The Semiconductor Research Corporation Manufacturing Consortium Corporation has won funding valued at $285 million from the U.S. Department of Commerce to construct and operate a new manufacturing facility in Durham, North Carolina.
The Commerce Department said Tuesday the investment is part of a $1 billion total funding for the establishment of the CHIPS Manufacturing USA Institute, known as the Semiconductor Manufacturing and Advanced Research with Twins USA, or SMART USA. The investment is intended to boost the semiconductor industry through collaborative research, design and development of digital twins.
Goals of CHIPS Manufacturing USA Institute
The new SMART USA institute is meant to strengthen the semiconductor industry by reinforcing the development and utilization of digital twins. Through the use of digital twins, the institute aims to optimize the design, production and testing process of semiconductor chips.
SMART USA is set to become part of a network of 17 institutes working to make U.S. manufacturing more competitive and to strengthen research and development.
SMART USA Objectives
The new institute aspires to foster partnerships between stakeholders and provide access to physical resources and novel digital capabilities needed to tackle digital twins challenges. The main goals of SMART USA are to accelerate the development and deployment of semiconductor technologies by lowering U.S. chip development and manufacturing costs by 35 percent and shortening the development cycle by 30 percent. It also aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent and train over 100,000 workers and students on digital twin technology.
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, said, “With new digital twin capabilities, America is fostering unparalleled opportunities to collaborate with experts and researchers anywhere in the world to develop the next frontier of technological advancements in the semiconductor industry.”
