Fast ForwardA landmark award will help expand Oregon’s semiconductor sector.

The May 1 email might have seemed routine to most: “Your NSF Regional Innovation Engine proposal 2532464 is currently under review by the program office.”

But for Rob Stone, it was anything but routine.

He knew, after having worked at the National Science Foundation for four years, that the message meant there was a “99% chance” the proposal would be funded. 

Two months later, it was official. 

Oregon State University and nearly 100 partners had secured what could be one of the largest awards in university history: up to $160 million over 10 years from the National Science Foundation to accelerate semiconductor innovation and manufacturing in Oregon. The goal: help Oregon turn its semiconductor strengths into more discoveries, more startups and more good jobs.

“It shows the power of our expertise and the expertise of all our partners in driving the state forward.”

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“This demonstrates OSU’s role as a leader and convener,” said Stone, the project’s interim CEO and principal investigator, as well as a professor of mechanical engineering. “It shows the power of our expertise and the expertise of all our partners in driving the state forward in a key sector like semiconductors.”

The initiative, known as Frontiers of Advanced Semiconductor Technology, or FAST, brings together semiconductor companies including Intel, HP and NVIDIA; community colleges and universities; government agencies and economic development agencies; venture capital funds; and a range of nonprofits to strengthen the semiconductor ecosystem statewide. 

Photos courtesy of Intel and OSU

It builds on the state’s semiconductor industry — often called “Silicon Forest” — which has been a major source of economic growth, exports and innovation. OSU’s history of helping to drive that ecosystem made it the project’s natural leader. More than 40 OSU faculty have expertise in semiconductors, leading research and collaborating with companies to advance chip design, performance and manufacturing. The university offers semiconductor workforce development programs, including online degrees and certificates. And for decades, OSU graduates have staffed semiconductor companies in Oregon and beyond.

“Oregon’s semiconductor leadership was built through decades of innovation and collaboration,” said Gaby Cruz Thompson, research manager at Intel Labs. “To remain competitive for decades to come, we must continue investing in the ecosystem that makes that success possible. We see the FAST coalition, led by OSU, as an important convener of this work.”

The award arrives as global demand for semiconductors is rising rapidly, in large part because of artificial intelligence. At the same time, federal investment has expanded, and states are competing to attract and retain high-tech jobs.

OSU launched FAST in 2022 to seize this opportunity. A year later, the consortium received $1 million from the NSF’s Regional Innovation Engines program to further build partnerships and develop initiatives focused on research and preparing students for jobs in the semiconductor industry. In 2024, NSF advanced FAST to the full proposal stage, allowing the team to compete for the award.

With the new funding, FAST will focus on three key priorities: 

• Identifying the semiconductor industry’s needs and accelerating research to meet them. 

• Helping startups by connecting entrepreneurs, investors and semiconductor companies.  

• Preparing workers for an industry that increasingly needs people with AI skills.

Early momentum is already visible. Initial funding from NSF, combined with $8.5 million from the state, has supported: new workforce training programs that allow technicians in the industry to acquire additional skills; industry-backed research projects for scientists at OSU and the University of Oregon; and the creation of Oregon Semi Central, a website connecting Oregonians with semiconductor career, training and education opportunities.

Pallavi Dhagat, an electrical engineer in OSU’s College of Engineering, has been involved with FAST from the beginning. She thinks the progress is encouraging but is most motivated by the long-term vision.

“I have friends in Silicon Valley,” she said. “There, you lose your job, you walk down the road and you find another job. Or you start something new. That culture of innovation, where failure becomes a stepping stone, is what I hope to see here.”