Plans call for building an institute to develop digital twins for semiconductor manufacturing and share resources among chip developers. Credit: Gorodenkoff / Shutterstock The Biden administration has proposed adding another $285 million to the CHIPS and Science Act for funding semiconductor development in the U.S. with the creation of a chip manufacturing institute and support for digital twins. The CHIPS for America Program is proposing a first-of-its-kind institute focused on the development, validation, and use of digital twins for semiconductor manufacturing, advanced packaging, assembly, and test processes. The CHIPS Manufacturing USA institute aims to establish regional networks to share resources with companies developing and manufacturing both physical semiconductors and digital twins. Digital twins are virtual representations of physical chips that mimic how the real version will function. It is meant to be a faster way to develop, test, and revise chips without having to make physical versions of them. It’s much easier to simulate a chip than spin out silicon and helps researchers test out new processors before putting them into production. “Digital twin technology can help to spark innovation in research, development, and manufacturing of semiconductors across the country — but only if we invest in America’s understanding and ability of this new technology,” Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said in a statement. “This new Manufacturing USA institute will not only help to make America a leader in developing this new technology for the semiconductor industry, it will also help train the next generation of American workers and researchers to use digital twins for future advances in R&D and production of chips.” Congress passed the CHIPS Act in 2022, and President Biden signed it into law in an effort to boost semiconductor manufacturing in the United States, which has a very meager share of semiconductor manufacturing. Much of semiconductor manufacturing is in Taiwan or South Korea. The Commerce Department has provided almost $33 billion in preliminary grants to chipmakers, in many cases to giant companies like Intel and Micron. Intel announced plans to build massive fabrication plants in Ohio, but they have since been delayed for a year due to economic conditions. Biden administration officials have scheduled briefings on May 16 where interested parties can speak with the government officials about the funding opportunities. The government will fund the operational activities of the institute, research around digital twins, physical and digital facilities, and workforce training. The CHIPS Manufacturing USA institute is expected to use integrated physical and digital assets to tackle important semiconductor-industry manufacturing challenges. The institute hopes to foster a collaborative environment to significantly expand innovation, bring benefits to both large and small to mid-sized manufacturers. Related content news Supermicro unveils AI-optimized storage powered by Nvidia New storage system features multiple Nvidia GPUs for high-speed throughput. By Andy Patrizio Oct 24, 2024 3 mins Enterprise Storage Data Center news Nvidia to power India’s AI factories with tens of thousands of AI chips India’s cloud providers and server manufacturers plan to boost Nvidia GPU deployment nearly tenfold by the year’s end compared to 18 months ago. By Prasanth Aby Thomas Oct 24, 2024 5 mins GPUs Artificial Intelligence Data Center news Gartner: 13 AI insights for enterprise IT Costs, security, management and employee impact are among the core AI challenges that enterprises face. By Michael Cooney Oct 23, 2024 6 mins Generative AI Careers Data Center news Network jobs watch: Hiring, skills and certification trends What IT leaders need to know about expanding responsibilities, new titles and hot skills for network professionals and I&O teams. By Denise Dubie Oct 23, 2024 33 mins Careers Data Center Networking PODCASTS VIDEOS RESOURCES EVENTS NEWSLETTERS Newsletter Promo Module Test Description for newsletter promo module. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe