Texas’ surging semiconductor industry was put on full display during a recent event at the University of Texas at Austin.
The main takeaway of UT Austin’s recent Semiconductor Day was that the Lone Star State is at the center of a booming semiconductor scene that is bound for exponential growth as more research and investment get poured into the space.
Semiconductor Day was an event hosted by the Cockrell School of Engineering and its Chandra Family Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering on September 1. It examined the state’s semiconductor ecosystem from the perspective of leading companies, top researchers, government officials, and workforce coalitions.
“By continuing to invest in and expand the semiconductor ecosystem at UT Austin, we can propel Texas as a leader both nationally and internationally and become the premiere semiconductor education and research university,” UT President Jay Hartzell said in an address during the event, according to UT News.
In total, more than 800 industry professionals attended Semiconductor Day.
Some of the keynote speakers included members of UT Austin’s leadership, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), as well as representatives from tech companies like Texas Instruments, Apple, Microsoft, and Samsung, among others.
“We have an extraordinary opportunity now in the semiconductor industry that is unlike anything I have seen in my academic career,” said UT Austin Provost Sharon Wood, per UT News.
Wood highlighted the collective support of the Texas Legislature, which approved $552 million in taxpayer money from the Texas CHIPS Act for the Texas Institute for Electronics (TIE), a public-private partnership of preeminent semiconductor systems and defense electronics companies, national labs, and academic institutions sponsored by UT Austin.
“Today, Texas is the top state for semiconductor manufacturing, having led the nation for 12 years in the export of semiconductors and other electronic components,” said Gov. Greg Abbott in a statement about the Texas CHIPS Act.
“Significant industry investments announced in Texas in the last two years will further accelerate domestic semiconductor manufacturing, reducing reliance on foreign production and supply chains and further ensuring our nation’s security,” he continued.
