$39.8M award to create a Southwestern partnership of community colleges and universities – including CU Boulder – national labs, and private sector partners
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet applauded an announcement of over $39.8 million in CHIPS and Science Act funding awarded for a Microelectronics Commons Southwest Regional Hub – a collaborative forum for regional technology leaders, including the University of Colorado Boulder, and private sector firms to accelerate and enhance research efforts in the microchip sector.
The announcement marks the first official allocation of funding to specifically grow domestic semiconductor production awarded via the CHIPS and Science Act. Earlier this year, Hickenlooper and Bennet joined Senators Mark Kelly, Martin Heinrich, Kyrsten Sinema, and Ben Ray Luján to send a letter in support of the Southwest Regional Hub proposal.
“Our CHIPS and Science Act is already bringing good-paying manufacturing jobs back to America,” said Hickenlooper. “This first award will guarantee that Colorado is at the forefront of keeping America as the world’s economic leader – go Buffs!”
“We cannot afford to lose our competitive edge in strategic technologies like semiconductors to competitors like China,” said Bennet. “I’m glad to see the University of Colorado Boulder selected alongside public and private institutions across the Southwest to help advance U.S. economic competitiveness and strengthen our national security.”
The DOD Microelectronics Commons program was created to address a critical gap in U.S. semiconductor manufacturing and innovation by establishing direct pathways for U.S.-based microelectronics researchers and designers to get their innovations to market quickly and efficiently to bolster our national security. The Southwest Hub will provide a collaborative forum for regional technology leaders, including the University of Colorado Boulder, and private sector firms of all sizes to accelerate and enhance research efforts.
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