Vermont Tech Hub Awarded Nearly $24M For Semiconductor Innovation

The Vermont Gallium Nitride (V-GaN) Tech Hub-a consortium led by the University of Vermont (UVM) and including GlobalFoundries and the State of Vermont-has been awarded $23.7M in federal funding. The investment from the U.S. Economic Development Administration is the largest research award in UVM history.

The Vermont Tech Hub will create a comprehensive technology ecosystem in the Green Mountain State and New England to drive semiconductor design and manufacturing of high-power and high-frequency gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductors. Pairing GlobalFoundries' semiconductor leadership with UVM's world-class researchers, the Tech Hub will fuel business growth and workforce development to enhance the region's and state's economic and social vitality-bringing new cutting-edge facilities and computing technology to Vermont.

The Tech Hub will train over 500 new employees in the semiconductor workspace and engage over 6,000 K-12 students across Vermont in STEM participation in the next five years.

"This $24M in federal funding for the Vermont Gallium Nitride Tech Hub solidifies UVM's position as a national leader in research and workforce development within this critical technological field," UVM interim president Patricia Prelock said. "We are profoundly grateful to our consortium partners-GlobalFoundries and the State of Vermont-and to our Congressional delegation for their collaboration and support in establishing the region and the state as a national hub for semiconductor innovation."

Electrical engineering students use cutting-edge UVM semiconductor technology with GlobalFoundries employees.

Vermont's Tech Hub is one of six federal hubs awarded funding in this cycle. The investment will advance innovative projects in Vermont promoting GaN semiconductor technology, economic growth, and workforce development, including:

• Advanced Design Computing Center: A cutting-edge facility offering start-ups affordable access to advanced GaN and semiconductor design tools, reducing financial risks and fostering innovation. Partnering with UVM's Vermont Advanced Computing Center, the center will support commercial and national security applications, driving next-gen computing solutions.
• Test and Characterization Lab (TCL): Located at OnLogicin South Burlington, V-GaN's TCL will be the only publicly accessible lab in the U.S. offering comprehensive testing and technical advice for high-power and high-frequency GaN devices. Its capabilities were developed with input from key stakeholders, including GlobalFoundries, UVM's College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, and smaller regional semiconductor firms.
• V-GaN Training, Innovation, Design and Engineering (TIDES): UVM's Professional and Continuing Educationdivision will lead this major workforce development effort, offering K-12 initiatives to spark interest in GaN technologies, career pathways to increase rural access to semiconductor manufacturing jobs, and continuing education in semiconductor design, manufacturing, and GaN-specific skills. Partners include the Community College of Vermont, Norwich University, the Vermont State University System, and the Vermont Manufacturing Extension Center.

"The global demand for GaN and related semiconductor solutions is rapidly increasing, and we are determined to meet that demand," said UVM Vice President for Research and Economic Development Kirk Dombrowski. "GaN not only holds promise for a wide range of applications in the technology space, it also provides an opportunity for V-GaN Tech Hub members to make northern New England the global leader in that space. This work benefited from the participation of more than 30 UVM partners-including GlobalFoundries, OnLogic, Cadence, and the Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies-and represents the next generation of UVM's land grant mission."

Twelve companies have already committed to accelerating their product development through the V-GaN Tech Hub. The Tech Hub will make grant funding available to offset development costs for businesses owned by underserved and underrepresented populations in the semiconductor industry.

Learn more and connect with the V-GaN Tech Hub at vgan.tech.

Quotes:

"Vermont's new Tech Hub will benefit generations of researchers, tech innovators, and manufacturing leaders. The Biden-Harris Administration's $23 million investment in the Green Mountain State's technological and economic future is a testament to our innovative leadership, world-renowned research institutions, and our record of excellence in manufacturing," said Senator Peter Welch."While serving on the Senate Commerce Committee, I advocated for the Administration to invest in the Vermont Gallium Nitride Tech Hub at the University of Vermont and am thrilled to see the Department of Commerce selected the Vermont GaN Tech Hub consortium for one of six competitive Tech Hub awards. I thank Secretary Raimondo for her commitment to expanding opportunities in zip codes large and small. With this new funding, we'll enter 2025 celebrating jobs, innovation, and the advancement of the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act's mission of bolstering our nation's supply chain and onshoring manufacturing, right here in Vermont."

"I want to thank the U.S. Economic Development Administration for this investment in V-GaN and Vermont. Twenty-four million dollars is a tremendous endorsement of Vermont's ability to maximize this cutting-edge technology," saidVermont Commerce Secretary Lindsay Kurrle."Thanks to the US EDA, the extraordinary leadership at the University of Vermont, and the expertise at GlobalFoundries, Vermont is now poised to be a world leader in GaN, fostering an ecosystem that features rapid development of chip design, prototyping, and testing that bolster our workforce, enrich our students, and attract talent from all over the world. The Agency of Commerce and Community Development is standing by to help V-GaN achieve its goals in any way we can. Gallium Nitride is the future of semiconductors and Vermont is ready, willing, and able to be at the forefront of this transition."

"GlobalFoundries is excited that the V-GaN Tech Hub has received implementation funding from the U.S. government. Thanks to our Congressional Delegation along with the Department of Science, the CHIPS and Science Act is fostering innovation and investment and will be pivotal in bringing new essential chip technologies, like GaN on silicon, to market," said Ken McAvey, Vice President and General Manager of GlobalFoundries Vermont."We look forward to our continued work with UVM and our other partners in driving U.S. leadership in GaN and advancing high-volume manufacturing of this technology."

"We have gotten to this point due to the efforts of dozens of collaborators that came together to create this proposal. In early 2023, leaders from GlobalFoundries, UVM and the state identified an opportunity for the region to benefit from the technological advancements taking place at the GlobalFoundries plant in Essex Junction," said Doug Merrill, UVM's Regional Innovation Officer."Over the past 18 months leaders from technology firms, educational institutions, economic development organizations, and capital providers from around the state worked hard to create a plan to ensure that Northern New England will become a global center of excellence for high power and high frequency semiconductor development. National firms, including Cadence Design Systems, Keysight, Siemens, Intel, and RTX, have recognized this potential and signed on as well. I'm continually humbled by the hard work that our partners have contributed to this Hub and am incredibly grateful that the EDA has selected us for implementation funding. While our excitement about the potential benefits of this funding is tremendous, it is tempered by the responsibility of ensuring that we put this investment to good use and ensure that it creates good jobs and growing businesses across our region for years to come."

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