New public-private consortium will ensure the U.S. maintains its semiconductor R&D leadership
WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 9, 2024) – In a move that officially establishes the National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC), Natcast CEO Deirdre Hanford joined the U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks, and the Director of the National Science Foundation Sethuraman Panchanathan today to sign an agreement to establish the consortium.
The NSTC is a public-private consortium that will convene government, industry, academia, entrepreneurs, investors, and others to advance U.S. semiconductor leadership. The centerpiece of the Commerce Department’s CHIPS R&D program, NSTC expects to invest over $5 billion of CHIPS funds in the NSTC over the decade. Video of the ceremony can be found here.
“Today represents a historic step forward for the NSTC, a once-in-a-generation opportunity to accelerate technology innovation that will benefit our nation’s national and economic security for decades to come,” said Deirdre Hanford,CEO of Natcast, the nonprofit operator of the NSTC. “Natcast is committed to standing up a new, long-lasting institution that enables research and innovation, reduces barriers to entry, and strengthens the semiconductor workforce development ecosystem–starting with building a robust community of stakeholders.”
In addition, Natcast announced today the NSTC Community of Interest. The Community of Interest is a no-cost, pre-membership program for ecosystem participants who are considering joining the NSTC. By completing a survey, participants can provide input as to the program priorities of the NSTC and will be notified as opportunities emerge in their specific domain. Natcast encourages all members of the community to use the Community of Interest survey to engage in the emerging NSTC consortium. A link to the Community of Interest survey can be found here.
Natcast is expected to launch an initial NSTC research funding opportunity open to members in the first half of 2024. The NSTC research program will be guided by members, a technical advisory board, Natcast executive leadership, the government, and other stakeholders.
Natcast is a new, purpose-built, independent, non-profit entity created to become the operator of the NSTC established and funded by the CHIPS Act. Hanford started her new position on February 1, 2024, and will focus initially on building an executive team, finalizing the relationship between Natcast and the Department of Commerce, and prioritizing early program offerings.
More on Natcast can be found at www.natcast.org, where interested parties also can sign up for a newsletter to be informed as to progress of Natcast and the NSTC, including any announcements on requests for information, requests for proposals and job postings. For more information on the CHIPS program, see www.chips.gov. Interested media should reach out to [email protected].
The views expressed in this publication are those of Natcast and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the federal government or NSTC members.