Texas Semiconductor Summit: A Step Towards Overcoming Chip Shortage

Texas A&M University recently hosted a two-day Texas Semiconductor Summit, bringing together more than 250 industry experts, university leaders, and government officials to strategize on overcoming the ongoing semiconductor chip shortage. The event highlighted the potential for Texas to lead a manufacturing surge in the sector. 

 The summit, organized by the newly formed Texas A&M Semiconductor Institute, aimed at discussing initiatives and strategies to improve domestic manufacturing of semiconductors, which are crucial components in a wide range of devices from smartphones to defense systems. Speakers at the summit highlighted the economic and national security risks posed by supply chain disruptions and the lack of semiconductor chip manufacturing in the United States. The production of semiconductors in the U.S. has fallen to just 12% from 37% in 1990, a trend that would continue without intervention. To address this, Congress passed the U.S. CHIPS and Science Act in 2022, allocating $39 billion for facilities and equipment to increase national chip manufacturing and an additional $11 billion for research and development projects. In June, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed the Texas CHIPS Act, a nearly $1.4 billion investment to grow semiconductor manufacturing in the state. The Texas A&M University System and its partners across Texas are positioned to meet the challenges facing the industry through workforce training and investment in research and development. 

As part of the effort, the university system is revitalizing coursework and increasing the number of students in degree plans related to the semiconductor industry. Dr. David Staack, interim director of the Texas A&M Semiconductor Institute, emphasized that universities are uniquely equipped to revitalize the semiconductor ecosystem. Texas A&M, with its facilities and technology, can support semiconductor research and development and meet workforce needs with its graduates. The summit marks a significant step towards building a robust semiconductor ecosystem in Texas and the U.S. at large, aiming to overcome the current chip shortage and strengthen the domestic semiconductor industry.