More jobs in semiconductors coming to area, Schumer says
WASHINGTON » After working to secure provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act to boost American-based semiconductor manufacturing and R&D, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer recently announced, following a call with the CEOs of IBM and Intel, that a collaboration between the two companies for a major new investment in the domestic semiconductor industry is expected to add hundreds of new jobs to the Capital Region at IBM’s Albany Research Center and its research and industry partners in the area.
The senator revealed that as Intel expands its domestic manufacturing operations, they will conduct new semiconductor research in advanced semiconductor technology working with IBM’s Albany Semiconductor Research Facility.
“This major new collaboration between Intel and IBM’s Albany Research Center is a job-creating match made in Upstate heaven and highlights IBM’s deep history and investments in the semiconductor industry, as well as the worldrenowned talent of the nearly 1,000 strong semiconductor workforce at IBM and the broader set of industry and research partners in the Capital Region,” Schumer stated.
“The Capital Region is the perfect place to conduct semiconductor R&D and expand the country’s leadership in competitiveness in next generation chip research and manufacturing. IBM and Intel’s historic collaboration will not only help shore up our domestic production of semiconductor technology, but it also positions Upstate New York for even more semiconductor manufacturing jobs, a point I made to the Intel CEO as they consider building out their manufacturing operations. With this new partnership, our Capital Region’s powerhouse workforce is ready to lead the U.S. semiconductor industry’s cutting edge new development and Upstate New York is further positioned for more semiconductor manufacturing investment from companies like Intel,” Schumer explained.
IBM’s CEO shared on the call that this Intel collaboration with their Albany research facility will support hundreds of new jobs at IBM and across industry and research partners in the Capital Region. IBM also is planning to apply for funding from the U.S. Department of Commerce National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC) program authorized in last year’s NDAA. The NSTC is meant to be a hub for industry, academia and the broader research community, and government to come together to serve as a hub for conducting advanced semiconductor research and prototyping that strengthens the domestic semiconductor ecosystem.
The new partnership with Intel further positions IBM to compete for the NSTC. Schumer is leading a push in the Senate to fund the NSTC and the other federal semiconductor incentives authorized in the NDAA to begin to implement those programs.
“Senator Schumer has been a tireless advocate for accelerating America’s progress in advanced technologies and we are grateful for his leadership,” Arvind Krishna, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of IBM, said.
“The semiconductor technology ecosystem we have assembled in Albany is uniquely positioned to deliver rapid new breakthroughs that will catalyze the economic and societal benefits of AI, quantum computing and other technologies while transforming industries. We look forward to bidding for the NSTC, which would drive innovation at an even faster pace and double the 1,000-plus strong semiconductor innovation workforce in and around Albany,” Krishna added.
Schumer has led the effort to create a historic new federal investment in domestic semiconductor manufacturing and R&D. Last year, Schumer unveiled his bipartisan American Foundries Act to bolster U.S. leadership in semiconductor and broader microelectronics industries. He successfully added this bill as an amendment in July 2020 to the Senate’s Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
The new programs included in NDAA will increase federal support for semiconductor manufacturing by providing new federal incentives to conduct advanced research and development of semiconductor technology, including the creation of the NSTC, secure the supply chain, and ensure national and economic security by reducing reliance on foreign semiconductor manufacturing. Schumer is now pushing for Senate consideration of emergency funding to implement the NDAA semiconductor programs, an effort that may come to the Senate floor next month as part of the consideration of his bipartisan Endless Frontier Act, which invests in U.S. research and technology leadership.