In the second announcement of its kind in as many days, Sunnyvale, California has been selected as the CHIPS for America Design and Collaboration Facility (DCF). The announcement was made today by the U.S. Department of Commerce and Natcast, the operator of the National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC). The DCF will be one of three CHIPS for America research and design (R&D) facilities and will also operate as the headquarters for the NTSC and Natcast.
The DCF is expected to drive more than $1 billion in research funding and create more than 200 direct jobs over the next 10 years. It will serve as the center for advanced semiconductor research in chip design, electronic design automation, chip and system architecture, and hardware security and will be integral to the country’s semiconductor workforce development efforts.
“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.”
The Heart Of The Silicon Valley
Set within the semiconductor design ecosystem of Silicon Valley, the Sunnyvale 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
“We are thrilled that the Department of Commerce and Natcast chose to locate this critically important facility in Sunnyvale, the heart of the Silicon Valley, alongside the world’s largest concentration of semiconductor businesses, talent, intellectual property, and investment activity,” said Dee Dee Myers, Senior Economic Advisor to Governor Newsom and Director of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz). “The Newsom Administration and our partners across the industry know how important it is to shorten the timeframe from R&D to commercialization. We are looking forward to a productive partnership with the Department of Commerce and Natcast to ensure that CHIPS for America will be an enduring success not only for our state but for the entire country.”
“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, California 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.
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“California continues to be a global leader in innovation and entrepreneurship, translating fundamental research discoveries into foundational technologies,” said Theresa Maldonado, Ph.D., P.E., Vice President for Research and Innovation at the University of California Office of the President. “The University of California is committed to working hand-in-hand with Natcast and the DCF on next generation semiconductor research and workforce development to ensure the U.S. remains a world leader in this field.”
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 other two planned facilities are the CHIPS for America EUV Accelerator planned for Albany, New York, and the forthcoming CHIPS for America NSTC Prototyping and National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program (NAPMP) Advanced Packaging Piloting Facility.
