Programs

Semiconductors, or chips, are tiny electronic devices that are integral to America’s economic and national security. These devices power tools as simple as a light switch and as complex as a fighter jet or a smartphone. Semiconductors power our consumer electronics, automobiles, data centers, critical infrastructure, and virtually all military systems. They are also essential building blocks of the technologies that will shape our future, including artificial intelligence, and biotechnology.

While the United States remains a global leader in semiconductor design and research and development, it has fallen behind in manufacturing and now accounts for only about 10 percent of global commercial production. Today, none of the most advanced logic and memory chips—the chips that power PCs, smartphones, and supercomputers—are manufactured at commercial scale in the United States. In addition, many elements of the semiconductor supply chain are geographically concentrated, leaving them vulnerable to disruption and endangering the global economy and U.S. national security.

The CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 provides the Department of Commerce with $50 billion for a suite of programs to strengthen and revitalize the U.S. position in semiconductor research, development, and manufacturing — while also investing in American workers.

NextFlex, a Manufacturing USA Institute, together with its members, recognizes that the Hybrid Electronics technology base presents critically important opportunities for U.S. manufacturing. NextFlex is addressing the need for a strong U.S. manufacturing base through these three key areas: Expanding the electronics manufacturing ecosystem, providing access to a technology hub for pilot-scale Manufacturing, and building the workforce of tomorrow.