Microelectronics underpin a myriad of technologies from household appliances to some of the most advanced military weapons systems. As the United States ramps up its investment in domestic semiconductor chip manufacturing, public sector leaders anticipate major advancements.
“Developing a robust domestic supply chain of microelectronics in the two to three nanometer feature size is going to be key both to our commercial advantage as well as our national security advantage going forward. And the CHIPS Act was approved to do just that,” said Dr. Aaron Weiner, director of Advanced Systems and Technology at the National Reconnaissance Office, during an exclusive video interview with Executive Mosaic.
The CHIPS Act, which passed in August 2022, provides $52.7 billion in new funding for American semiconductor research, development, manufacturing and workforce development. Today, officials are working to harness the investment boost at the speed of innovation in order to unlock new capabilities needed in today’s competitive global environment.
“Right now we’re really partnering across government to find out how we can quickly achieve those ends,” Dr. Weiner added. “These devices, from an NRO perspective will greatly increase the smarts of our satellites and allow them to do more value-added activities on orbit.”
Hear Dr. Weiner speak about the future impact artificial intelligence will have on NRO missions and how the agency is working to bridge the valley of death in tech — watch the full video interview here.
