WESF plays a role in promoting standardization and eliminating global trade barriers.
Expanding on its efforts to support advancements in semiconductor technology and manufacturing, the U.S. Department of Commerce (DoC) announced this month that CHIPS for America has awarded the Semiconductor Research Corporation Manufacturing Consortium Corporation (SRC) $285 million to establish and operate a CHIPS Manufacturing USA institute located in North Carolina.
The Semiconductor Manufacturing and Advanced Research with Twins USA (SMART USA) will focus on efforts to “more rapidly develop, validate, and use digital twins to improve domestic semiconductor design, manufacturing, advanced packaging, assembly, and test processes,” according to the DoC’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). SMART USA will convene stakeholders across the semiconductor design, manufacturing, advanced packaging, assembly, and test industries.
Among its key goals, the institute will seek to address shared challenges relevant to digital twins in a collaborative environment, reduce chip development and manufacturing costs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and train and educate more than 110,000 workers in digital twin technology.
“Digital twin technology opens the door for unparalleled opportunities for manufacturers to collaborate with researchers to develop and produce the next frontier of technological advancements in the semiconductor industry,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “Thanks to this CHIPS investment, SMART USA will bolster collaboration within the semiconductor ecosystem while expanding training opportunities for the industry’s growing workforce.”
Federal efforts are an outcome of The CHIPS and Science Act, enacted in 2022 and implemented by CHIPS for America, which seeks to improve America's semiconductor capacity; promote domestic research and development; create regional tech hubs; and support a highly skilled and inclusive STEM workforce.
In related news, CHIPS for America recently released its end of year report and by the numbers infographic highlighting the program’s achievements over the last year.