U.S. Department of Commerce

This week, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo convened the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board (TTAB) for the final meeting of its current two-year term to reaffirm the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to strengthening our nation’s global competitiveness in the U.S. travel and tourism industry. The industry is vital to the American economy, supporting 10 million jobs and creating $2.3 trillion in economic activity. During the meeting, Secretary Raimondo, Assistant Secretary for Industry and Analysis Grant T. Harris, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Travel and Tourism Alex Lasry, and TTAB members discussed issues related to workforce development, sustainability, and strategies to enhance the United States’ global competitiveness as a top travel destination.

In 2022, the Department of Commerce launched the National Travel and Tourism Strategy to provide a roadmap to help the industry rebound. The Strategy focuses on initiatives designed to drive economic growth and job creation in communities across the country. During the meeting and throughout their term, TTAB members provided recommendations on actions that could support the industry and foster greater economic growth for the nation.

The TTAB is the private sector advisory body to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce on matters relating to the travel and tourism industry in the United States. Members serve at the pleasure of the Secretary, typically for a two-year term. Commerce is currently accepting applications for the next term of the TTAB, through Friday, November 1. Visit the TTAB webpage to learn more and how to apply at trade.gov.

Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Secretary Raimondo is in Italy for the G7 Ministerial Meeting on Industry and Technological Innovation in Rome. During the meeting, Secretary Raimondo expressed appreciation for Italy’s strong leadership during their G7 host year. The two discussed ongoing efforts through the G7 to promote a more resilient global semiconductor ecosystem and to strengthen US-Italy commercial and investment ties. 

ROME, Italy – Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo met with United Kingdom Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology Peter Kyle on the margins of the G7 Ministerial Meeting on Industry and Technological Innovation. The two discussed the Department of Commerce’s and UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s ongoing collaboration on AI safety, continued cooperation on Open RAN and semiconductors, and other related topics. They also discussed deepening cooperation based on mutual interests in bolstering children’s safety online, including encouraging safer product design and promoting increased platform transparency. Secretary Raimondo and Secretary Kyle released the U.S.-UK Joint Statement on Child Online Safety, which highlights increased cooperation and improves information sharing between the two countries on children’s safety on the internet.

The following joint statement was released by the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the United Kingdom on the sidelines of the G7 Ministerial on Industry, Technology, and Digital, as part of the U.S.-UK Comprehensive Dialogue on Technology & Data.

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The United Kingdom and United States share fundamental values and a commitment to democracy and human rights, including privacy and freedom of expression. Both the United Kingdom and United States, alongside our international partners, are taking steps to support children’s online safety.

To make the Internet safer for children, we should aim to ensure all users have the skills and resources they need to make safe and informed choices online, and advance stronger protections for children. The United States and United Kingdom intend to work with our national institutions and organizations to support these goals and shared values. To help further these aims, both countries plan to establish a joint children’s online safety working group to advance the aims and principles of this statement.

There are parallels between the child online safety landscape in the United States and United Kingdom. Smartphone ownership is nearly universal amongst teenagers in both countries.1,2,3  Children in the United States and the United Kingdom actively engage with social media platforms daily; upwards of six in ten 13 to 17-year-olds in the United States and United Kingdom report using TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram,4 whilst nearly nine in ten report using YouTube.5,6 In both countries, children report accessing social media at an early age. Nearly 40 percent of 8 to 12-year-olds in the United States7 and 63 percent of 8 to 11-year-olds in the United Kingdom report using social media.8

We recognize the significant educational and social benefits technology can provide children and seek to ensure that they can flourish, online and offline. To ensure these benefits can be maximized, online platforms, including social media companies, have a moral responsibility to respect human rights and put in place additional protections for children’s safety and privacy. Age-appropriate safeguards, including protections from content and interactions that harm children’s health and safety, are vital to achieve this goal. This includes measures to address and prevent sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment, cyberbullying, content that is abusive (including technology-facilitated gender-based violence), and content that encourages or promotes suicide, self-harm, and eating disorders.

The UK Government is committed to the online safety of children. The Online Safety Act places clear duties on online platforms to protect children’s safety and put in place measures to mitigate risks. For example, platforms must use ‘highly effective’ privacy preserving age assurance technologies to prevent children from encountering the most harmful content, including pornography (including violent pornography) and content which encourages or promotes suicide. Platforms also need to proactively tackle the most harmful illegal content and activity, including child sexual exploitation and abuse and content which disproportionately affects women and girls, such as harassment, intimate image abuse, and controlling or coercive behavior. Companies can elect to voluntarily extend these protections to children living across the world to increase the health, safety, and privacy of children.

The U.S. government has taken bold action to advance children’s online health, safety, and privacy. In 2023, the United States Surgeon General issued a new advisory about the effects social media use has on youth mental health. Building on this advisory, the U.S. government launched the Kids Online Health and Safety Task Force to advance the health, safety, and privacy of children online, including preventing and mitigating the adverse health effects that children can experience through the use of online platforms. The Task Force released a report which includes guidance and recommendations for industry, parents and caregivers, researchers, and policymakers on how to promote and enhance youth online health, safety, and privacy.9 Further, the U.S. government has made addressing image-based sexual abuse a core focus of its AI policy, with several actions to promote the safeguarding of AI systems from generating child sexual abuse material included in the Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of AI, and issuing a call to action inviting industry to make voluntary commitments to reduce the generation, dissemination, and monetization of image-based sexual abuse. 

We should continue to advocate for increased transparency from online platforms, including clear and accessible terms of service and reporting on online safety practices, to assist governments, regulators, independent researchers, and the public to develop a better understanding of the technologies that are shaping children’s lives. Further independent, public interest research is needed to evaluate the impact of excessive social media and smartphone use on children’s development and enable researchers and policymakers to work towards a robust framework to assess the risks to children at different stages of their childhood and adolescence. To support such research, we should consider work to increase privacy-preserving access to online platform data for independent researchers. These risks and challenges associated with the digital environment are constantly evolving alongside new and emerging technologies, including generative AI. We should seek to ensure that research on the impacts of these new technologies keeps pace with their development.

Both countries acknowledge that risk-based and safety-, privacy-, and inclusivity-by-design approaches throughout design, development, and deployment are fundamental to children’s safety and wellbeing online, alongside increased transparency and accountability from online platforms. We consider that measures, as appropriate, such as preventing the promotion of harmful content, better reporting on content moderation, strong default privacy settings, and limits on targeted advertising, play an important role in protecting children from excessive data collection and harmful content and interactions, while delivering age-appropriate experiences. We also believe it is imperative that such measures are implemented in a manner that respects human rights, including privacy and freedom of expression. The United Kingdom and United States continue to work together to protect children online through multilateral forums such as the OECD.

We encourage online platforms to go further and faster in their efforts to protect children by taking immediate action and continually using the resources available to them to develop innovative solutions, while ensuring there are appropriate safeguards for user privacy and freedom of expression.

Children’s online safety is an issue of global importance. We also plan to work with our international partners to develop and promote common solutions, shared principles, and global standards that prioritize children’s wellbeing and champion a free, open, and secure Internet.
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Citations

1 - Pew Research, Teens, Social Media and Technology. 2023 Statistic: 95% of US teenagers own their own smartphone (based on a survey of 1,453 teenagers).

2 - The latest NTIA Internet Use Survey of U.S. household estimates that 83 percent of 15-24-year-olds use smart phones https://www.ntia.gov/data/explorer#sel=mobilePhoneUser&demo=age&pc=prop&disp=chart

3 - Ofcom, Children and parents: media use and attitudes report 2024 – interactive data. 2024 Statistic: 96% of UK teenagers own their own smartphone

4 - Ofcom, Children and parents: media use and attitudes report 2024 – interactive data. 2024 Statistic: In the UK, TikTok (66 percent), Snapchat (63 percent), and Instagram (58 percent) are popular among 12-17-year-olds

5 - Pew Research, Teens, Social Media and Technology. 2023

6 - Parents' and children's online behaviors and attitudes survey 2023. 30th October to 27th November 2023. Statistic: 88 percent of UK children use YouTube (this includes YouTube Kids)

7 - The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory, Social Media and Youth Mental Health. 2023

8 - Ofcom: Parents' and Children's Online Behaviours and Attitudes Survey 2023. 30th October To 27th November 2023. Table

9 - Online Health and Safety for Children and Youth: Best Practices for Families and Guidance for Industry (July 22, 2024), https://www.ntia.gov/category/kids-online-health-and-safety/online-health-and-safety-for-children-and-youth

Proposed CHIPS Investment Could Provide Pumps to Nearly All Fabs Built in the United States Through the End of the Decade

Today, the Biden-Harris Administration announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce and Edwards Vacuum have signed a non-binding preliminary memorandum of terms (PMT) to provide up to $18 million in proposed direct funding under the CHIPS and Science Act. President Biden signed the CHIPS and Science Act, a key component of his Investing in America agenda, to revitalize semiconductor manufacturing in America while strengthening our domestic supply chain, creating good-paying jobs, and supporting investments in the industries of the future. This proposed funding would support the construction of a greenfield state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Genesee County, New York, which the company first announced in 2022. The facility will produce the dry vacuum pumps, which are needed for semiconductor production, and is estimated to create approximately 600 good-paying jobs.

“This strategic and targeted proposed investment in domestically manufactured dry vacuum pumps, which all semiconductor manufacturers need to operate fabs, is another example of how we are working to ensure every part of the semiconductor supply chain is being built right here in the United States,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “With President Biden and Vice President Harris’s CHIPS and Science Act and this proposed investment in New York, semiconductor manufacturers would have a domestic supply of this important equipment.”

“The Biden-Harris Administration passed the historic CHIPS & Science Act to bring semiconductor manufacturing back to the United States and strengthen our supply chains,” said Natalie Quillian, White House Deputy Chief of Staff. “Today’s announcement demonstrates how our Administration and the state of New York are working together to deliver on that vision, which will create hundreds of new jobs in Western New York.”

This proposed investment in Edwards Vacuum, will help ensure a reliable domestic supply of important equipment needed for semiconductor manufacturing. This would be a meaningful step towards strengthening U.S. economic and national security, as currently, there is no domestic production of semiconductor-grade dry vacuum pumps. These pumps are essential for both advanced and legacy semiconductor fabrication: Installed beneath the fab, they maintain the chamber environment where wafers are processed by evacuating toxic fumes and chemicals.

“As a result of the Biden -Harris Administration’s proposed investment in Edwards Vacuum – made possible by the historical CHIPS and Science Act – the U.S. is expected to play a significant role in producing these important pieces of equipment for U.S. based fabs and will create hundreds of jobs in the process,” said Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and National Institute of Standards and Technology Director Laurie E. Locascio.

Edwards Vacuum’s local workforce development efforts include a partnership with Genesee Community College (GCC). Edwards Vacuum’s commitment to GCC is centered around ensuring their workforce remains equipped with the latest skills and knowledge to thrive in the semiconductor industry. Additionally, Edwards Vacuum is a member of the NY SMART I -Corridor Consortium Tech Hub which is bringing together local actors to enhance semiconductor manufacturing capabilities while ensuring economic opportunity reaches underserved communities in upstate New York. The Biden-Harris Administration, through the Department of Commerce, has also provided a Build Back Better Regional Challenge award to the area in 2022. The multiple layers of federal resources are driving local revitalization through advanced manufacturing. This proposed investment will also support and benefit the work of the Upstate New York Investing in America Workforce Hub, which will train New Yorkers for good-paying jobs up and down the semiconductor supply chain.

The company has indicated that it plans to claim the Department of the Treasury’s Investment Tax Credit, which is expected to be up to 25% of qualified capital expenditures.

As explained in its first Notice of Funding Opportunity, the Department of Commerce may offer applicants a PMT on a non-binding basis after satisfactory completion of the merit review of a full application. The PMT outlines key terms for a potential CHIPS incentives award, including the amount and form of the award. The award amounts are subject to due diligence and negotiation of award documents and are conditional on the achievement of certain milestones. After a PMT is signed, the Department of Commerce begins a comprehensive due diligence process on the proposed projects and continues negotiating or refining certain terms with the applicant. The terms contained in any final award documents may differ from the terms of the PMT being announced today.

About CHIPS for America

CHIPS for America has allocated over $35 billion in proposed funding across 16 states and proposed to invest billions more in research and innovation, which is expected to create over 115,000 jobs. Since the beginning of the Biden-Harris Administration, semiconductor and electronics companies have announced over $400 billion in private investments, catalyzed in large part by public investment. CHIPS for America is part of President Biden and Vice President Harris’s economic plan to invest in America, stimulate private sector investment, create good-paying jobs, make more in the United States, and revitalize communities left behind. CHIPS for America includes the CHIPS Program Office, responsible for manufacturing incentives, and the CHIPS Research and Development Office, responsible for R&D programs, that both sit within the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) at the Department of Commerce. Visit https://www.chips.gov to learn more. 

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo will travel to Rome, Italy from October 10-11 to participate in the G7 Industry and Technological Innovation Ministerial, which will bring together government leaders from Italy, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union to discuss challenges facing G7 nations’ economies. Among other issue areas, during the Ministerial, Raimondo will address the advancement of cutting-edge technologies like semiconductors and artificial intelligence (AI) with G7 leaders and discuss continued collaboration to create stronger economies, increase supply chain resilience, and spur equitable economic growth. While in Rome, Secretary Raimondo will also meet with Italian officials and business leaders to further strengthen the important bilateral commercial relationship.

Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo held a call with Minister of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) Wang Wentao. During the call, the two sides discussed last month’s second meeting of the U.S.-China Commercial Issues Working Group (CIWG). The Secretary noted ongoing concerns from the U.S. business community about decreasing regulatory transparency in the PRC, non-market policies and practices, and structural overcapacity in a range of industrial sectors. Secretary Raimondo reiterated that U.S. national security is not negotiable and re-emphasized that the U.S. government’s “small yard, high fence” approach aims to safeguard U.S. national security in as targeted a manner as possible, while leaving space for healthy trade and investment. The two sides agreed to maintain an open channel of communication in the coming months.

Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and Indian Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal convened the 6th ministerial level meeting of the U.S.-India Commercial Dialogue (Commercial Dialogue). The Secretary and the Minister took stock of the following achievements since the 5th ministerial meeting took place in March 2023 in New Delhi, India:

• Semiconductor Memorandum of Understanding (MOU): The Secretary and the Minister praised the two sides’ continuing efforts to facilitate resilient, secure, and sustainable semiconductor supply chains. Since the signing of the MOU Establishing Semiconductor Supply Chain and Innovation Partnership under the Framework of the U.S.-India Commercial Dialogue, the U.S. Semiconductor Industry Association and the India Electronics Semiconductor Association have completed their private sector “readiness assessment,” launched under the U.S.-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology to identify near-term industry opportunities and facilitate longer-term strategic development of complementary semiconductor ecosystems. The Secretary and the Minister pledged to continue working under the MOU to facilitate collaboration between U.S. and Indian companies towards mutually beneficial business opportunities, such as investments, joint ventures, and technology partnerships; and to promote talent and workforce development to benefit both countries.
• Innovation Handshake MOU: The Secretary and the Minister welcomed the success of the two roundtables convened in November 2023 in San Francisco and March 2024 in New Delhi, bringing the two countries’ startup ecosystems closer together and carrying forward their ambitions under the MOU to Enhance Innovation Ecosystems through an Innovation Handshake under the Framework of the U.S.-India Commercial Dialogue.
• U.S.-India Energy Industry Network (EIN): The Secretary and the Minister praised the work done on the EIN Roundtable organized during the Clean EDGE and Environmental Technologies Business Development Mission in March 2024 in New Delhi. The trade mission brought 12 U.S. companies to India to help grow sustainable and secure clean energy markets and accelerate the adoption of environmental solutions in India. Views exchanged during the EIN Roundtable helped to inform the U.S.-India Strategic Clean Energy Partnership (SCEP) Ministerial convened by the U.S. Secretary of Energy and the Indian Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas on September 16, 2024, in Washington.
• Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF): The Secretary and the Minister also commended the significant progress announced at the recent virtual IPEF ministerial meeting in September, including the work being done to improve supply chain resilience under the IPEF Supply Chain Agreement for the IPEF partners. They highlighted their commitment to collaborate initially in the critical areas of semiconductors, chemicals, critical minerals with a focus on batteries, and potentially healthcare products, as agreed to by the IPEF Supply Chain Council.

The Secretary and the Minister also reviewed other joint efforts that have been made, including under the India-U.S. Strategic Trade Dialogue and the Standards and Conformance Cooperation Program (SCCP). Looking ahead, they discussed the following priorities for future collaboration:

• Critical Minerals MOU: The Secretary and the Minister reaffirmed that supply chain resilience remains a shared policy priority for the bilateral commercial relationship. Today, they signed a new MOU to Expand and Diversify Critical Minerals Supply Chains, with the aim of leveraging the two countries’ complementary strengths to ensure greater resilience in the critical minerals sector. Priority areas of focus include identifying equipment, services, policies, and best practices to facilitate the mutually beneficial commercial development of U.S. and Indian critical minerals exploration, extraction, processing and refining, recycling, and recovery.
• INDUS Innovation: The Secretary and the Minister launched a new effort under the Innovation Handshake agenda to accelerate innovation specifically in energy security, technology, and sustainability. To leverage the complementary strengths of the United States and India, as the #1 and #3 largest startup ecosystems in the world, the U.S. Department of Commerce and Indian Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, intend to invite startup companies, investors, and technology thought leaders to come together in 2025 in search of breakthrough solutions to advance “INDUS Innovation for Energy Security, Technology and Sustainability.” Targeted problem sets and other details will be announced in the coming months.
• Supporting Women-Owned and Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs): The Secretary and the Minister looked forward to the U.S. Department of Commerce-led Global Diversity Export Initiative Trade Mission to India in early March 2025, with a focus on expanding opportunities in the Indian market for U.S. SMEs that are owned, operated, or led by members of underserved communities. The trade mission will commence in Bengaluru with an “Export Markets Providing Opportunities for Women’s Economic Rise (EMPOWER) Asia Business Conference” seeking to provide networking, mentorship, and digital skilling resources geared towards U.S. and Indian business leaders so that they can thrive in increasingly competitive and digitized markets.
• Expanding Startup and SME Resources in Bengaluru: The Secretary and the Minister applauded plans to expand the U.S. Department of Commerce’s presence in India to a total of about 70 Foreign Commercial Service staff across seven cities. In Bengaluru, where the State Department is planning to open a new U.S. consulate, a new position will be created to serve as a one-stop resource for U.S. and Indian startups and SMEs and to help advance the two sides’ plans for an SME Presidents Forum to explore greater SME engagement, sharing of best practices, peer learning, support for women entrepreneurs and women-owned businesses, green technology, access to digital market platforms, and integration into global value chains.
• Travel and Tourism: The Secretary and the Minister applauded the work plan established by the Travel and Tourism Working Group under the Commercial Dialogue as a significant step towards strengthening collaboration between India and the United States in the travel and tourism sector. Through a series of joint activities such as working group meetings, business matchmaking events, data exchanges, and outreach programs, both countries intend to work closely to boost two-way travel and improve industry coordination, thereby contributing to economic growth and job creation while deepening the overall U.S.-India relationship.
• Healthcare: The Secretary and the Minister acknowledged the need for and expressed a shared interest in greater information exchange about their respective government’s actions to address supply chain networks that underpin domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing capabilities, with a view towards strengthening the current state of the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) industrial base, production capacities, and emergency response capabilities.

The Secretary and Minister underscored the importance of the Commercial Dialogue in sustaining momentum on shared economic priorities. They expressed a shared interest in exploring collaboration, based on mutual trust and confidence, in new and emerging areas of technology and trade, in addition to continuing ongoing work in other sectors under the framework of the Commercial Dialogue, to improve supply chain resilience and boost economic prosperity in both countries. Towards that end, they confirmed their intention to convene in 2025 a mid-year review led by senior government officials from both sides. The mid-year review will allow each side to carry forward the above priorities identified under the Commercial Dialogue, implementing a roadmap based on the Secretary’s and the Minister’s economic vision and ensuring robust private sector engagement to inform ongoing efforts.

Finally, the Secretary and the Minister welcomed the reconvening of the U.S.-India CEO Forum on October 2, 2024, in Washington, D.C. Both sides noted with appreciation the valued contributions of the U.S. and Indian Section CEOs and their joint recommendations to the two governments, covering a wide range of topics. These recommendations serve to guide policy decisions that strengthen bilateral commercial and trade ties, drive economic growth and innovation, and foster a resilient bilateral partnership.

Today, the United States hosted the second in-person meeting of the U.S.-India Forum co-chaired by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and Minister of Commerce and Industry of India Piyush Goyal. The U.S.-India CEO Forum is a platform that convenes leaders of the U.S. and Indian business communities to develop and provide joint recommendations to strengthen bilateral commercial ties and expand trade and investment between India and the United States.

During the meeting, U.S. and Indian government representatives and CEO Forum members reaffirmed their commitment to expanding bilateral commerce and trade, driving inclusive economic growth and innovation, and fostering a resilient bilateral partnership.

The Secretary and the Minister thanked Mr. James Taiclet, President and Chief Executive Officer, Lockheed Martin, and Mr. N. Chandrasekaran, Chairman, Tata Sons, for their leadership as Private Sector Co-Chairs from 2023–2024. They noted, with appreciation, the recommendations made by the Forum members over the past two years and their respective initiatives.

They also took stock of the Forum’s accomplishments, including the launch of the publicly accessible Network for Innovation and Harnessing Investments and Trade for Inclusive Growth between the United States and India (NIHIT) Platform to facilitate online knowledge sharing and networking among U.S. and Indian startups and small businesses. To date, NIHIT has organized four workshops to promote capacity building and skilling in cybersecurity, digital technologies, and AI, which have been attended by over 1,000 startups, small businesses, and entrepreneurs.

CEO Forum members, which represent a total of 22 U.S. companies and 25 Indian companies, have also made a series of recent announcements demonstrating their commitment to advancing U.S.-India commercial engagement:

• Lockheed Martin and Tata Advanced Systems Limited’s recent signing of a teaming agreement on the C-130J Super Hercules aircraft. The agreement creates a framework to (1) establish a new maintenance, repair, and overhaul facility in India to support the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) fleet and other global fleets of C-130J Super Hercules aircraft; and (2) expand the manufacturing and assembly of these aircraft in India to support the IAF’s Medium Transport Aircraft program.
• Kyndryl Inc.’s collaboration with Indian microfinancier CreditAccess (CA) Grameen to deliver advanced technology services needed to digitize and transform CA Grameen’s microloan processing business, enabling more than 2 million women borrowers to have easy and fast access to credit in rural India.
• Amneal Pharmaceutical's announcement this week of the launch of medicines in several new therapeutic areas and the groundbreaking of a state-of-the-art peptide manufacturing facility in Ahmedabad, India.
• Honeywell International’s delivery and commissioning in September of a 1.4 MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) for the Solar Energy Corporation of India’s project on the Lakshadweep Islands, which is India’s first on-grid solar initiative using BESS to manage the supply of renewable power.
• Pfizer’s launch in September of its first commercial analytics center in India, called the “Analytics Gateway,” which will harness AI and best-in-class data science to improve Pfizer’s analytics of international markets and help it deliver more of its medicines to patients in need in India and around the world.
• Viasat’s MOU on Space Collaboration, signed in September with the Government of India, to set a roadmap for collaboration on the development of next-generation space technologies between the two parties to deliver high-speed and high-capacity internet services to users in India and internationally.

Otis Worldwide’s groundbreaking in August of an expansion to its manufacturing facility in Bengaluru, India. The expansion will double the company’s current escalator production capacity and help it further support metro projects and other residential, commercial and infrastructure development throughout India through the sale of elevators and escalators.

Expected Investment Builds on CHIPS for America’s Sustainability Commitments to Workers, Stakeholders, and Industry

Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce issued a Notice of Intent (NOI) to announce an open competition demonstrating how AI can assist in developing new sustainable semiconductor materials and processes that meet industry needs and can be designed and adopted within five years. For the U.S. semiconductor industry to flourish in the long-term, it must be able to develop innovative and commercially competitive technologies to sustainably produce materials and manufacture chips in a way that protects the environment and local communities.

To accomplish this, CHIPS for America anticipates up to $100 million in funding to award recipients that develop university-led, industry-informed, collaborations about artificial intelligence-powered autonomous experimentation (AI/AE) relevant to sustainable semiconductor manufacturing. The full text of the NOI can be found here.

“Right now, new semiconductor materials often take years to be production-ready and are incredibly resource-intensive. If we’re going to quickly build up America’s semiconductor manufacturing base, in a way that’s sustainable over the long term in the face of increasing threats from the climate crisis, we need to leverage AI to help develop sustainable material processes quickly. With this new program, the Biden-Harris Administration will harness the vast capabilities of AI to unleash the full potential of our workers and innovators, while building a more secure and enduring domestic semiconductor industry,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo.

“President Biden says our nation can be defined in a single word: Possibilities. Using AI to accelerate the extensive, intricate work of developing sustainable materials for this incredibly complicated product is a great example of American ingenuity,” said Arati Prabhakar, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. “This is how CHIPS research and development will help manufacturers continue to succeed and thrive here at home.”

AI/AE has emerged as a potentially game-changing approach to accelerating materials research and development. AI/AE combines automated synthesis and characterization tools with an AI “planner” to determine the next round of an experimental campaign, vastly accelerating the design of new materials and the acquisition of materials data. In enabling federated research across multiple locations, AI/AE can create opportunities for collaborations across established research universities, emerging research institutions, industry, and national laboratories.

CHIPS for America – with its programs spanning manufacturing incentives and multiple areas of research and development – is uniquely positioned to work with stakeholders across federal, state, and local government, industry, academia and research institutions, labor unions, and environmental groups to investigate, commercialize, and advance solutions in this space. Addressing sustainability challenges also presents an opportunity to better engage universities, including emerging research institutions, to conduct high-impact semiconductor R&D and to grow semiconductor research talent.

“We have a unique opportunity to make the United States a world leader in efficient, safe, high-volume, and competitive semiconductor manufacturing,” said Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Director Laurie E. Locascio. “This CHIPS for America funding opportunity will help bring about sustainable manufacturing processes and materials to meet increasing demands for sustainability and safe working environments in perhaps as few as five years.”

Through this anticipated funding opportunity, CHIPS for America will support the sustainability of the U.S. semiconductor industry while recognizing the ongoing demand for improving microelectronics power, performance, area, and cost metrics. The competition will also aim to expand the participation of universities, including emerging research institutions, and their graduates in the semiconductor research and development (R&D) ecosystem. The notice of funding opportunity is expected to be released later this year.

More information about CHIPS for America’s environmental work can be found here. Follow CHIPS.gov for updates.

The U.S. Department of Commerce announced today that registration is now open for the 11th SelectUSA Investment Summit to be held May 11 - 14, 2025 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland.

The SelectUSA Investment Summit is the premier event dedicated to promoting foreign direct investment (FDI) in the United States, with a focus on connecting international investors and U.S. economic development organizations (EDOs). Following the 2024 record-breaking attendance of over 5,000 participants from over 90 international markets and every U.S. state and territory, the 2025 Investment Summit will continue to create opportunities for investing in America. Investment Summit attendees can expect to hear from U.S. government officials, C-suite business executives, and industry leaders, explore the exhibition hall featuring hundreds of EDOs, federal agency partners, service providers, industry experts and startups, participate in industry-focused networking opportunities, and get actionable advice and information from policy and industry experts to inform their business strategies.  

“The United States continues to be the world’s top destination for Foreign Direct Investment, and the SelectUSA Investment Summit has been playing an indispensable role in maintaining our global leadership and facilitating job creation nationwide for over a decade,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “As we continue to see the historic impacts of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda, we look forward to next year’s SelectUSA Investment Summit, which will help to further spur investment in critical sectors and strengthen our economy.”

The SelectUSA Investment Summit will also provide information, resources, and connections for international tech startups. Through the SelectUSA Tech program, SelectUSA provides services to support their U.S. expansion efforts and creates space for them to make connections to the U.S. startup ecosystem. Additionally, the Select Global Women in Tech (SGWIT) Mentorship Network, geared towards international women founders, entrepreneurs, and executives in the technology sector, offers participants access to experienced mentors to help them develop a tailored U.S. market entry strategy.

About the SelectUSA Investment Summit

The 2024 SelectUSA Investment Summit brought together more than 5,000 participants including EDO representation from: 56 U.S. states and territories, more than 2,500 business investors representing over 90 international markets, and industry experts providing insight on how to successfully invest in the United States. The SelectUSA Investment Summit has directly helped generate more than $110 billion in new U.S. investment projects, supporting over 85,000 jobs across the United States and its territories.

Information about the 2025 SelectUSA Investment Summit and registration can be found on SelectUSA’s Investment Summit website, selectusasummit.us.

About SelectUSA

Housed within the International Trade Administration at the U.S. Department of Commerce, SelectUSA promotes and facilitates business investment into the United States by coordinating related federal government agencies to serve as a single point of contact for investors and raises awareness of the critical role that economic development plays in the U.S. economy. SelectUSA assists U.S. economic development organizations to compete globally for investment by providing information, a platform for international marketing, and high-level advocacy. SelectUSA also helps foreign companies find the information they need to make decisions, connect with the right people at the local level, navigate the federal regulatory system, and find solutions to issues related to their investment plans. For more information, visit trade.gov/selectusa.

Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo met with Minister of External Affairs of India Subrahanyam Jaishankar. They discussed the U.S.-India CEO Forum and U.S.-India Commercial Dialogue, two Department of Commerce and Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry-led initiatives that aim to strengthen the U.S.-India trade and investment relationship. They also commended the progress to date under the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) and reiterated their shared commitment to continuing to advance the work to operationalize the IPEF agreements.

On September 26, 2024, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Raimondo, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, and American Federation of Teachers’ (AFT) President Randi Weingarten joined Micron and AFT’s affiliates the New York State United Teachers and the United Federation of Teachers, in Syracuse. Secretary Raimondo highlighted the implementation of AFT’s Advanced Technology Framework, which will help students get ready for the thousands of new technical careers in the semiconductor industry, as well as new funding from the President’s Investing in America agenda to expand deployment and support the Upstate New York Workforce Hub. Based on foundational and technical skills found throughout the microelectronics manufacturing sector, this curricular framework, teacher training, and work-based learning opportunities pilot program has commenced across 10 New York school districts.

This first-of-its-kind framework was developed directly by teachers and Micron to integrate industry-based career exploration and to engage students in deeper learning, such as analyzing information, thinking critically and applying knowledge, all while providing students with real-life, real-world skills.

Secretary Raimondo has highlighted the Advanced Technology Framework as one tangible action that will serve the needs not just of Micron, but the entire Investing in America Upstate New York Workforce Hub. AFT’s vision is to move quickly from pilot to expansion, enabling other communities to work with AFT to scale this program that supports the alignment of education and workforce development programs, starting with high school students, grades 10-12. On September 25, 2024, Natcast, the purpose-built, non-profit entity created to operate the National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC), announced that it intends to award $1.7 million from President Biden’s CHIPS and Science Act to the AFT Educational Foundation to further expand deployment of the Advanced Technology Framework across New York, as well as Michigan and Minnesota. This award is part of the inaugural NSTC Workforce Partner Alliance Program and is one of seven expected awards across more than ten states.

The Upstate New York Workforce Hub kicked off this summer with a convening of employers, labor unions, universities, community colleges, community-based organizations, and other stakeholders at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Oswego’s Syracuse campus. Convened by the U.S. Department of Commerce and Empire State Development (ESD), stakeholders at the event heard from industry partners, unions, and training providers on the expected workforce needs associated with their planned investments in the region and discussed how to scale existing programs and develop new initiatives to build strong talent pipelines into the semiconductor industry.

The Biden-Harris Administration is laser-focused on creating training pipelines that ensure all Americans can access the hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs created by the President’s Investing in America agenda—whether they went to college or not. To do that, the Administration launched nine Investing in America Workforce Hubs across the country that are bringing together unions, local governments, employers, training providers, schools, community colleges, and other stakeholders to facilitate partnerships to train and connect workers to jobs in high-demand sectors. First Lady Jill Biden announced five Workforce Hubs last year—Columbus, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Augusta, and Phoenix—which generated dozens of actions to expand pre-apprenticeships and Registered Apprenticeships, train thousands of workers for good-paying union jobs, and expand community college programs. Building on that success, President Biden announced four new Workforce Hubs this year—upstate New York, Michigan, Milwaukee, and Philadelphia.

Upstate New York has emerged as a growing hub for semiconductor manufacturing, with record-breaking investments throughout the region. Across the state of New York, the Administration has announced more than $28.2 billion in federal investments in clean energy, infrastructure, and manufacturing, which have catalyzed an additional $90.2 billion in related private-sector investments. These investments are generating demand for skilled workers in the semiconductor industry, construction and related trades by creating good-paying jobs that will support working families in the Upstate New York region.

Department of Commerce Investments in Skilled Workers and Good Jobs

• This spring, the Biden-Harris Administration announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce and Micron Technology signed a non-binding preliminary memorandum of terms (PMT) to provide up to roughly $6.14 billion in proposed direct funding under the CHIPS and Science Act to boost U.S. competitiveness in leading-edge memory semiconductor production. The proposed funding would support the construction of two leading-edge Dynamic Random-Access Memory (DRAM) fabs in Clay, New York, the first step in Micron’s two-decade vision to invest approximately $100 billion in New York and create roughly 13,500 facility and construction jobs.
• Earlier this year, the Biden-Harris Administration announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce and GlobalFoundries (GF) signed a non-binding PMT to provide approximately $1.5 billion in proposed direct funding under the CHIPS and Science Act. The proposed funding would support a new state-of-the-art facility, significant capacity expansion, and the modernization of GF’s U.S. manufacturing sites in New York and Vermont, which produce essential automotive, communications, and defense semiconductor technologies. In New York, the funding would support construction of a new, large-scale 300 mm fabrication facility in Malta and the proposed expansion of the existing Malta, New York fabrication facility. This expansion is expected to triple the existing capacity of the Malta campus over the next 10+ years.
• In July, Biden-Harris Administration, through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA), announced that it is slated to award approximately $40 million to NY SMART I-Corridor Tech Hub, a consortium led by CenterState Corporation for Economic Opportunity (CenterState CEO) in New York, to implement four projects that will bolster the region’s ability to scale up the production and delivery of critical technologies that will enable U.S. leadership in semiconductor manufacturing. This Tech Hub will coordinate across the region’s significant semiconductor fabrication investments, adjacent supply chain assets, scientific capabilities coalitions, and partner coalitions to establish an entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem that provides career pathways and employment opportunities to the region’s historically underserved communities.
• The Biden-Harris Administration, also through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s EDA, announced the Western New York Advanced Manufacturing Coalition as one of 21 American Rescue Plan Build Back Better Regional Challenge (BBBRC) awardees. Western New York Advanced Manufacturing, led by the Empire State Development Corporation, is utilizing a $25 million BBBRC grant to invest in the distressed eastern side of Buffalo, New York and accelerate the growth of advanced manufacturing in the region. The coalition is accelerating the development of the Northland Corridor in Buffalo’s predominantly Black East Side by renovating two industrial buildings, expanding a small- and mid-sized manufacturer training program at the Buffalo Manufacturing Works, and building out a career readiness program through Goodwill of WNY’s Goodskills Career Builder initiative.

The Upstate New York Workforce Hub is maximizing the impact of these federal investments by driving commitments to equitable workforce development, coordinating complementary state, local, and private sector actions, identifying and addressing gaps that exist in the local workforce ecosystem, and catalyzing new partnerships. Already, partners on the ground are supporting these efforts through innovative approaches to training, recruiting, and retaining a diverse workforce.  

Progress To Date

• One Network for Advanced Manufacturing Partnerships (ON-RAMP). Last week, Governor Hochul announced the launch of her $200 million ON-RAMP program. Through this effort, Empire State Development (ESD) will invest to create four advanced manufacturing workforce development centers across Upstate New York, including a flagship location in Syracuse. The centers will serve to better enable communities to recruit, train and place individuals from underrepresented communities into high tech manufacturing jobs. Modeled on the highly successful Northland Workforce Development Training Center, located on the East Side of Buffalo, NY, ON RAMP will focus on providing industry-informed training; job placement services, including direct engagement with employers seeking talent; and holistic wraparound services designed to help participants overcome barriers to success such as childcare, transportation, stipends, financial counseling and education, and more.
• Manufacturers Association of Central New York (MACNY) “Real Life Rosies” Program. In August, the New York State Department of Labor announced funding under the Direct Entry Pre-Apprenticeship Program to expand the Real Life Rosies and Advance 2 Apprenticeship direct entry pre-apprenticeship programs to Onondaga and Oswego counties. Real Life Rosies supports the training and skill development of women and individuals in underrepresented populations looking to pursue careers in advanced manufacturing. Through company tours and guaranteed job interviews, the program helps connect employers with skilled and job-ready individuals. The program was launched in the Mohawk Valley in collaboration with Mohawk Valley Community College (MVCC); The Workforce Development Board, Herkimer, Madison, Oneida Counties, Inc.; and community partners, with funding from ESD’s Office of Strategic Workforce Development. ESD anticipates scaling Real Life Rosies to other parts of the state.
• National Institute for Industry and Career Advancement™ (NIICA) and NY CREATES Registered Apprenticeship Program. This month, NIICA and NY CREATES announced the first cohort of apprentices entering its newly established Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP). This competency-based program, which will support development of the semiconductor and advanced manufacturing workforce at NY CREATES’ Albany NanoTech Complex, is part of NIICA’s overall Growing Apprenticeships in Nanotechnology and Semiconductors (GAINS) program. The Center for Economic Growth, the region’s group sponsor and NIICA partner, is the sponsor of the program.
• MACNY NY-RAMP. MACNY is establishing the New York Registered Apprenticeship Manufacturing Partnerships Program (NY-RAMP) through $6 million in funding awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Apprenticeship Building America initiative. MACNY will expand its existing programming to train 800 new apprenticeships for semiconductor and advanced manufacturing jobs. The first phase of the program will focus on Syracuse, the Mohawk Valley, Rochester, and Albany.
• Broadening Research and Inter-Disciplinary Graduate Education (BRIDGE) for Microelectronics. The U.S. Department of Commerce and Natcast announced an anticipated award of $1.5 million to Rochester Institute of Technology as part of the inaugural NSTC Workforce Partner Alliance Program. The anticipated award will help implement the Broadening Research and Inter-Disciplinary Graduate Education (BRIDGE) for Microelectronics program, with the goal to train 555 students at the bachelor’s and master’s degree levels, and through a new online certificate program, across microelectronics-related educational tracks. The program emphasizes education, industry collaboration, and student support to address workforce shortages in the microelectronics sector. 
• Green CHIPS Community Investment Fund. Micron and New York State launched the Green CHIPS Community Investment Fund, a $500 million effort to support workforce development, education, and other community priorities related to the project and expected economic growth. The CIF, seeded by a $100 million State commitment and $250 million Micron commitment, will invest directly into projects aimed at creating good-paying jobs in the region in the coming years, with specific focus on creating equitable and effective workforce development pipelines.
• NSF and Micron STEM Teacher Training Investment. The U.S. National Science Foundation and the Micron Foundation announced an investment in four projects to advance STEM education training to foster a more robust microelectronics workforce. The investment will support the development of highly effective K-12 teachers in high-need, under-resourced school districts.
• Micron and GlobalFoundries Adopted the CHIPS Women in Construction Framework. In May, the Department of Commerce launched the CHIPS Women in Construction Framework, a set of five best practices that the semiconductor manufacturing companies that oversee the entirety of any potential CHIPS-funded construction project can voluntarily adopt to expand participation in the construction workforce. Both Micron and GlobalFoundries have adopted the Framework and are developing the specific actions they will implement with contractors, labor unions, and other community and workforce partners. 
• Micron Partnerships with Community Colleges. As part of its commitment to developing a robust local talent pipeline in New York, Micron has forged strong partnerships with local communities, universities, and community colleges – including Syracuse University and Onondaga Community College (OCC). In August, Syracuse University announced that it will soon launch a program for military members and their families interested in entering the semiconductor workforce, paid for entirely by Micron. The new workforce pathway, offered at no cost both online and in-person at military bases across the country, will be run through their D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families and its “Onward to Opportunity” program. Micron is also partnering with the Manufacturer’s Association of Central New York and surrounding education providers, including OCC, to design and launch a Registered Apprenticeship program in New York to support workforce needs.
• GlobalFoundries (GF) Maintenance Technician Apprenticeship Program. The GF PMT proposes approximately $10 million in dedicated workforce development funding to work with local workforce, education, training, and community-based organizations to provide GF with the facilities and construction talent they need now and in the future. GF also continues to build upon its GF Maintenance Technician Apprenticeship Program, which is the first U.S. registered semiconductor apprenticeship program and graduated its first apprentices in 2022. The first-of-its-kind apprenticeship program provides opportunities for individuals with no prior experience or training in the semiconductor industry, offering full-time paid positions and cost-free college courses to high school graduates.  
• NY CREATES Veteran Semiconductor Training and Experience Program, or Vet S.T.E.P. Governor Hochul announced Vet S.T.E.P., part of the Department of Defense SkillBridge network, to prepare soon-to-be veterans for technician careers in the semiconductor ecosystem (fabs, equipment and/or material suppliers). The 10-week program consists of a two-week, hands-on training, followed by an 8-week internship with a company partner.
• Syracuse Build. Syracuse Build is a community initiative launched by Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh to support local construction activity by connecting job seekers from Syracuse’s historically marginalized communities with career pathways in construction related fields. CenterState CEO’s Work Train team connected resources and partners to help with this launch and have been instrumental in the development of Syracuse Build’s signature program, Pathways to Apprenticeship. This signature program focuses on helping women, people of color and veterans gain access to the building trades’ registered apprenticeship programs. It is designed to prepare a local workforce for the significant demand for construction jobs, beginning with a focus on opportunities related to I-81 construction. Syracuse Build is housed within CNY Works and supported by the City of Syracuse, Onondaga County, Syracuse University, and Upstate Medical University Hospital.

Moving forward, the Upstate New York Workforce Hub expects to support and announce further efforts that help meet the training needs of the nascent semiconductor industry and related investments in the region by fostering collaborations with partners such as labor unions, employers, and education and training providers.

To download the fact sheet, click here. 

Includes an anticipated $11.5 million for the first workforce development awardees to address critical U.S. job and skill gaps across semiconductor research, design, manufacturing, and production

WASHINGTON, D.C., September 25, 2024 – Today, the Biden-Harris Administration announced the launch of the National Semiconductor Technology Center’s (NSTC) Workforce Center of Excellence (WCoE), making a decisive step toward solving one of the most pressing challenges facing the U.S. semiconductor industry – workforce development. As the world experiences an unprecedented demand for advanced semiconductors, America’s determination to remain a global leader in this critical technology hinges on maintaining a highly skilled and adaptable workforce. In doing so, they will build on the Administration’s existing work to connect Americans to good-paying jobs created by the President’s Investing in America agenda—including launching nine workforce hubs across the country.

To address this, the WCoE, a critical part of CHIPS for America’s workforce development efforts, will bring together stakeholders from across the private sector, government, non-profits, training providers, community and technical colleges, universities, and labor organizations to develop innovative solutions to the industry’s workforce challenges, accelerate best practices, promote good jobs, and strengthen recruitment and training of the next generation of semiconductor researchers, engineers, and technicians.

The Department of Commerce’s expected $250 million investment into the WCoE over ten years will advance President Biden and Vice President Harris’s goals of driving innovation in the United States and supporting workers in securing good-paying semiconductor jobs. As part of today’s announcement, Natcast, the non-profit entity designated to operate the NSTC by the Department of Commerce, announced more than $11 million in anticipated awards across more than a dozen states and nationally through the NSTC Workforce Partner Alliance (WFPA) program to further support workforce development efforts.

 “Our nation’s competitiveness relies on a strong, diverse, and empowered workforce. That’s why under President Biden and Vice President Harris’s leadership, we’re taking decisive action to provide our workers with the resources, skills and opportunities they need to secure good-paying jobs in industries of the future. The mission of the WCoE and WFPA will play a crucial role in this effort,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “With the Department’s proposed investments of over $500 million in workforce efforts, this announcement is a critical milestone in our strategy to build a robust workforce in the semiconductor industry to help fulfill the mission set forth by the CHIPS and Science Act.”

“The Biden-Harris administration continues to build a highly skilled workforce that drives innovation by investing in America and our workers,” said Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su. “Today's announcement will help to advance our nation's competitiveness in the semiconductor industry-- creating pathways, skills, and opportunities for workers across the U.S. Together, President Biden and Vice President Harris have put job-seekers and workers at the center of their agenda, because they know that that is how we truly build an economy from the middle out and the bottom up.”

WCoE Mission: Delivering Collaborative and Innovative Solutions to Workforce Gaps

The NSTC WCoE will be the dedicated anchor institution that brings stakeholders together to better understand the nature of, and find solutions to, the workforce challenges facing the U.S. semiconductor industry. The WCoE, led by John D. Ratliff, Executive Director of the WCoE and Vice President at Natcast, will lead collaborative efforts with NSTC members to ensure workers at every stage of their careers – from students to seasoned professionals – are equipped with the necessary skills and training to thrive in the semiconductor industry. The WCoE’s focus will be on fostering collaboration to ensure good-paying jobs and sustainable career pathways for American workers, while also driving U.S. innovation forward.

To achieve this mission, the WCoE will seek to be a trusted, interconnected, and neutral third party, with access to data and a focus on improving workforce access for all to help mitigate risks, reduce friction, and spread the rewards of collaboration. There will be three inaugural programs within the WCoE, each aimed at reshaping the workforce development ecosystem:

• The Amplifier Program: Focuses on scaling efficient, equitable, and industry-driven worker-centered workforce development practices that place workers in high quality jobs with family-sustaining wages and the free and fair choice to join a union. It will provide funding, foster partnerships, and recognize best practices in workforce retention, training, and education.
• The Signals Program: Leverages data and research to monitor workforce trends and evaluate program progress and outcomes. It aims to create a comprehensive understanding of the talent landscape, including supply and demand, while developing actionable insights.
• The Connections Program: Facilitates member services, tailored events, and hands-on assistance to meet the specific needs of NSTC member organizations, helping them to build the U.S. semiconductor workforce of the future.

Inaugural NSTC Workforce Partner Alliance Awardees

As part of this groundbreaking effort, Natcast intends to fund $11.5 million in anticipated awards to seven institutions supporting efforts to develop the semiconductor workforce ecosystem across more than a dozen U.S. states. The WFPA is the first Amplifier Program award and the first of many WCoE award programs expected to launch in the next decade. These inaugural projects are estimated to support the career development and deliver experiential training with innovative delivery models of more than 12,000 individuals, preparing them for long-term roles in the semiconductor industry. All projects include employer commitments, including commitments to interview, paid internships, and research projects. The first cohort of awardees, who will support demand-driven programs that address key skills and workforce gaps in semiconductor research, design, manufacturing, and production consists of the following lead organizations:

American Federation of Teachers Educational Foundation (AFTEF)

AFTEF will use anticipated funding to expand a partnership with Micron to implement an Advanced Technology Framework in high schools across New York, Michigan, and Minnesota. The program aims to equip students with the skills needed for careers in the microchip industry, fostering talent and bridging the gap between education and industry demands. 

Idaho Technology Council (ITC)

ITC will use anticipated funding to launch the Enhanced Access to the Semiconductor Industry in Idaho (EASII) program. The initiative will provide comprehensive support services, such as childcare, transportation, and mental health counseling, to participants in semiconductor workforce training programs. With this support, ITC aims to eliminate barriers to program completion and facilitate smoother transitions into the semiconductor workforce for 430 participants.           

Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD)

MCCCD will use anticipated funding to expand its semiconductor technician training offerings and launch the Maricopa Accelerated Semiconductor Training (MAST) program, building on the success of the Quick Start program. As the largest workforce training provider in the state, MCCCD's expanded programming will prepare an additional 300 individuals for careers as semiconductor technicians in Arizona's booming semiconductor industry, addressing the region's growing demand for highly skilled workers and reinforcing Arizona's position as a global semiconductor leader. 

Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT)

RIT will use anticipated funding to implement the Broadening Research and Inter-Disciplinary Graduate Education (BRIDGE) for Microelectronics program, with the goal to train 555 students at the bachelor’s and master’s degree levels, and through a new online certificate program, across microelectronics-related educational tracks. The program emphasizes education, industry collaboration, and student support to address workforce shortages in the microelectronics sector. 

Texas A&M University  

Texas A&M will use anticipated funding to empower its WAVE-CHIP project. The project will equip more than 7,500 individuals in the semiconductor workforce with critical hardware verification skills, directly addressing the industry's pressing need for qualified engineers. The projects impact will extend far beyond its immediate participants by training 109 community college and university-level instructors, ensuring a sustainable pipeline of skilled verification engineers for years to come. 

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

The UCLA Samueli School of Engineering will use anticipated funding to establish the Center for Education of Microchip Designers (CEMiD) to provide comprehensive training in analog and digital chip design to engineering students and practicing engineers. Along with co-PIs at Carnegie Mellon University, University of Hawaii, University of Notre Dame, and Stanford University, the program will equip hundreds of undergraduate and graduate students at universities across the country with the skills to design, fabricate, and test their own chips. The program will also help participants foster industry connections to create a self-sustaining workforce development ecosystem in the U.S. microchip industry. CEMiD plans to train professors at universities and colleges nationwide to help expand the reach and impact of the program. 

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)

Led by The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the Illinois Semiconductor Workforce Network (ISWN) will use anticipated funding to address the critical shortage of skilled professionals in the U.S. semiconductor industry. This initiative will develop a diverse, highly skilled workforce through industry-aligned training programs. By collaborating with semiconductor ecosystem partners, Grainger Engineering will equip students with cutting-edge skills and career opportunities, strengthening America's technological future in this crucial sector.

More information on the awardees can be found at natcast.org.

“The mission of the NSTC Workforce Center for Excellence is to develop a strong U.S. semiconductor workforce development ecosystem that seamlessly aligns with the rapidly evolving demands of today’s industry,” said Deirdre Hanford, Natcast CEO. “By working closely with employers and training partners, we will tailor the WCoE’s workforce programs and resources to address both immediate and long-term industry needs. This close collaboration will enable us to better anticipate future trends, bridge critical workforce gaps, and equip individuals with the necessary skills to succeed in a competitive global market.”

To inform and support the work of the WCoE, Natcast is establishing a Workforce Advisory Board comprised of key stakeholders from the private sector, government, non-profits, training providers, labor, and academia. The Advisory Board will offer critical input on national and regional workforce strategies, ensuring the WCoE’s initiatives are demand-driven, worker-centered, and responsive to real-time industry challenges. Nominations for advisory board members can be submitted online at www.natcast.org/workforce through November 1, 2024.

The WCoE is working closely with relevant partners across the federal government, including workforce hubs in relevant regions, the National Science Foundation through its National Network of Microelectronics Education, the Department of Defense’s Microelectronics Commons workforce efforts, the Department of Energy and its National Labs, and the Department of Labor. The WCoE will leverage these federal partnerships to ensure industry is able to access and utilize key assets across the federal government.

“Training all Americans, at all levels, across all industries, and across all states is critical to U.S. competitiveness,” said NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan. “This new center will open the door for more opportunities, more training, and more connection with industry to ensure that Americans have the training for the skilled jobs of today and tomorrow, and that the semiconductor and microelectronics industry has the skilled American workers to hire into jobs resulting from the impacts of the bipartisan ‘CHIPS and Science Act of 2022’.”

To learn more about the NSTC and the WCoE, visit Natcast.org.

To learn more about CHIPS for America's R&D programs, visit CHIPS.gov.

About CHIPS for America

CHIPS for America has allocated over $36 billion in proposed funding across 16 states and proposed to invest billions more in research and innovation, which will create over 115,000 jobs. Since the beginning of the Biden-Harris Administration, semiconductor and electronics companies have announced over $400 billion in private investments, catalyzed in large part by public investment. CHIPS for America is part of President Biden and Vice President Harris’s economic plan to invest in America, stimulate private sector investment, create good-paying jobs, make more in the United States, and revitalize communities left behind. CHIPS for America includes the CHIPS Program Office, responsible for manufacturing incentives, and the CHIPS Research and Development Office, responsible for R&D programs, that both sit within the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) at the Department of Commerce. Visit https://www.chips.gov to learn more.

About Natcast

Natcast is the purpose-built, non-profit entity created to operate the National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC), established by the CHIPS and Science Act of the U.S. government. The NSTC is a public-private consortium dedicated to semiconductor R&D in the United States. It convenes the U.S. government, allied and partner nations, and organizations across the semiconductor ecosystem—including academia and businesses of all kinds—to address the most challenging barriers to continued technological progress in the domestic semiconductor industry, including the need for a capable workforce. The NSTC reflects a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the U.S. to drive the pace of innovation, set standards, and re-establish global leadership in semiconductor design and manufacturing. Learn more at natcast.org.

Happy Hispanic Heritage Month! Welcome to the Department of Commerce. I’m so pleased to welcome you all.

Secretary Raimondo and I view our partnership with Latino leaders in the public and private sectors as critical to ensuring Departmental programs and initiatives to promote growth and opportunities for all people.

Make no mistake: America’s road to economic prosperity runs through our ALL of our communities, including our minority communities, and having the opportunity to do this work is an honor.

In addition to my role as Deputy Secretary of Commerce, I also serve as President Biden’s Puerto Rico Economic Growth Coordinator. In that role, I have had the opportunity to deliver transformative results for communities across the archipelago.

And I’ve seen the impact up close.

Just two weeks ago, I visited Puerto Rico for the fifth time since taking this role to celebrate critical investments being made to promote recovery and growth across the archipelago and to speak with government officials, community leaders, and local stakeholders about how Commerce’s work is touching the lives of Puerto Ricans of all walks of life.

I consider this work a symbol of what’s at the core of our mission at the Commerce Department: equity.

We understand that to build a brighter future, we have to confront our past. We understand that while economic opportunity is available for some, it’s not accessible to all. And we understand that if we want to outcompete the rest of the world, we have to include everyone in our country.

As we all know, the Biden-Harris Administration has been historic and productive for the American people. We’re making major investments in infrastructure. We’re boosting domestic manufacturing. We’re taking meaningful action to combat the climate crisis. And through it all, we’re focused on ensuring everyone can share in our prosperity. All of this was made possible thanks to the work of members of the CHC, who do an incredible job delivering for the American people.

Through MBDA’s $125 million Capital Readiness Program, we’re funding incubators and accelerators with expertise to get minority and other underserved entrepreneurs the resources, tools, and technical assistance they need to start or scale their businesses.

We’re investing $50 billion to connect everyone in America to quality reliable and affordable high-speed Internet service, with about $3 billion of that going towards equity focused programs, and more than $250 million going to HBCUs and other Minority-Serving Institutions.

 We’re investing $50 billion to make America a leader in semiconductor manufacturing, with a focus and requirement of the companies in which we are investing that they develop pathways into the industry for communities that all too often have been left behind and that they make minority and other underserved businesses a key part of these ecosystems.

I am so proud to be the current Chair of the Interagency Community Investment Committee, launched by Vice President Harris 3 years ago, with a focus on ensuring that the billions of dollars of investment that we are making flow to and through communities that are often left behind instead of around them. And the committee is continuing the Vice President’s Economic Opportunity Tour, making certain that our communities know about these investments and have direct access to the resources, tools and technical assistance they will need to participate and thrive in this Opportunity Economy.

But our priority is ensuring that we are a Department that puts its money where its mouth is at home.

Here at Commerce, it's critical that our leadership and our workforce reflect the diversity of this nation. So, I’d like to take a moment to mention just a few of the folks across the Department who have been filling Brown jobs:

• Rob Santos, Director of the U.S. Census Bureau
• Marisa Lago, Undersecretary for International Trade
• Alan Estevez, Undersecretary for Industry and Security
• Suzie Feliz, Assistant Secretary for Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs
• Luis Jimenez, Counselor to the Secretary and Former Deputy Chief of Staff
• Alejandra Castillo, (former) Assistant Secretary for Economic Development
• Miguel Estien, my Senior Advisor for Puerto Rico and Director of the Economic Dialogue, former National Director of the MBDA
• Cynthia Aragon, Director of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs for our CHIPS program and the former Director of our Advocacy Center
• Andres Chong-Qui Torres, Director of our Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships

They embody this simple principle: that people drive policy. And our policies need to be about uplifting people. 

When you think about how our major investment programs like CHIPS, Broadband, and climate resiliency play out. 

When you think about the ways we drive and protect innovation, about how we enhance and grow our local and regional economies. 

When you think about the ways we support the risk-takers who start and grow new businesses.

When you think about employing people in all of our country’s communities.

How we do that is determined by people and their diversity of thought, their experience, and their capabilities.

And that doesn’t happen by accident.

It’s no accident that for decades, policymakers systemically discriminated against our communities. 

It's no accident that policies of the past have left our entrepreneurs and our companies out of the equation.

It’s no accident that Latino families’ median wealth is just a fraction of their white counterparts or that Latinos struggle every day to access the same opportunities – capital, contracts, careers – as their white counterparts.

But because of the leadership of our President and our Vice President and the hard work of this Department and many others across this Administration, as well as industry leaders and community stakeholders, we’re being intentional about righting these wrongs.

That’s why it’s also no accident that this President and Vice President have prioritized Puerto Rico in a way that no other Administration has, ensuring that we can deliver for people who have consistently been left behind.

It's no accident that we have awarded nearly $300M to 91 Minority-serving institutions to expand remote learning opportunities and spur economic development in their communities and that just last week, we signed an MOU with HACU to increase our partnership with HSIs.  Ensuring that students and recent grads have direct pathways to opportunities within the Department of Commerce and that we have been holding a series of workforce roundtables with HACU, UnidosUS and the CHC focused on students at HSIs.

And it’s certainly no accident that we are all here with this evening. All of these achievements and more represent the conscious decision we have all made to do something – to take action.  

And that, my friends, is why it is so important to make the choice of who we put in these positions – to whom we give a seat at the table – a priority. 

Because we know that a seat at the table is about more than affecting policy, it’s about making the type of change that will impact the lives of Latino families across the country, and making our economy more dynamic and stronger. So, once again, thank you again for everything you’ve done. I’m excited to continue working with the CHC and all of you to support our community.

CHIPS Investment Expected to Nearly Double U.S. Production Capacity of Sensor and Power Chips at Bloomington, Minnesota Manufacturing Facility

Today, as part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced its first award under the CHIPS Incentives Program’s Funding Opportunity for Commercial Fabrication Facilities of up to $123 million in direct funding to Polar Semiconductor (Polar). The award follows the previously signed preliminary memorandum of terms and the completion of the Department’s due diligence. The award will expand and modernize the company’s manufacturing facility in Bloomington, Minnesota. The Department will distribute the funds based on Polar’s completion of project milestones.

“Semiconductors – those tiny chips smaller than the tip of your finger – power everything from smartphones to cars to satellites and weapons systems. I signed the CHIPS and Science Act to revitalize American leadership in semiconductors, strengthen our supply chains, protect our national security, and advance American competitiveness. And over the last three and a half years, we have done just that, catalyzing over $400 billion in private sector investments in semiconductors and electronics that are creating over 115,000 construction and manufacturing jobs. This year alone, the United States is on pace to see more investment in electronics manufacturing construction than it did over the last 24 years combined,” said President Joe Biden. “Today’s announcement that the Department of Commerce has finalized the first commercial CHIPS Incentives award with Polar Semiconductor marks the next phase of the implementation of the CHIPS and Science Act, and demonstrates how we continue to deliver on the Investing in America agenda. Polar’s new facility will also be completed under a Project Labor Agreement to support its construction workforce, creating good-quality union jobs in Bloomington, Minnesota. Today’s announcement is just one of the many ways our Investing in America agenda is reshoring U.S. manufacturing, investing in workers and communities across the country, and advancing America’s leadership in the technologies of tomorrow.”

“Today represents an important milestone in the implementation of the historic CHIPS and Science Act as we announce the first award agreement with Polar,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “The Biden-Harris Administration’s investment in Polar will create a new U.S.-owned foundry for sensor and power semiconductors and modernize and expand Polar’s facilities in Minnesota, strengthening our national and economic security, bolstering our supply chains, and creating quality jobs.”  

The Biden-Harris Administration’s investment will support Polar’s efforts to almost double its U.S. production capacity of sensor and power chips within two years. This award catalyzes a total investment of more than $525 million from private, state, and federal sources to transform Polar from a majority foreign-owned in-house manufacturer to a majority U.S.-owned commercial foundry. Through Polar’s semiconductor manufacturing operations, the Administration’s investment is expected to create over 160 manufacturing and construction jobs in Minnesota. 

For more information about Polar’s award, please visit the CHIPS for America website.

“The Biden-Harris Administration’s investment into Polar marks the first award, of many to come, into communities across our nation to regain our lead in semiconductor manufacturing,” said Lael Brainard, National Economic Advisor.

“Polar and its employees are excited to embark on our transformative project. We welcome new customers and partnerships, and as a domestic U.S.-owned sensor and advanced power semiconductor merchant foundry, we will support technology and design innovation, protect intellectual property, facilitate onshoring and technology transfers, and provide efficient low- to high-volume manufacturing with world-class quality,” said Surya Iyer, President and Chief Operating Officer of Polar Semiconductor. “Through our collaborative and sustained workforce development efforts, we expect to support customers with highly skilled employees today and into the future. We are pleased to close on the significant equity investment from Niobrara Capital and Prysm Capital, and we extend our sincere thanks to our partners at the U.S. Department of Commerce, the State of Minnesota, and the City of Bloomington for their support of the future of American semiconductor manufacturing.”

The purpose of the Award Phase is to finalize comprehensive due diligence and negotiate the final award documents. As stated in the CHIPS Notice of Funding Opportunity for Commercial Fabrication Facilities, the Department will distribute direct funding based on the completion of project components in connection with both the capital expenditures for the project and production and commercial milestones. The program will track the performance of each CHIPS Incentives Award through financial and programmatic reports, in accordance with the award terms and conditions, to establish a compliance program to monitor that commitments are being upheld. 

About CHIPS for America

CHIPS for America has allocated more than $35 billion in proposed funding across 16 states and proposed to invest billions more in research and innovation, which is expected to create over 115,000 jobs. Since the beginning of the Biden-Harris Administration, semiconductor and electronics companies have announced over $400 billion in private investments, catalyzed in large part by public investment. CHIPS for America is part of President Biden and Vice President Harris’s economic plan to invest in America, stimulate private sector investment, create good-paying jobs, make more in the United States, and revitalize communities left behind. CHIPS for America includes the CHIPS Program Office, responsible for manufacturing incentives, and the CHIPS Research and Development Office, responsible for R&D programs, that both sit within the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) at the Department of Commerce. Visit chips.gov to learn more.

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo joined the Ministers from the 13 other Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) partners, in their third Ministerial meeting this year on IPEF Pillars II, III, and IV.

During the virtual meeting, Secretary Raimondo reflected on the significant progress made by the IPEF partners since the Ministers last met in Singapore in June 2024, highlighting the ground-breaking collaboration among, and concrete steps taken by, the partners to build more resilient supply chains, facilitate the transition to clean economies, and level the playing field for businesses. In particular, the Secretary welcomed the upcoming entry into force of the Clean Economy Agreement, Fair Economy Agreement, and Agreement on IPEF on October 11, 2024, October 12, 2024, and October 11, 2024, respectively, and emphasized the significant opportunities to further deepen economic cooperation and continue to deliver concrete benefits under the IPEF agreements going forward.

The IPEF Ministers discussed their vision for ongoing cooperation under the IPEF agreements, outlined actionable next steps in the months ahead, including building on the positive progress made by the IPEF Agreement Relating to Supply Chain Resilience’s (Supply Chain Agreement) three bodies, and provided direction to the IPEF senior officials for their future work under the IPEF agreements. They agreed to continue to monitor the progress made to further operationalize the Supply Chain Agreement, Clean Economy Agreement, Fair Economy Agreement, and Agreement on IPEF, and look forward to the first meetings of the ministerial-level IPEF Council and IPEF Joint Commission established under the Agreement on IPEF.

“The speed at which the IPEF partners have concluded these high-standard economic cooperation agreements focused on key issues is a testament to the IPEF partners’ commitment to making our economies the best places to do business in the region,” said Secretary Raimondo. “With today’s announcement of the upcoming entry into force for these additional IPEF agreements, partners are now intensely focused on using these three agreements, as well as the Supply Chain Agreement, to deepen our economic cooperation so that we can continue to deliver the tangible benefits to our workers, businesses, and economies envisioned under IPEF.”

The IPEF Clean Economy Agreement, IPEF Fair Economy Agreement, and Agreement on IPEF Enter into Force in Mid-October

Following the signing ceremony held during the IPEF Ministerial meeting in Singapore on June 6, the IPEF partners have been advancing the Clean Economy Agreement, Fair Economy Agreement, and Agreement on IPEF through their respective domestic processes. During today’s Ministerial meeting, the IPEF partners welcomed the upcoming entry into force of the three agreements in mid-October, with Fiji, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, and the United States having completed their domestic processes for the Clean Economy Agreement; Fiji, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, and the United States having completed their domestic processes for the Fair Economy Agreement; and Fiji, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, and the United States having completed their domestic processes for the Agreement on IPEF. With the requisite threshold reached for each of the three agreements, the Clean Economy Agreement and Agreement on IPEF will enter into force on October 11, 2024, and the Fair Economy Agreement will enter into force on October 12, 2024.

This progress, which comes just ten months after the announcement of the substantial conclusion of the negotiations of these three agreements, marks another major milestone, completed in record time. The IPEF partners also look forward to the other partners quickly completing their domestic processes.

The IPEF Supply Chain Agreement

The IPEF partners discussed the strong progress made in operationalizing the Supply Chain Agreement, deepening cooperation to build more competitive and resilient supply chains, better prepare for, prevent, and respond to supply chain disruptions when they happen, and ensure that regional supply chains raise up workers and respect labor rights. In particular, the IPEF partners welcomed the two additional Parties – Australia and New Zealand – that have completed their domestic approval processes and deposited their respective instruments of ratification, acceptance, or approval. In total, 10 IPEF partners have now completed their domestic processes.

Additionally, the IPEF partners highlighted the meaningful collaboration taking place under the Supply Chain Agreement. This includes:

• The three supply chain bodies – the Supply Chain Council (Council), the Crisis Response Network (Network), and the Labor Rights Advisory Board (LRAB) – met virtually in July to elect leadership. Specifically, the United States will serve as Chair and India as Vice Chair of the Council; Korea will serve as Chair and Japan as Vice Chair of the Network; and the United States will serve as Chair and Fiji as Vice Chair of the LRAB.
• The IPEF partners joined the Commerce Department- and Council on Foreign Relations-hosted Supply Chain Summit in Washington, D.C., which brought together experts from government, industry, and academia to discuss supply chain issues, and included a panel with representatives from India, Malaysia, New Zealand, and Singapore exploring the opportunities under the IPEF Supply Chain Agreement.
• The IPEF Supply Chain Council held its first in-person meeting, where the IPEF partners agreed to an initial workplan, established subcommittees focused on data analytics and logistics, and established Action Plan teams on semiconductors, critical minerals with a focus on batteries, and chemicals, with plans for another on healthcare products.
• The IPEF Crisis Response Network held its first in-person meeting and conducted a crisis simulation tabletop exercise to help prepare the IPEF partners to work together to respond to possible future disruptions and mitigate the impacts on their economies.
• The United States convened various meetings with government, labor union, and employer representatives in Bangkok, Thailand, to discuss the labor provisions in the Supply Chain Agreement, Clean Economy Agreement, and Fair Economy Agreement. Additionally, the United States launched the IPEF Labor Network, which will provide a platform for labor unions across the region to collaborate and engage with IPEF partner governments.

Building on this early progress, the IPEF Ministers committed to continuing to further collaborate through the three bodies to strengthen IPEF supply chains.

The IPEF Clean Economy Agreement

During the virtual Ministerial, the IPEF partners commended the progress made on the Clean Economy Agreement since the successful Ministerial meeting and inaugural Clean Economy Investor Forum in June.

In particular, the IPEF partners welcomed the first project to receive support through the IPEF Catalytic Capital Fund – specifically, funding has been committed to support the issuance of a $48 million green bond that will mobilize private investment into improving the water infrastructure in Vietnam and support improved quality water access to households and businesses in Vietnam. The IPEF partners look forward to the Fund continuing to support additional projects consistent with the goals and objectives of the Clean Economy Agreement.

The Secretary also highlighted the announcement of the Coalition for Emerging Market Infrastructure Investment, a private sector endeavor established during the Investor Forum and consisting of global private sector investors and philanthropic organizations, to launch a program for country investment platforms that will prioritize the identification, creation, and facilitation of investments consistent with the goals of the Clean Economy Agreement in the IPEF partner economies.

In addition, the IPEF partners welcomed the progress made on the eight Cooperative Work Programs (CWPs), which serve as one of the primary mechanisms under the Clean Economy Agreement for facilitating cooperation among participating IPEF partners on priority topics. Each CWP, as developed by the proposing IPEF partner or partners and in consultation with the other IPEF partners, has different objectives and workstreams to carry forward the collaborative work, oftentimes beginning with an information exchange to facilitate a common understanding of the partners’ positions and including collaborating with the private sector. The IPEF partners welcomed the meaningful steps that have been taken over the last several months on each CWP, which will proceed on its own timeline, including:

• On the hydrogen supply chain CWP, the participating IPEF partners’ technical experts completed a series of informational exchanges showcasing each of the partners’ respective plans for hydrogen. Based on how each government intends to incorporate hydrogen into its respective energy plan, a Department of Energy national laboratory is conducting a supply and demand mapping exercise of the participating IPEF countries.
• On the sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) CWP, the participating IPEF partners will convene a public-private task force comprising IPEF partners and relevant companies from across the SAF ecosystem. The task force aims to explore the availability of SAF feedstocks in the region, facilitate the cross-border movement of SAF and SAF feedstocks, and enhance the deployment of SAF in the region.
• On the clean electricity CWP, the participating IPEF partners completed a detailed workplan that sets out the specific activities to be undertaken. As a first step, Japan and Korea announced they would co-organize a public-private seminar in the coming months, aimed at fostering a better understanding of best practices in the private sector and policy insights related to the efficient procurement of clean electricity, and exploration of collaboration opportunities between the public and private sectors through case studies, as part of the collaboration between the CWP and Korea’s Carbon Free Energy Initiative.
• On the small modular reactors (SMRs) CWP, the participating IPEF partners have established an SMR network of the relevant government representatives who lead the government’s work on nuclear energy. Additionally, the participating IPEF partners are undertaking an initial stock-taking of their various stages of preparation for the deployment of SMR technology in their respective countries. As a next step, the Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory will conduct an exercise on areas of cooperation that complement existing efforts, advance the deployment of SMRs in the region, and strengthen the region’s energy security.

The IPEF Fair Economy Agreement

The IPEF partners welcomed the next steps to implement the Agreement, including operationalizing the Technical Assistance and Capacity Building Coordination Group that will coordinate technical assistance and capacity building (TACB) under the Agreement’s Capacity Building Framework. Recognizing the critical role that TACB will play in the effective implementation of the anti-corruption and tax provisions of the Agreement, and building on the Catalogue of Technical Assistance and Capacity Building Initiatives for the IPEF Pillar IV Fair Economy Agreement, the United States announced further details on several of its TACB initiatives, including:

• The Department of Commerce’s Commercial Law Development Program (CLDP) announced a State Department Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) funded IPEF Fair Economy Agreement anti-corruption program. The two-year program will offer IPEF partners TACB to help with implementation of the anti-corruption provisions of the Agreement, primarily focused on enforcement training centered on foreign bribery, corporate liability, and compliance. The Agreement’s Capacity Building Framework will serve as the primary mechanism for IPEF partners to request TACB under this program.
• In August 2024, the Treasury Department’s Office of Technical Assistance (OTA) held a successful virtual workshop that served as a forum for the IPEF partners to discuss the importance of effective tax administration to support economic and development objectives. The workshop also provided an opportunity for the IPEF partners to learn about OTA’s technical assistance programs to advance the tax-related objectives of the Agreement.
• In October 2024, the State Department INL, with the Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, will hold an IPEF workshop focused on the implementation and enforcement of foreign bribery laws.
• In October 2024, the State Department INL, with the Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, will hold an IPEF workshop on preventing corruption in public procurement, including tools to improve the effectiveness of oversight mechanisms, appeal systems, and potential remedies and legal options.

By strengthening anti-corruption efforts and enhancing the efficiency of tax administration, the IPEF partners are demonstrating their commitment to increased transparency and predictability, and thereby will be better positioned to expand their trade and investment ties and ensure the benefits of trade are broadly shared throughout their economies.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves met with Minister of Economic Affairs of the Netherlands Dirk Beljaarts. During their meeting, the Deputy Secretary reaffirmed the Department of Commerce’s commitment to a strong trade and investment relationship with the Netherlands and cooperation on broader transatlantic trade issues. The two discussed the potential for increased bilateral cooperation on critical emerging technologies and secure supply chains, including on semiconductors, as well as promoting impactful business investment.

In today’s dynamic and rapidly evolving economic landscape, the digital economy has become a cornerstone of economic growth, job creation and innovation in the United States. It is creating international growth opportunities for businesses of all sizes across virtually every industry—from farming to high-end manufacturing. According to the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), in 2023, U.S. exports of digitally-enabled services accounted for 64% of all U.S. services exports, driving the $278 billion trade surplus in services. The digital economy is a major source of employment, with 8.9 million persons holding jobs tied to the digital economy across nearly every sector and industry.

As the digital economy grows, U.S. businesses, especially micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), are navigating increasingly complex policy environments overseas and evolving market conditions that threaten to undermine U.S. technological leadership. To address this, the International Trade Administration (ITA), in partnership with other Commerce agencies and leveraging expertise across the Department, is undertaking several new initiatives and expanding existing efforts that are designed to strengthen U.S. competitiveness and trade in the digital economy.

1. New Global Digital Economy Reporting: To better inform and serve MSMEs, ITA’s Country Commercial Guides will now include a separate chapter on the digital economy.  This chapter provides practical and actionable information to help U.S. businesses stay informed of the latest trends, opportunities, and challenges impacting the digital economy. U.S. businesses can access this new information on Trade.gov. Going forward, the Digital Economy chapter will be updated annually.  
2. Training Digital Attachés and Growing Linkages with Leading U.S. Tech Companies: Based in U.S. embassies around the world, ITA’s digital attachés specialize in promoting commercial exchange, tackling market access barriers and developing partnerships. Working with the Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU) and others in industry, ITA plans to strengthen the professional development of its digital attachés by training our staff and enhancing linkages with leading U.S. Fortune 500 and small and medium-sized tech companies through substantive engagement before those Attachés arrive in their overseas posts. This experience will empower commercial diplomats to be stronger advocates for U.S. commercial interests in foreign markets and help strengthen U.S. leadership in the digital economy.
3. Supporting MSME Tech Exporters: In collaboration with the Economic Development Administration (EDA), ITA’s U.S. Commercial Service offices recently developed a support mechanism to aid the 31 Tech Hubs, designated by EDA last year, to build their capacity to provide tailored advice and support that helps to maximize the growth potential of MSMEs working with each Hub.
4. Digital Economy Trade Missions: With the growth of barriers to trade in the digital economy, beginning this year, ITA is pursuing more executive-led commercial diplomacy trade missions focused exclusively on U.S. exports of digitally-enabled services. These missions would feature government-to-government policy engagement with the support of participants from the U.S. business community. They would also target different regions. ITA will continue to organize several business development trade missions in sectors like Cybersecurity and Financial Technology.

These actions build on ITA’s longstanding efforts—through its industry and policy experts, its network of international and domestic offices, and its partnership with experts across the Department—to deliver concrete, commercially meaningful outcomes that advance U.S. innovation and leadership in the digital economy. These efforts include working with trading partners through signature achievements like the U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council, Presidential initiatives like the Digital Transformation with Africa, and specialized bilateral dialogues like the U.S.-Singapore Partnership for Growth and Innovation and the U.S.-Brazil Commercial Dialogue, to pursue alignment on digital economy issues. They also include efforts to promote data flows that are critical for U.S. companies, particularly MSMEs, to access foreign markets; advance secure and trusted networks; and strengthen innovation through the full deployment of Wi-Fi technologies and the safe, secure, and trustworthy development of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence.

Department of Commerce Announces Grants Across Nine States Highlight Thriving U.S. Semiconductor Industry

Today, the Biden-Harris Administration awarded nearly $5 million to 17 small businesses across nine states under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program. The SBIR Phase I awards will fund research projects to explore the technical merit or feasibility of an innovative idea or technology for developing a viable product or service for introduction in the commercial microelectronics marketplace. This is the first award for the CHIPS Research and Development Office. The Biden-Harris Administration is dedicated to getting small businesses the resources they need to thrive and promoting competition to level the playing field.

“As we grow the U.S. semiconductor industry, the Biden-Harris Administration is committed to building opportunities for small businesses to prosper. With today’s awards, these 17 businesses will support CHIPS for America’s efforts to grow the U.S. semiconductor ecosystem and support our national and economic security,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo.

NIST measurement science, or metrology, is at the heart of all the advances we anticipate from American chipmakers in coming years, like smaller, faster, chips that take less energy to make, operate and cool, with more functions at less expense.

The award-winning projects were competitively selected from proposals submitted in response to a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) on multiple topics on research projects for critically needed measurement services, tools, and instrumentation; innovative manufacturing metrologies; novel assurance and provenance technologies and advanced metrology research and development (R&D) testbeds to help secure U.S. leadership in the global semiconductor industry.

These are all Phase I SBIR awards, which are meant to establish the merit, feasibility and commercial potential of the proposed research and development projects. All 17 small businesses will be under consideration for a SBIR Phase II award in Spring 2025. Each Phase II award can be funded up to $1,910,000. 

“NIST and CHIPS for America are proud to support these small businesses as they take innovations, scale them for the commercial marketplace, and boost the U.S. economy. We are happy to support the entrepreneurs with great ideas as they seek to build the next great American company,” said Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Director Laurie E. Locascio.

CHIPS Metrology SBIR Awardees

Direct Electron LP (Rancho Bernardo, California)

Develop a novel high-speed camera for high-resolution electron backscatter diffraction and transmission Kikuchi diffraction which will significantly expand the materials properties that can be probed with this technique. This project will benefit U.S. industry using materials characterization for current and next-generation microelectronics devices.

HighRI Optics, Inc (Oakland, California)

Develop cutting-edge technology for calibration of the instrument transfer function of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithographic tools. This project will advance EUV lithography technology for the U.S. semiconductor industry.

Photon Spot, Inc. (Monrovia, California)

Develop an ultra-compact, ultra-low vibration cryogenic system to support time-resolved imaging applications. This project will benefit integrated circuit manufacturers and researchers conducting experiments on quantum technologies.

Photothermal Spectroscopy Corporation (Santa Barbara, California)

Develop a new instrument for high-speed thermal properties analysis and simultaneous chemical characterization with sub-micron spatial resolution. This project will improve thermal management and thermal property characterization for the U.S. semiconductor industry.

PrimeNano Inc (Santa Clara, California)

Develop a measurement technology for in-line metrology, which has applications in materials purity, electrical properties, three-dimensional devices, and next generation manufacturing. This project will benefit the U.S. metrology and advanced packaging industries.

Recon RF, Inc.  (San Diego, California)

Develop next-generation large-signal and high-power transistor modeling techniques to create highly accurate models for Radio Frequency (RF)-Microwave circuit design simulators. This project will benefit researchers and U.S. manufacturers of advanced radar, communications, and satellite technologies.

Sigray, Inc (Concord, California)

Develop a novel linear accumulation x-ray source to achieve an order of magnitude increase in performance over leading x-ray sources for critical dimension scattering. This project benefits researchers and manufacturers of semiconductor transistors.

Vapor Cell Technologies (Boulder, Colorado)

Develop advanced dimensional metrology tools for semiconductor fabrication equipment to minimize the gap in the physical-digital divide and amplifying the accuracy of digital twins. This project will benefit the U.S. microelectronics supply chain. 

Tech-X Corporation (Boulder, Colorado)

Develop a simulation tool for photonic integrated circuits that accounts for manufacturing variations and imperfections. This project will benefit the designers of photonic integrated circuits, who will have faster development times as well as U.S. semiconductor manufacturers and fabrication facilities.

Octave Photonics LLC (Louisville, Colorado)

Develop a new measurement tool to analyze airborne contaminants and toxic gases inside and outside the fab that lead to semiconductor processing defects and safety infringements. This project will benefits U.S semiconductor fabrication facilities.

Virtual EM, Inc. (Ann Arbor, Michigan)

Develop a Radio Frequency (RF) channel sounder system to accurately characterize the effects of the wireless environment. This project will benefit microelectronics companies and research institutions focused on communication technologies.

The Provenance Chain Network (Portland, Oregon)

Develop a reference implementation of the Commercial Trust™ Protocol (CTP) to manage verifiable credentials (VCs), metrology, and intellectual property, enhancing hardware security, and provenance tracking of microelectronic components across supply chains.  This project will benefit the U.S. microelectronics supply chain industry.

Tiptek, LLC (West Chester, Pennsylvania)

Develop new high-speed nanoprobes to enhance the ability for semiconductor failure analysis to locate and analyze to detect "soft' electrical faults that occur on the most advanced semiconductors and are otherwise difficult to detect. This project will benefit researchers and semiconductor failure analysis engineers in the U.S. semiconductor industry. 

Exigent Solutions (Frisco, Texas)

Develop AI-powered software to automate chip design optimization for manufacturability through accelerated lithography simulation. This project will benefit U.S. researchers and industry involve in semiconductor design and manufacturing.

Laser Thermal Analysis, Inc (Charlottesville, Virginia)

Develop hybrid atomic force microscopy instrument that will automatically generate maps of the thermal resistance, thermal boundary interface resistance, and temperature profiles of microprocessors and wide bandgap semiconductor materials and devices. This project will benefit devices with thermal management challenges and materials development needs on length scales smaller than 100 nanometers.

Hummingbird Precision Machine Co. dba Hummingbird Scientific (Olympia, Washington)

Develop a transmission electron microscopy in-situ specimen holder that enables real-time imaging of nano-scale electronic devices. The project will benefit manufacturers and researchers of next-generation high-voltage power converters used in a wide variety of industries. 

Steam Instruments (Madison, Wisconsin)

Develop a rapid and accurate high-resolution ion microscopy technology for materials characterization particularly focused on challenges for the semiconductor industry. This project will benefit the U.S. semiconductor industry and researchers.

Learn more about the CHIPS Metrology Program and the seven grand challenges.

About CHIPS for America   

CHIPS for America has allocated over $32 billion in proposed funding across 16 states and proposed to invest billions more in research and innovation, which will create over 115,000 jobs. Since the beginning of the Biden-Harris Administration, semiconductor and electronics companies have announced over $400 billion in private investments, catalyzed in large part by public investment. CHIPS for America is part of President Biden and Vice President Harris’s economic plan to invest in America, stimulate private sector investment, create good-paying jobs, make more in the United States, and revitalize communities left behind. CHIPS for America includes the CHIPS Program Office, responsible for manufacturing incentives, and the CHIPS Research and Development Office, responsible for R&D programs, that both sit within the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) at the Department of Commerce. Visit https://www.chips.gov to learn more. 

The CHIPS Metrology Program is building partnerships between researchers and industry to address the microelectronics industry’s metrology grand challenges. CHIPS for America has funded over $190 million across over 40 projects that are helping to develop new instruments, methods, data analysis, and models and simulations.