ASIC is a group of companies, universities and nonprofits united to advocate for an effective, efficient innovation hub of the National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC) and National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program (NAPMP) that are funded through the recently-passed CHIPS and Science Act. New members of ASIC include NVIDIA, DuPont and GlobalFoundries, which join Analog Devices, IBM, Microsoft, Micron, MIT, Synopsys and others to advance U.S. semiconductor R&D leadership and improve the pathway from research to manufacturing.
The bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act is designed to strengthen U.S. semiconductor leadership, including through funding research. The law provides $11 billion for the U.S. Department of Commerce to invest in semiconductor research and development, including establishing the NSTC and NAPMP to deliver the latest groundbreaking chip R&D. If selected by the Department of Commerce, ASIC would rapidly open a fully-operational hub for the technology network and establish university and company-led "Centers of Excellence" to support the hub's operations.
ASIC has the ability to stand up an NSTC innovation hub in as little as six months, and implement programs across the country that support U.S. workforce development and small business growth. Its key capabilities include:
- An ambitious technical agenda: The 200+ members of the ASIC Technical Team have a broad range of expertise, ranging from advanced packaging to memory to design. The team is proposing an open ecosystem to address the chip industry's most pressing challenges all aspects of semiconductor design.
- Leadership in workforce development and skills: ASIC members include nearly 30 leading colleges and universities, including MIT, Purdue University, the State University of New York (SUNY), including SUNY Polytechnic Institute, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The ASIC Workforce Development Committee convenes these and other members to apply expertise on key themes such as semiconductor career awareness, skills gaps for R&D and manufacturing in new employees, and priorities for national-level workforce development resources.
- Resources for startups and small businesses: ASIC is applying lessons learned from its members' accelerators and incubators to support small businesses in the semiconductor industry. ASIC would create an Investment Office within an NSTC to fund startups' innovations.
- Existing state-of-the-art infrastructure: ASIC will have use of the Albany NanoTech Complex, a product of $15 billion in public and private investment, including from ASIC members. Albany NanoTech now hosts more than 2,700 industry experts, staff, students and faculty who have leveraged the center to produce semiconductor innovations such as the world's first two nanometer node chip, announced by ASIC member IBM in 2021.
"An advanced research initiative like the NSTC requires a technology network led by industry in close collaboration with government and academia, and it must have proven chip innovation results, expansive partnerships and state-of-the-art facilities. That's exactly what ASIC brings to the table," said Dr. Douglas Grose, spokesperson for ASIC.
"Analog Devices is pleased to be engaged in the American Semiconductor Innovation Coalition to accelerate innovation and manufacturing strength in the next generation of semiconductor technologies. This collaboration, with key players across leading technology ecosystems, will be crucial to achieving the objectives from the NSTC and NAPMP of strengthening economic competitiveness and security of the domestic supply chain as well as bolstering the talent pipeline," said Rebecca Diaz, Vice President of Government Affairs at Analog Devices.
"The CHIPS and Science Act will have a profound impact on the U.S. semiconductor industry," said Gregg Bartlett, Chief Technology Officer at GlobalFoundries. "GF is proud to be a member of the ASIC coalition to establish the NSTC, and to drive innovations in chip manufacturing and throughout the domestic semiconductor ecosystem. Our participation in the NSTC brings focus to innovation in pervasive, feature-rich chips for automotive, wireless communications, defense, and other markets essential to the economy, supply chains and national security."
"The historic passage of the CHIPS and Science Act demonstrates the United States' commitment to not only investing in domestic chip manufacturing, but also the science and technology research needed to deliver groundbreaking chip R&D," said Mukesh Khare, VP, Hybrid Cloud at IBM Research. "Now, ASIC members are ready to meet this moment with expertise to drive the innovation necessary to stand up a National Semiconductor Technology Center hub in as little as six months and support a diverse and equitable semiconductor workforce."
"The CHIPS and Science Act outlines a bold vision for the NSTC to accelerate semiconductor research and development while reinvigorating our industry's workforce," said Scott DeBoer, executive vice president of technology and products at Micron. "Memory will play a critical role in the innovation of leading-edge technology and building U.S. leadership in the semiconductor industry will further enhance American economic competitiveness and national security. As the only U.S.-based manufacturer of memory, we look forward to working with the Department of Commerce, industry peers and academia to make the NSTC vision a reality."
"The passage of the CHIPS and Science Act in Congress marks significant progress towards ensuring that the tech industry can continue to innovate towards helping organizations and individuals achieve more – which includes an innovative semiconductor industry and ensuring a resilient semiconductor supply chain," said Rani Borkar, Corporate Vice President, Cloud Hardware Systems and Infrastructure at Microsoft. "As part of the American Semiconductor Innovation Coalition, we look forward to collaborating with partners across the industry ecosystem to take the next step in semiconductor research and development."
"The passing of this legislation and its potential impact on technology and science is monumental." said Anantha P. Chandrakasan, Dean of the MIT School of Engineering. "It's thrilling to join hands in a coalition that aims to explore pathways to drive transformative research, unlock emerging technologies, train the workforce and coalesce industry and education to pursue new growth and potential across sectors."
"NVIDIA is eager to work with the American Semiconductor Innovation Coalition and its members to help advance chip research and development," said Joe Greco, Senior Vice President of Engineering at NVIDIA.
"EDA and IP enablement is fundamental to semiconductor research, design and manufacturing and is a key strength of the U.S.," said Deirdre Hanford, chief security officer at Synopsys. "We are collaborating closely with other leading organizations as part of the American Semiconductor Innovation Coalition steering committee to ensure that the CHIPS and Science Act investments accelerate the pace of semiconductor innovation, domestic manufacturing and high-tech workforce development."
ASIC is defining and executing a research and development agenda focused on impact to facilitate successful and consistent "lab-to-fab" transfers and ensure the network is sustainable for long-term contributions to U.S. semiconductor leadership. The coalition is primed to stand up the NSTC and NAPMP quickly due to pre-existing infrastructure and relationships across the industry that would collectively serve as the foundation for these critical projects.
