Washington, D.C. — Colorado U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper welcomed $39.8 million from the U.S. Department of Defense for a Microelectronics Commons Southwest Regional Hub – a collaborative forum for regional technology leaders, including the University of Colorado Boulder and private sector firms, to accelerate cutting-edge semiconductor research and development. This award, which will support domestic semiconductor growth, is funded through the CHIPS and Science Act.
“We cannot afford to lose our competitive edge in strategic technologies like semiconductors to competitors like China,” said Bennet. “I’m glad to see the University of Colorado Boulder selected alongside public and private institutions across the Southwest to help advance U.S. economic competitiveness and strengthen our national security.”
“Our CHIPS and Science Act is already bringing good-paying manufacturing jobs back to America,” said Hickenlooper. “This first award will guarantee that Colorado is at the forefront of keeping America as the world’s economic leader – go Buffs!”
The U.S. Department of Defense created the Microelectronics Commons program to address a critical gap in U.S. semiconductor manufacturing and innovation by strengthening pathways for U.S.-based microelectronics researchers and designers to get their innovations to market more efficiently. Earlier this year, Bennet and Hickenlooper joined U.S. Senators Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) in a letter in support of this proposal.