The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) and the Semiconductor Research Corp. (SRC) have released details of its report that will outline the funding priorities needed over the next decade to help strengthen U.S. semiconductor technology.
The Decadal Plan identifies five areas that will shape the future of chip technology and calls for an annual $3.4 billion in federal investment over the next decade to fund semiconductor R&D in these areas.
These specific recommendations for increased funding would be put into areas including:
- Smart sensing – Future developments of analog hardware required to generate smarter world machine interfaces for sensing, perception and reasoning.
- Memory and storage – Growth in memory demands will be needed leading to more opportunities for new memory and storage solutions.
- Communication - New research into communication will require more capacity and data generation rates.
- Security – Breakthroughs in hardware research will be needed for emerging security challenges in interconnected systems and AI.
- Energy efficiency – Energy demands for computing will be needed but offers new opportunities in semiconductors and semiconductor manufacturing.
“Federal government and private sector investments in semiconductor R&D have propelled the rapid pace of innovation in the U.S. semiconductor industry, spurring tremendous growth throughout the U.S. and global economies,” said John Neuffer, SIA president and CEO. “As we enter a new era, however, a renewed focus on public-private research partnerships is necessary to address the seismic shifts facing chip technology. The federal government must invest ambitiously in semiconductor research to keep America on top in semiconductors and the game-changing future technologies they enable.”
The SIA’s proposed additional federal investment of $3.4 billion annually would strengthen the U.S. semiconductor industry’s global position, add $161 billion to the GDP and create a half million U.S. jobs in the next 10 years.
“The future holds unlimited potential for semiconductor technology, with emerging applications such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing and advanced wireless technologies promising incalculable societal benefit,” said Dr. Todd Younkin, SRC president and CEO. “The Decadal Plan provides a blueprint for how we can convert this potential into a reality. Working together, we can boost semiconductor technology to keep it strong, competitive, and at the tip of the spear of innovation.”
