“Fueled by unprecedented collaboration between academia, investors, government, and others, the NSTC will be the anchor institution where we shape the future of semiconductor innovation and secure America’s leadership in semiconductor technology.”
Secretary Gina Raimondo
“This is truly a whole-of-nation effort.”
Under Secretary Laurie Locascio
October 28, 2024 | Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington, D.C.
The 2024 National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC) Symposium gathered leaders and innovators from industry, academia, and government in Washington, D.C., for a full-day forum focused on the future of semiconductor technology and the strategic partnerships essential to securing U.S. leadership in this critical industry. Hosted by Natcast, and in collaboration with the ME Commons Annual Meeting, the NSTC Symposium highlighted pressing themes in semiconductor research, innovation, workforce development, and government collaboration—all crucial components of America’s technology future. The Symposium welcomed more than 850 in-person attendees and 450 virtual attendees.
“The NSTC represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the U.S. to accelerate the pace of innovation in the technologies of tomorrow.”
Deirdre Hanford, Natcast
A Bold Vision
Susan Feindt, SVP of Ecosystem Development at Natcast, kicked off the Symposium and served as emcee for the day, which commenced with powerful recorded remarks from U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. The Secretary underscored the historic nature of the CHIPS and Science Act and its role in catalyzing a unified approach to U.S. semiconductor leadership. Dr. Laurie Locascio, Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), echoed the Secretary’s sentiments, emphasizing a bold vision for the U.S. as a leader in semiconductor research and development, and energized the crowd by unveiling the names of more than 50 organizations and companies that will be joining the NSTC as its first members. Natcast CEO Deirdre Hanford rounded out the introductory session by providing an in-depth overview of the NSTC, highlighting successes to-date as well as its strategic goals to drive continued success.
“It takes curriculum development, it takes teacher training, it takes structural materials, it takes experiential hands-on opportunities, not just to get that spark of excitement, but to have that critical skillset that is needed in the workforce.”
Susan Marguiles, National Science Foundation
Uniting Government Efforts to Ensure Semiconductor Leadership
After providing an overview of the NSTC and its mission, Hanford moderated an insightful panel of federal leaders tasked with navigating the collaboration essential for realizing the goals of the historic CHIPS and Science Act. Leaders from the Department of Defense, Department of Commerce, Department of Energy, and the National Science Foundation shared insights into their coordinated efforts to support the semiconductor sector, fostering cross-agency partnerships that will streamline resources and multiply impact. This session underscored the collective responsibility to optimize investments and bolster national security, technological resilience, and economic growth.
“The role of Natcast and the NSTC is collaboration across an ecosystem that fuels our patents, progress, and supply chain. We can’t think of ourselves as a silo, as we’d fail. Semiconductors have never been more important to our country. The NSTC is being stood up at exactly the right time.”
Mark Papermaster, AMD
Collaborative Innovation: Semiconductor Role in Solving Global Challenges
In a powerful keynote, AMD CTO Mark Papermaster highlighted the broader role of semiconductors in addressing some of the world’s most pressing challenges across healthcare, telecommunications, finance and more. Papermaster’s message resonated with the crowd: innovation in the semiconductor field has implications far beyond technology leadership – it’s an investment in solutions for a sustainable and secure future.
“It’s essential that we have an all-hands-on-deck approach where academia, industry, and government come together driving innovation and maintaining our competitive edge.”
Robert Chau, Natcast
The NSTC Research and Development Strategy
Robert Chau, SVP of Research at Natcast, outlined the NSTC’s ambitious R&D strategy. He highlighted the NSTC’s commitment to addressing the most complex R&D challenges facing the semiconductor industry by fostering an ecosystem that champions member-driven research while providing access to leading-edge facilities and expertise. Chau emphasized the need for a collaborative approach to advancing semiconductor innovation, bridging industry and academia to accelerate technological breakthroughs.
“If you compare with many other industries, what happens in the semiconductor industry is actually a revolution.”
Sayeef Salahuddin, UC Berkeley
The Semiconductor R&D Landscape: Needs and Opportunities
The panel on the semiconductor R&D landscape, moderated by Bill Chappell of Microsoft, brought together experts across semiconductor domains to discuss the technology’s most promising opportunities and urgent challenges. Panelists from Meta, Beacon Photonics, UC Berkeley, and MKW Ventures offered a dynamic discussion on how advancements in logic, memory, interconnects, and system architecture could direct future investments and shape the industry’s evolution.
“Our strengths across fundamental research and industrial innovation are unparalleled in this country.”
Naveen Verma, Princeton University
Bridging Fundamental Research to Industrial Innovation: America’s Unique Advantage
Naveen Verma, Director of Princeton’s Keller Center for Innovation in Engineering Education, offered an inspiring perspective on America’s capacity to innovate by connecting foundational research with industrial applications. He argued that while the U.S. has made significant strides in foundational research, the potential for synergy with industry remains underexplored. Sharing insights from his work on in-memory computing—a groundbreaking technology in AI—Verma illustrated how academia and industry can interlock to build a more cohesive innovation ecosystem and help the U.S. achieve sustained technological leadership.
“It’s exciting to see that three different fields of technology and science are converging to make [personalized medicine] a reality.”
Ahmad Bahai, Texas Instruments
Shaping the Future of Health Sciences through Innovations in Semiconductor and Edge AI
Moderated by Ahmad Bahai, CTO of Texas Instruments, the second panel of the day addressed the intersection of semiconductor technology and health sciences. Leaders from Medtronic, MIT, Stanford, and Analog Devices shared advancements in edge AI that could transform healthcare, from diagnostics to personalized treatments. The session underscored the potential for semiconductor innovation to drive significant progress in medical technology and enhance personalized patient care.
“Today, almost every vehicle being built has a semi automotive chip in it that is actually talking to the cloud.”
Vidya Rajagopalan, Rivian
Semiconductors and the Automotive Revolution
A thought-provoking keynote led by Vidya Rajagopalan, Senior VP at Rivian, examined how semiconductors are reshaping the automotive industry. From advancements in autonomous driving to electric vehicle infrastructure, Rajagopalan detailed how semiconductors play a pivotal role in the industry’s ongoing transformation, with impacts across sustainability, safety, and innovation.
“We need to increase the access to talent by employers in this industry and we need to increase the access to opportunity for people who want to work in this industry.”
John Ratliff, NSTC Workforce Center of Excellence
State of the U.S. Semiconductor Workforce
A fireside chat between Hanford and John Ratliff, Executive Director of the NSTC Workforce Center of Excellence, led into an inspiring panel on the state of the U.S. semiconductor workforce. Workforce development experts from the Department of Commerce, Shan Strategies, UCLA, and Apple discussed efforts to address talent shortages, boost training, and develop strategies that align workforce development with industry needs. Given the workforce demands tied to national security and competitiveness, panelists stressed the urgency of building a skilled pipeline capable of supporting the industry’s growth, in which the NSTC Workforce Center of Excellence will play a critical role.
A Look Ahead
Concluding the Symposium, a pitch competition provided an inspiring look at five up-and-coming semiconductor startups. Leaders from Bolt SEMI, Crystal Sonic, Inc., Granite Mountain Technologies, InchFab, and Polar Electro-Optics showcased the future of innovation in the industry – from enabling the next generation of semiconductor manufacturing by harnessing the power of sound to empowering integrated photonics for communications and computation. With a live vote from Symposium attendees, a panel of expert judges awarded Crystal Sonic, Inc. with the grand prize and all participants membership to the NSTC.
Closing Thoughts
The NSTC Symposium underscored the shared mission of government, academia, and industry to propel the U.S. semiconductor sector forward. Through strategic collaboration, commitment to innovation, and a focus on workforce development, the NSTC is poised to become an ecosystem where technology, talent, and resources converge to secure America’s continued leadership in the technologies of tomorrow.
View the NSTC video which premiered at the Symposium:
View NSTC Symposium and ME Commons Annual Meeting video streams (morning and afternoon sessions)