Mold Remediation in Sunnyvale, CA

As part of the Biden Administration’s Investing in America agenda, on November 1, 2024, the Department of Commerce announced that the second CHIPS for America Design and Collaboration Facility (DCF) is expected to be located in Sunnyvale, California.

New CHIPS Facility

The new DCF’s location was announced by the National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC), which will also be in charge of its operations, as part of the Administration’s CHIPS for America initiative.

The research and development (R&D) facility’s purpose is to aid the efforts to advance the design and research of semiconductors, strengthen the semiconductor supply chain in the U.S., and support the domestic production of these important components.

DCF Benefits

The perks of the new R&D facility don’t end at strengthening American semiconductor production; it will also create good jobs in the U.S., and improve workforce development.

The facility will also serve as a training hub, and a platform for NSTC members and stakeholders to collaborate on all related projects.

Location Choice

The chosen location in Silicon Valley — known for being the center of technological innovation — isn’t surprising.

This setting is also helpful for the project’s goal of bringing together industry experts and stakeholders who will work on critical advancements in chip design, technology, and production.

Sunnyvale CHIPS R&D Facility

The DCF in Sunnyvale joins other important CHIPS projects, including the first CHIPS facilities in Albany, N.Y., (an EUV Accelerator and an Advanced Packaging Piloting Facility) making up a network of locations for the advancement of semiconductor technologies.

The Administration has stated that more details on the facility’s operations and related projects are expected in the coming months.

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Tang Yan Song

In the second announcement of its kind in as many days, Sunnyvale, California has been selected as the CHIPS for America Design and Collaboration Facility (DCF). The announcement was made today by the U.S. Department of Commerce and Natcast, the operator of the National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC). The DCF will be one of three CHIPS for America research and design (R&D) facilities and will also operate as the headquarters for the NTSC and Natcast.

The DCF is expected to drive more than $1 billion in research funding and create more than 200 direct jobs over the next 10 years. It will serve as the center for advanced semiconductor research in chip design, electronic design automation, chip and system architecture, and hardware security and will be integral to the country’s semiconductor workforce development efforts.

“The research and development component of the CHIPS and Science Act is fundamental to our long-term national security and ensuring the U.S. remains the most technologically competitive place on earth,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “With this proposed facility, CHIPS for America is providing access to cutting-edge research, tools, and workforce opportunities to communities across the country. Thanks to President Biden and Vice President Harris’s leadership, these new facilities will help secure America’s leadership in global semiconductor technology and manufacturing for decades to come.”

Set within the semiconductor design ecosystem of Silicon Valley, the Sunnyvale DCF is expected to be a multi-functional facility, serving as a critical location for the operations of Natcast and the NSTC, including:

“We are thrilled that the Department of Commerce and Natcast chose to locate this critically important facility in Sunnyvale, the heart of the Silicon Valley, alongside the world’s largest concentration of semiconductor businesses, talent, intellectual property, and investment activity,” said Dee Dee Myers, Senior Economic Advisor to Governor Newsom and Director of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz). “The Newsom Administration and our partners across the industry know how important it is to shorten the timeframe from R&D to commercialization. We are looking forward to a productive partnership with the Department of Commerce and Natcast to ensure that CHIPS for America will be an enduring success not only for our state but for the entire country.”

“Silicon Valley is a broad, vibrant, and dynamic semiconductor ecosystem,” said Deirdre Hanford, Natcast CEO. “Surrounded by established companies and innovative startups, leading research and academic institutions, investors, and stakeholders from across the semiconductor value chain, the CHIPS for America Design and Collaboration Facility in Sunnyvale, California will encourage and enable NSTC members to work together to address some of the most complex challenges we face as a nation and a world today.”

“California continues to be a global leader in innovation and entrepreneurship, translating fundamental research discoveries into foundational technologies,” said Theresa Maldonado, Ph.D., P.E., Vice President for Research and Innovation at the University of California Office of the President. “The University of California is committed to working hand-in-hand with Natcast and the DCF on next generation semiconductor research and workforce development to ensure the U.S. remains a world leader in this field.”

The proposed DCF will be one of the flagship R&D facilities for CHIPS for America, which are designed to benefit the NSTC community and provide critical technologies for researchers nationwide. The other two planned facilities are the CHIPS for America EUV Accelerator planned for Albany, New York, and the forthcoming CHIPS for America NSTC Prototyping and National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program (NAPMP) Advanced Packaging Piloting Facility.

Check out all the latest news related to California economic development, corporate relocation, corporate expansion and site selection.

What you need to know: California will be home to a first-of-its-kind research & development facility made possible by the Biden-Harris Administration’s CHIPS & Science Act.

SACRAMENTO – Today, Governor Newsom celebrated California’s selection by the U.S. Department of Commerce to be home to the headquarters for the new National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC). This new facility, known as the Design and Collaboration Facility (DCF), will be one of the three CHIPS for America research and design (R&D) facilities and will also operate as the headquarters of Natcast, the non-profit entity designated by Commerce to operate the NSTC.

California has long been a leader in global technology and future thinking innovation. With our state’s global talent pool, world-leading universities and research institutions, and top technology companies, it is no surprise California was selected. We often say the future happens here first, and thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration’s announcement, California will continue to shape the coming decades across the most critical sectors of our economy and national security.

Governor Gavin Newsom

Why this matters

The new headquarters facility will lower the barriers to semiconductor prototyping, experimentation, and other R&D activities that will support America’s global strength and leadership in design, materials, and process innovation while enabling a vibrant domestic industry. The DCF is expected to drive more than $1 billion in research funding and create more than 200 direct jobs over the next 10 years, utilizing California’s global talent and world-leading research and education facilities throughout the Golden State. California’s leadership in the semiconductor industry is key to the Governor’s ‘build more, faster’ infrastructure agenda.

“We are thrilled that the Department of Commerce and Natcast chose to locate this critically important facility in Sunnyvale, the heart of Silicon Valley, alongside the world’s largest concentration of semiconductor businesses, talent, intellectual property, and investment activity,” said Dee Dee Myers, Senior Economic Advisor to Governor Newsom and Director of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz). “The Newsom Administration and our partners across the industry know how important it is to shorten the time frame from R&D to commercialization. We are looking forward to a productive partnership with the Department of Commerce and Natcast to ensure that CHIPS for America will be an enduring success not only for our state but for the entire country.”

About the new headquarters (Design and Collaboration Facility, DCF)

The DCF will convene semiconductor industry leaders from across the U.S., offering unparalleled engagement and collaboration opportunities to a diverse array of stakeholders across the semiconductor value chain, and will administer the NSTC Design Enablement Gateway, helping drive technological advances in semiconductor design and manufacturing to transfer at scale. The facility will also oversee the NSTC Workforce Center of Excellence to build and sustain the diverse and skilled workforce necessary for the U.S. semiconductor industry to grow. With the largest public higher education system in the U.S., world-class research institutions like UC Berkeley and Stanford, and surrounding national labs, California’s unmatched talent pipeline will foster a dynamic workforce that advances the DCF mission.

Learn more about today’s announcement here.

Bay Area/ San Jose

In a significant development for the technology landscape in California, the Biden-Harris Administration, in conjunction with the Department of Commerce and Natcast, has identified Sunnyvale, CA, as the expected site for the new CHIPS for America Design and Collaboration Facility (DCF). This facility is set to advance semiconductor design and research, fostering collaboration through the National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC). According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, this initiative directly responds to the critical need to reinforce the U.S. semiconductor supply chain and enhance R&D within the nation's borders.

Establishing the DCF marks a strategic move to escalate U.S. semiconductor capabilities. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo stated via the U.S. Department of Commerce, "The research and development component of the CHIPS and Science Act is fundamental to our long-term national security and ensuring the U.S. remains the most technologically competitive place on earth." The facility is poised to become a nexus for industry, academia, and government partners to address industry challenges and drive economic growth simultaneously. Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology, Laurie E. Locascio added, "Through physical and digital assets, this proposed facility will help researchers, educators, and companies from across the country solve the most pressing challenges facing the semiconductor industry."

As per a recent announcement by the California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz), the DCF signifies more than just a regional investment; it is seen as a catapult for California's innovation economy, leveraging the state's rich resources in the semiconductor sector. To bolster the strategic placement in Silicon Valley, the facility will focus on semiconductor research in numerous advanced areas, such as chip design and hardware security. Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi praised the move, saying, "With California designated for the next CHIPS for America research and development flagship facility, the Golden State will lead the way with innovative technologies that will lower costs for America's working families."

Furthering the commitment to workforce development, the new DCF will incorporate the NSTC Workforce Center of Excellence, aimed to prepare and enrich a diverse talent pool vital for maintaining the semiconductor industry's growth trajectory. It promises to create more than 200 jobs in the next decade directly. Meanwhile, UC's Vice President for Research and Innovation, Theresa Maldonado, Ph.D., P.E., said, as per the California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development, "The University of California is committed to working hand-in-hand with Natcast and the DCF on next generation semiconductor research and workforce development to ensure the U.S. remains a world leader in this field." Emphasizing the consolidation of California's global position in technological innovation and entrepreneurship, the arrival of the DCF will undeniably ignite a robust synergy between research and commercial sectors.