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New York State is set to become a global leader in the semiconductor industry with the designation of Albany's NanoTech Complex as the National Semiconductor Technology Center. The center, which will focus on the research and manufacturing of semiconductor chips, has secured $825 million in federal funding. The announcement was made by Governor Kathy Hochul and U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer.
The NanoTech Complex was selected by federal officials as the national headquarters for research into a cutting-edge semiconductor technology known as extreme ultraviolet, or EUV, lithography. The lab will house the most advanced chip-making machinery in the world, allowing researchers from the semiconductor industry to collaborate with their university counterparts. The National Semiconductor Technology Center Extreme Ultraviolet Accelerator is scheduled to begin operating next year.
According to Fortune, the funding for the center stems from the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act, which aims to create more high-tech jobs and help the United States compete with international rivals like China. The Biden administration has set a goal for the U.S. to make 20% of the world’s advanced chips.
The selection of the Albany lab advances longstanding efforts by Schumer and other government officials to make upstate New York a global center of semiconductor research and manufacturing. Governor Hochul announced a partnership with the semiconductor industry last year to fund the construction of the EUV Center.
The Biden administration has also provided significant funding to other chip companies in the region. In February, the government provided $1.5 billion to GlobalFoundries to expand its domestic production north of Albany and in Vermont. In April, the administration announced an agreement to provide $6.1 billion in government support for Micron Technology to produce advanced memory computer chips near Syracuse, New York, and in Boise, Idaho.