New year, new direct funding from the Department of Commerce’s CHIPS and Science Act with HP Inc. and Macom receiving preliminary direct funding.
Macom Technology Solutions Inc. received the largest amount of the latest direct funding with up to $70 million from the CHIPS Act to support the expansion and modernization of its Lowell, Massachusetts, and Durham, North Carolina, facilities.
The funding will help to create 350 manufacturing jobs and nearly 60 constructions jobs in both states.
HP
HP is in line to receive up to $53 million in direct funding from the CHIPS Act to support the expansion and modernization of its Corvallis, Oregon, facility. This lab-to-fab ecosystem includes R&D activities as well as commercial manufacturing operations.
The funding will support the manufacturing of silicon devices used in life sciences lab equipment such as:
- Drug discovery
- Single-cell research
- Cell line development
The funding will support up to 150 construction jobs and more than 100 manufacturing jobs.
Tech hubs
The DOC’s Economic Development Administration has awarded about $210 million in grants to six tech hubs.
Initially, 31 tech hubs were approved in October of 2023 through the DOC after the program was originally announced in June of 2023. These hubs are designed to create jobs, increase R&D and manufacturing, and commercialize and deploy technology.
The hubs will be deployed across 32 states and Puerto Rico in both urban and rural regions.
The additional $210 million in grants was given to:
- The American Aerospace Materials Manufacturing Tech Hub in Washington and Idaho ($48 million)
- The Birmingham Biotechnology Hub in Alabama ($44 million)
- The Corvallis Microfluidics Tech Hub in Oregon ($45 million)
- The Critical Minerals and Materials for Advanced Energy (CM2AE) Tech Hub in Missouri ($29 million)
- The Forest Bioproducts Advanced Manufacturing Tech Hub in Maine ($22 million)
- The Vermont Gallium Nitride Tech Hub in Vermont ($23 million)
Additionally, the EDA plans to partner with the U.S. National Science Foundation to extend tailored resources and support to the tech hubs.
Sivers Semiconductors
Through the Northeast Microelectronics Coalition Hub (NMCH), Sivers Semiconductors has signed a contract for electronic warfare and 5G/6G chip development to the tune of $11.6 million.
The funding will be provided through the Microelectronics Commons program. Sivers will work with BAE Systems, Raytheon and Ericsson on commercializing RF and beamforming technology for defense and dual-use applications.