce. Visit https://www.chips.gov to learn more.

Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) announced more than 12,000 American workers have been trained and placed into jobs through the Good Jobs Challenge. The program, initially funded by the Biden-Harris Administration’s American Rescue Plan, is investing a historic $500 million into high-quality, locally-led workforce training programs across the country. The Good Jobs Challenge (GJC) is the first large-scale worker training program in the history of the Department of Commerce.

The Good Jobs Challenge is designed to build and strengthen workforce systems and industry-led partnerships, providing new opportunities and training for America’s workforce to develop in-demand skills that meet the needs of today’s employers and lead to good-paying jobs. The program, which is concluding its second year of implementation, initially awarded $500 million to 32 grantees to advance job training in a wide range of sectors, including agriculture and food production, energy and resilience, healthcare, manufacturing, and information technology.

“President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda is rooted in empowering Americans with the opportunities they need to secure family-sustaining jobs in the communities that raised them. The Good Jobs Challenge embodies that mission, and by hitting this milestone, we’re showing American families what these policies look like in action,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “By bringing together diverse stakeholders, including employers, labor unions, educational institutions, and community-based organizations, the Good Jobs Challenge has trained and placed more than 12,000 American workers into quality jobs in industries across the nation that will define the 21st century economy, and ensure the U.S. will continue to out-build, out-innovate, and out-compete the rest of the world.”

The Good Jobs Challenge is empowering workers in historically overlooked and left behind communities and connecting them with good-paying, family-sustaining jobs with benefits, and that nearly double workers’ previous annual earnings. Half of current participants are from communities of color, with Black workers represented at nearly twice their national average as a share of the workforce, and Native American or indigenous workers at more than five times their national average. The Good Jobs Challenge is helping workers gain a foothold in the industries of the future by dramatically boosting participation from underserved workers in industries such as technology, energy, manufacturing, and health care. The GJC program is changing the narrative in the skilled trades, with women representing 21% of building and construction program participants, compared to 11% of the overall industry workforce.

“The Good Jobs Challenge is placing thousands of workers into quality jobs, creating new opportunities for Americans,” said Acting Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Cristina Killingsworth. “In its second year of implementation, the Good Jobs Challenge is delivering strong outcomes and providing locally-led training and support to fill in-demand jobs, expand career growth for workers, and strengthen local economies across the country.”

In July 2024, EDA announced a second phase of funding for the Good Jobs Challenge to invest $25 million into workforce training programs targeted to jobs that advance industries critical to U.S. competitiveness. Building off the success of the American Rescue Plan funding, the FY2024 Good Jobs Challenge will support sectoral partnerships to develop high-quality training programs that lead directly to a good job. EDA anticipates making 5-8 awards ranging from $1 million to $8 million. Grantees are expected to be announced in winter 2024. 

# # #

About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation's regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA invests in communities and supports regional collaboration in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.

Proposed CHIPS Investment Would Help Advance U.S. Technology Leadership While Creating Over 400 New Jobs in West Oakland, California

Today, the Biden-Harris Administration announced that the Department of Commerce and Akash Systems have signed a non-binding preliminary memorandum of terms (PMT) to provide up to $18.2 million in proposed direct funding under the CHIPS and Science Act. President Biden signed the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act to usher in a new era of semiconductor manufacturing in the United States and advance U.S. economic and national security. The proposed investment would support the construction of 40,000 square foot cleanroom space within an existing building to transform it into a facility for semiconductor manufacturing. This proposed CHIPS funding, together with funding from Akash, venture capital firms, and other private investors, would support a $121 million investment and enable the company to leverage its intellectual property and experience of developing semiconductor technologies that serve important end markets, such as communications and the defense industrial base, while also creating over 400 direct manufacturing and construction jobs.

“A critical part of the success of CHIPS for America is ensuring the United States is a global leader in every part of the semiconductor supply chain,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “Through this proposed investment in Akash, we are taking a critical step forward to fulfill that mission. With the support of this proposed funding, the Biden-Harris Administration is helping to accelerate innovation, advance U.S. technology leadership in semiconductor manufacturing, and spur good-paying jobs and increased economic opportunities.” 

Through this proposed investment, the Biden-Harris Administration would help Akash construct a semiconductor manufacturing facility in West Oakland, California, to manufacture various Diamond Cooling substrates, devices, and systems at scale. Rooted in Akash’s unique expertise in integrating synthetic diamond substrates with compound semiconductor materials like Gallium Nitride, the company utilizes its Diamond Cooling technology to improve thermal performance of semiconductors that need to maintain high-performance capabilities in challenging environments. This emerging technology, pioneered by Akash, is shown to improve heat dissipation of semiconductor devices, which strengthens performance and reliability in microelectronic systems. Akash is also utilizing its diamond materials expertise to launch innovative GPU-cooling technologies to improve thermal management with AI-focused data centers.

“Today’s investment supports the build out and scale up of innovative semiconductor manufacturing technologies of the future here in America while utilizing a project labor agreement and strong labor provisions,” said National Economic Advisor Lael Brainard.

“This proposed funding is an important milestone for Akash Systems and for innovative US technology,” said Felix Ejeckam, Akash Systems co-founder and CEO. “As a U.S. company developing next-generation semiconductor technology, this validates our vision and strategy, helping us to deliver cutting-edge solutions that address thermal challenges in today’s high-performance compute and communication systems. We’re excited to drive this advancement forward for the industry and for the future of American technology.”

For the purposes of construction for this project, Akash will operate under a project labor agreement (PLA) with the Alameda Building Trades and is emphasizing targeted hiring for West Oakland residents. To support the company’s facility workforce development efforts, Akash will create good jobs with the free and fair choice to join a union and will collaborate with partners, including IUE-CWA, to recruit, train, and hire workers, through activities such as recruiting from underserved and economically disadvantaged populations, collaborating on curriculum, and developing a pre-hire training program. Additionally, the company will support its workforce development through its ongoing partnerships with Berkeley City College, Laney College, and Northeastern University Oakland Campus.

The company has indicated that it plans to claim the Department of the Treasury’s Advanced Manufacturing Investment Credit (CHIPS ITC), which is 25% of qualified capital expenditures. Click here to learn more about the tax credit.

As explained in its first Notice of Funding Opportunity, the Department of Commerce may offer applicants a PMT on a non-binding basis after satisfactory completion of the merit review of a full application. The non-binding PMT outlines key terms for a potential CHIPS incentives award, including the amount and form of the award. The proposed award amounts are subject to due diligence and negotiation of award documents and are conditional on the achievement of certain milestones. After a non-binding PMT is signed, the Department of Commerce begins a comprehensive due diligence process on the proposed projects and continues negotiating or refining certain terms with the applicant. The terms contained in any final award documents may differ from the terms of Akash’s non-binding PMT being announced today.

About CHIPS for America

CHIPS for America has allocated over $36 billion in proposed funding across 20 states and proposed to invest billions more in research and innovation, which is expected to create over 125,000 jobs. Since the beginning of the Biden-Harris Administration, semiconductor and electronics companies have announced over $400 billion in private investments, catalyzed in large part by public investment. CHIPS for America is part of President Biden and Vice President Harris’s economic plan to invest in America, stimulate private sector investment, create good-paying jobs, make more in the United States, and revitalize communities left behind. CHIPS for America includes the CHIPS Program Office, responsible for manufacturing incentives, and the CHIPS Research and Development Office, responsible for R&D programs, that both sit within the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) at the Department of Commerce. Visit https://www.chips.gov to learn more.  

From November 11-22, a delegation from the U.S. Department of Commerce led by Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Administrator Rick Spinrad, Ph.D., and International Trade Administration (ITA) Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Manufacturing Heather Evans will attend the 2024 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s 29th Conference of the Parties (COP 29) in Baku, Azerbaijan. The Commerce delegation will join senior officials from across the Biden-Harris Administration as well as leaders from more than 190 countries to advance cooperative efforts to address the climate crisis.

The Biden-Harris Administration’s historic climate agenda, investments, and commitments to reaching global net-zero emissions by 2050 position the United States as a world leader in combatting the climate crisis. Furthering these efforts, Administrator Spinrad and Deputy Assistant Secretary Evans will emphasize the important role the U.S. business community plays in developing and deploying clean technology and other climate-friendly products and solutions to help global communities reach their climate commitments, as well as showcase NOAA’s data, research, and services informing climate action decisions and policies.

This year’s COP comes in the wake of yet another record-breaking year for global temperatures and extreme weather events, including an active Atlantic hurricane season. NOAA will engage in discussions, bilateral meetings, and events focused on bolstering global climate resilience, advancing science-based adaptation and mitigation solutions, and highlighting important collaboration with domestic and international partners. More information about NOAA’s activities at COP 29 can be found here.

ITA will participate in bilateral and multilateral engagements to strengthen international cooperation, meet with U.S. and global firms, associations, and civil society organizations to discuss industry partnerships and investments, and participate in policy discussions centered on climate adaptation and resilience, including clean energy supply chains, accelerating the clean energy transition, methane abatement in the oil and gas sector, and more. More information about ITA’s objectives at COP 29 can be found here.

To learn more about the United States’ participation and objectives at COP 29, visit the U.S. Department of State’s U.S. Center website.

Proposed CHIPS Investments in New York and Pennsylvania Would Help Enhance Domestic Production Capacity of Key Components for U.S. Semiconductor Manufacturing

Today, the Biden-Harris Administration announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce signed two separate preliminary memoranda of terms (PMT) under the CHIPS and Science Act to provide Corning up to $32 million in proposed direct funding and Powerex up to $3 million in proposed direct funding. President Biden and Vice President Harris signed the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act to usher in a new era of semiconductor manufacturing in the United States, bringing with it a revitalized domestic supply chain, good-paying jobs, and investments in the industries of the future. The proposed investment in Corning would support the company’s expansion of its existing manufacturing facility in Canton, New York, and is expected to create 130 manufacturing jobs and over 175 construction jobs. The proposed investment in Powerex would support the modernization and expansion of the company’s back-end production facility in Youngwood, Pennsylvania, and is expected to create over 55 manufacturing jobs and up to 20 construction jobs.

“Because of the Biden-Harris Administration’s bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act, we are making targeted proposed investments across the semiconductor supply chain that are driving the revitalization of this industry in America,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “These proposed actions are creating quality jobs across the country while advancing U.S. technological leadership.” 

The proposed funding announced today would support the following projects:

• Corning (Canton, New York): The Biden-Harris Administration’s proposed funding of up to $32 million would enable Corning, one of the largest industrial employers in New York’s North Country region, to increase production of Corning HPFS Fused Silica (High Purity Fused Silica) (HPFS) and EXTREME ULE Glass (Ultra Low Expansion Glass) and scale a novel technology manufacturing process in Canton. HFPS and ULE materials are key components of deep ultraviolet (DUV) and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines and photomasks, which are important for the manufacturing of leading-edge semiconductors, and this new technology would improve EUV performance with a lower carbon footprint. This proposed investment in Corning would help enable a reliable domestic supply of these important components in the United States and help advance U.S. technology leadership in the lithography supply chain. The project is expected to create 130 manufacturing jobs and over 175 construction jobs. Corning partners with the United Steelworkers Local 1026, who represent Corning’s glass-making workforce at the Canton facility and will represent applicable new workers, and the Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers to recruit and retain workers, including by recently jointly establishing an apprenticeship program. Corning also invests in local workforce development efforts through partnerships with the St. Lawrence Industrial Development Agency, the St. Lawrence Workforce Development Board, Canton Central School District, and SUNY Potsdam. To support both the company’s workforce and the broader community’s childcare infrastructure, Corning plans to invest $300,000 per year for the duration of the proposed project to support the St. Lawrence County Childcare Training Program, which would help build and stabilize the child care workforce and increase child care supply for the community, making it easier for employees to find and obtain care. This proposed investment will also support and benefit the work of the Upstate New York Investing in America Workforce Hub, which will train New Yorkers for good-paying jobs up and down the semiconductor supply chain.

• Powerex (Youngwood, Pennsylvania): The Biden-Harris Administration’s proposed funding of up to $3 million would support Powerex’s total investment of $15 million to modernize and expand its production facility in Youngwood. This facility packages semiconductor power modules for important defense applications including the F-35, as well as commercial and industrial applications. The proposed funding would be expected to nearly double capacity and modernize key equipment. The project is estimated to create over 55 manufacturing jobs and up to 20 construction jobs. To support the company and local workforce, Powerex has initiated a local workforce development strategy with regional schools including universities, colleges, high schools, and veterans programs. Powerex also participates in military workforce programs, including DOD SkillBridge, Pittsburgh Hires Veterans, the Pennsylvania Talent Pipeline Project, and state workforce programs such as PA Career Link and the Workforce Investment Board.

“Corning is proud to be an industry leader of specialty glass and precision optical lenses for the semiconductor industry, and our Canton facility plays a vital role in the nation’s mission to strengthen the domestic semiconductor supply chain,” said Corning Incorporated Chairman and CEO Wendell Weeks. “This proposed investment and the continued commitment in Canton will enable us to establish the next-generation manufacturing capabilities needed to produce vital materials for lithography tools that will develop the world’s most complex microchips, strengthening our commitment to advancing semiconductor technology and job creation in the United States.”

“We’re grateful for the Department of Commerce’s proposed support through the CHIPS and Science Act, which would enable small companies like ours to invest in modern equipment and expand production. With this proposed funding, we’ll enhance our production capabilities and create new jobs, providing growth and advancement opportunities for our employees,” said Powerex CEO Joseph Wolf. “This proposed investment allows us to meet rising demand with U.S.-made products while building a stronger future for our team and community. Powerex plays an important role in supporting U.S. Department of Defense programs, with over half of our power module production dedicated to military applications. This proposed funding would help Powerex mitigate supply chain risks and address the constraints brought on by the rising demand for our power modules.”

Corning and Powerex have both indicated they plan to claim the Department of the Treasury’s Advanced Manufacturing Investment Credit (CHIPS ITC), which is 25% of qualified capital expenditures. Click here to learn more about the tax credit.

As explained in its first Notice of Funding Opportunity, the Department of Commerce may offer applicants a PMT on a non-binding basis after satisfactory completion of the merit review of a full application. The PMT outlines key terms for a potential CHIPS incentives award, including the amount and form of the award. The award amounts are subject to due diligence and negotiation of award documents and are conditional on the achievement of certain milestones. After a PMT is signed, the Department of Commerce begins a comprehensive due diligence process on the proposed projects and continues negotiating or refining certain terms with the applicant. The terms contained in any final award documents may differ from the terms of Corning and Powerex’s PMT’s being announced today.

About CHIPS for America

CHIPS for America has allocated over $36 billion in proposed funding across 20 states and proposed to invest billions more in research and innovation, which is expected to create over 125,000 jobs. Since the beginning of the Biden-Harris Administration, semiconductor and electronics companies have announced over $400 billion in private investments, catalyzed in large part by public investment. CHIPS for America is part of President Biden and Vice President Harris’s economic plan to invest in America, stimulate private sector investment, create good-paying jobs, make more in the United States, and revitalize communities left behind. CHIPS for America includes the CHIPS Program Office, responsible for manufacturing incentives, and the CHIPS Research and Development Office, responsible for R&D programs, that both sit within the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) at the Department of Commerce. Visit https://www.chips.gov to learn more.  

 

A Key Part of the NSTC, this California Facility Will Drive the Future of Semiconductor Innovation and Collaboration  

Today, the Department of Commerce and Natcast, the operator of the National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC), announced Sunnyvale, California as the expected location for the CHIPS for America Design and Collaboration Facility (DCF), an NSTC Facility. The DCF will play an important role in advancing semiconductor design research, workforce development, investment, and collaboration across the entire semiconductor value chain.  

As a key part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, CHIPS for America is driven by the growing need to bolster the U.S. semiconductor supply chain, accelerate U.S. leading-edge R&D, and create good quality jobs around the country. The expected facility will bring together NSTC members from across the ecosystem to address some of the most demanding challenges facing the microelectronics industry and the world today, including the need for a skilled workforce and access to secure, cloud-based services for NSTC members.  

“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,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “With this proposed facility, CHIPS for America is providing access to cutting-edge research, tools, and workforce opportunities to communities across the country. Thanks to President Biden and Vice President Harris’s leadership, these new facilities will help secure America’s leadership in global semiconductor technology and manufacturing for decades to come.” 

“This designation from the Biden-Harris Administration will secure Sunnyvale as a premier location for semiconductor R&D and workforce development,” said National Economic Advisor Lael Brainard. 

Set within the vibrant and diverse semiconductor design ecosystem of Silicon Valley, the Sunnyvale, California based DCF is expected to be a multi-functional facility, serving as a critical location for the operations of Natcast and the NSTC, including: 

• Conducting advanced semiconductor research in chip design, electronic design automation (EDA), chip and system architecture, and hardware security 

• Hosting programmatic activities, including the NSTC Workforce Center of Excellence, Design Enablement Gateway, and a future Investment Fund 

• Convening NSTC members and stakeholders from across the semiconductor ecosystem 

• Housing various administration functions  

"Through physical and digital assets, this proposed facility will help researchers, educators, and companies from across the country solve the most pressing challenges facing the semiconductor industry. When we bring diverse perspectives together, we’re able to unlock new opportunities for innovation,” said Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and National Institute of Standards and Technology Director Laurie E. Locascio. 

“Silicon Valley is a broad, vibrant, and dynamic semiconductor ecosystem,” said Deirdre Hanford, Natcast 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.” 

The expected facility will enable collaboration among industry leaders, academia, investors, and government partners and build on the local and national ecosystem by providing convening space, workforce best practices and initiatives developed through the NSTC Workforce Center of Excellence. It will also provide NSTC members access to valuable physical and digital assets to develop next-generation semiconductor technologies for increasingly demanding end uses, such as AI and 5G. 

Along with the CHIPS for America EUV Accelerator and the forthcoming CHIPS for America NSTC Prototyping and National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program (NAPMP) Advanced Packaging Piloting Facility, the proposed DCF will be one of the flagship R&D facilities for CHIPS for America, which are designed to benefit the NSTC community and provide critical technologies for researchers nationwide. 

The Department and Natcast expect to announce information at a later date about the process for selecting affiliated technical centers. Learn more about the CHIPS for America R&D facilities here. 

Learn more about the NSTC, membership, and how to join, at natcast.org/NSTCmembership. 

Read the NSTC Strategic Plan here.  

October 31, 2024 – Washington, D.C. – Today, the Department of Commerce and Natcast, the operator of the National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC), announced the expected location for the first CHIPS for America research and development (R&D) flagship facility. The CHIPS for America Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) Accelerator, an NSTC facility (EUV Accelerator), is expected to operate within NY CREATES’ Albany NanoTech Complex in Albany, New York, supported by a proposed federal investment of an estimated $825 million. The EUV Accelerator will focus on advancing state of the art EUV technology and the R&D that relies on it.

As a key part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, CHIPS for America is driven by the growing need to bolster the U.S. semiconductor supply chain, accelerate U.S. leading-edge R&D, and create good quality jobs around the country. This proposed facility will bring together NSTC members from across the ecosystem to accelerate semiconductor R&D and innovation by providing NSTC members access to technologies, capabilities, and critical resources.

“With this first proposed flagship facility, CHIPS for America is providing access to cutting-edge research and tools to the NSTC and its launch represents a key milestone in ensuring the United States remains a global leader in innovation and semiconductor research and development,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “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. Thanks to President Biden and Vice President Harris, we are not just producing the world’s most advanced semiconductors; we are building a resilient ecosystem that will power everything from smartphones to advanced AI, safeguarding U.S. national security and keeping America competitive for decades to come.”

"This $825 million investment from the Biden-Harris Administration will cement Albany's leadership as a world class hub for entrepreneurs, researchers, and engineers in semiconductor innovation and R&D” said National Economic Advisor Lael Brainard.

EUV Lithography is essential for manufacturing smaller, faster, and more efficient microchips. As the semiconductor industry pushes the limits of Moore’s Law, EUV lithography has emerged as a critical technology to enable the high-volume production of transistors beyond 7nm, previously unattainable. As the NSTC develops capabilities and programs, access to EUV lithography R&D is essential to meet its three primary goals 1) extend U.S. technology leadership, 2) reduce the time and cost to prototype, and 3) build and sustain a semiconductor workforce ecosystem.

“With two decades of proven experience fostering effective public-private partnerships and more than $25 billion invested in semiconductor R&D, manufacturing, and workforce development since its founding, NY CREATES is uniquely positioned to support the NSTC’s mission to provide an open environment to accelerate research, reduce time to commercialization, and grow a sustainable semiconductor ecosystem in the U.S.,” said Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and National Institute of Standards and Technology Director Laurie E. Locascio.

“The CHIPS for America EUV Accelerator underscores our commitment to developing and advancing next-generation semiconductor technologies here in the U.S.,” said Deirdre Hanford, Natcast CEO. “Through this collaboration with NY CREATES, Natcast and NSTC members will have access to essential EUV lithography tools and processes to facilitate a wider range of research and accelerate commercialization of the technologies of tomorrow.”

Natcast and NY CREATES, a non-profit advancing semiconductor R&D and workforce development that operates the Albany NanoTech Complex, expect to establish the EUV Accelerator for NSTC members to conduct next-generation semiconductor research and development activities. The EUV Accelerator, which will have initial operations available in 2025, will allow Natcast, NY CREATES, and NSTC members to work collaboratively to conduct research and development activities essential to enabling faster commercialization of innovative semiconductor technology and strengthening the U.S.’s technology leadership. Key capabilities at the EUV Accelerator are expected to include:

• Access to cutting-edge EUV lithography tools and next generation R&D capabilities, including high numerical aperture (NA) EUV systems, with standard NA EUV expected by 2025 and High NA EUV in 2026.
• Convening and spurring collaboration with industry, academic and government partners to advance technological innovation.
• Dedicated NSTC on-site offices to support Natcast and NSTC member researchers.
• Support for programs that provide, foster, and grow a talented workforce.
• Efforts to grow NSTC membership and engagement while fostering an open, collaborative R&D environment with all NSTC facilities.

The CHIPS for America NSTC Prototyping and National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program (NAPMP) Advanced Packaging Piloting Facility, and CHIPS for America Administrative and Design Facility are still forthcoming. The Department and Natcast expect to announce information in the coming months about the process for selecting affiliated technical centers.

Natcast and NY CREATES have signed a nonbinding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and expect the final contract to have an expected term of 10 years. The final contract is subject to due diligence, continued negotiations, and refinement of certain terms. The terms contained in the final contract may differ from the terms of the MOU being announced today. Learn more about the CHIPS for America R&D facilities here.

Learn more about the NSTC, membership, and how to join, at natcast.org/NSTCmembership.

Read the NSTC Strategic Plan here.