Today, the Northeast Microelectronics Coalition (NEMC) Hub announced that it has been awarded up to $37.25 million through the federal CHIPS and Science Act-funded Microelectronics Commons program, unlocking the next two years of operational funds for the NEMC Hub to continue building a thriving semiconductor ecosystem in the Northeast region. The U.S. Department of Defense announced a portion of this funding as part of a $160 million additional investment in the Microelectronics Commons program.
The funding will enable the NEMC Hub to expand its member base and support existing programs to accelerate innovation by offsetting development and manufacturing costs. With the funding, the NEMC Hub has received over $100 million in Microelectronics Commons funding awards.
“Massachusetts has demonstrated that we have the resources, talent and drive to take on this challenge and lead the country in semiconductor innovation,” said Governor Maura Healey. “We’re proud that the Hub was able to secure these funds to advance semiconductor manufacturing, support companies and invest in the workforce, and we’re grateful for the Biden-Harris Administration’s continued investment in our regional economy.”
“Innovation is a key strength of our state and the surrounding region, and it’s powered by the talent that we attract from across the world,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “NEMC has partnered with stakeholders across the semiconductor ecosystem including academia, private industry and government to form a cohesive team to advance the sector.”
In the first year of the Microelectronics Commons program, the NEMC Hub led several successful efforts to help grow the microelectronics workforce, enable collaboration across members, and support innovation across the sector. These include:
- Increasing its membership to more than 200 organizations across the Northeast region, comprised of startups, commercial and defense businesses, academic institutions, and government organizations.
- Dedicating $2.5 million through the Powering Regional Opportunities for Prototyping Microelectronics (PROPEL) initiative. The PROPEL initiative consists of two programs:
- The PROPEL Operations program offsets operational expenses for companies so they can dedicate resources towards innovation.
- The PROPEL Manufacturing program subsidizes the cost of lab and fab resources within the NEMC Hub network to advance microelectronics technologies.
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Receiving $37.7 million in federal dollars through the Microelectronics Commons Call for Projects. The NEMC Hub received more awards than any of the eight Microelectronics Commons Hubs. The funds will support microelectronics projects in five of the six critical technology execution areas including 5G/6G technology, artificial intelligence hardware, quantum technology, electromagnetic warfare, and commercial leap ahead.
“We are expanding the semiconductor economy across the region by working alongside experts, policymakers and innovators to build on our success,” said Economic Development Secretary Yvonne Hao. “The Hub is partnering with public and private entities across the region to scale these efforts and advance the critical work needed to make new breakthroughs in this sector.”
“The momentum of the first year of the Microelectronics Commons program continues with this announcement and is a win for Massachusetts, the Northeast and the U.S. overall,” said Federal Funds and Infrastructure Director Quentin Palfrey. “We thank the Biden-Harris administration, the Department of Defense, NSWC Crane Division and NSTXL for investing these CHIPS dollars where they will have a major impact on our national and economic security.”
“Securing the commitment of a two-year funding award from the Department of Defense will enable a deeper focus on leveraging the regional position that the NEMC Hub has established,” said Massachusetts Technology Collaborative Deputy Director and Chief Investment Strategist Ben Linville-Engler. “There is power in proximity, and with a concentration of members in eight Northeast states, we are looking to deepen our strategic collaborations to strengthen the NEMC Hub’s capabilities.”
“NEMC has rapidly become a central point for curated collaboration in the region,” said NEMC Hub Director Mark Halfman. “This funding will enable us to build on our early successes and continue to scale microelectronics lab-to-fab development capabilities throughout the Northeast.”
With the new round of funding, the NEMC Hub will double down on its workforce development efforts, expand its PROPEL programming, make strategic equipment investments in the Northeast region, and continue building out value-add services for its members.