The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) today convened a productive roundtable discussion between Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) — one of the senators tasked with negotiating the U.S. jobs and competitiveness package — and more than a dozen senior executives from SIA member companies. Participants discussed ongoing conference negotiations on competitiveness legislation (USICA/COMPETES) and the importance of enacting CHIPS Act funding and a FABS Act investment tax credit for semiconductor manufacturing and design as part of the final bill. Sen. Warner is a Senate sponsor of the CHIPS Act and the FABS Act. Participants also discussed the ongoing global chip shortage, STEM workforce development, and other issues related to strengthening U.S.-based chip research, design, and manufacturing.
“Semiconductors underpin America’s economy, national security, and leadership in the technologies that will determine our future, including autonomous vehicles, supercomputing, virtual and augmented reality, IoT devices, and more,” said Sen. Warner. “To sharpen America’s edge in semiconductor technology, we need to enact final innovation and competitiveness legislation that incentivizes domestic chip manufacturing, invests in U.S. chip research, and promotes greater semiconductor design investments in the U.S.”
“For America to continue to set the global standard economically, militarily, and technologically, we must strengthen U.S. leadership in semiconductors,” said SIA president and CEO John Neuffer. “We greatly appreciate the strong leadership of Sen. Warner – and the bipartisan group of other champions in Congress – in advancing legislation to fortify U.S.-based chip research, design, and manufacturing. Today’s discussion is an example of the type of government-industry collaboration needed to ensure America stays on top in chip technology for decades to come.”