Posted Sep 28, 2022, 2:56 PMUpdated on Sep 28, 2022 at 6:00 PM
The administration did not drag. After the adoption of the Chips Act in Congress this summer, the White House has just appointed the team that must set the tone for this national effort to produce semiconductors made in the USA and thus depend less on Asia. The chief economist of the Department of Commerce, Ronnie Chatterji, will now be responsible for coordinating the work from the White House, while a steering committee for the implementation of the law is also created. In total, a team of around fifty people has been announced to manage the program, including the strategic roadmap just published .
“With this funding, we will ensure that the United States never again finds itself in a situation where our national security interests are compromised or key industries are grounded due to our inability to produce essential semiconductors. here at home,” Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo recalled in early September.
Of the 50 billion dollars of public funds released over five years, a first part of 28 billion dollars will finance “the national production of advanced semiconductors in the United States”. Today, “the United States consumes more than 25% of the advanced chips in the world and produces none,” pointed out Gina Raimondo. Amounts that will supplement private funding, and will be available in the form of direct grants, loans or loan guarantees. Factories built between 2023 and 2026 will also be able to benefit from a 25% tax credit on investments.
Applications from February
A second part of aid, to the tune of 10 billion dollars, will be devoted to “building a sufficient and stable supply” of “mature or current generation” semiconductors. “We consume 30% and produce 13%. We need to fix this,” the minister said. “This will help us increase domestic production of a range of chips, including those used in cars, medical devices and communications technology. »
An envelope of 11 billion dollars is also planned for research and development “to ensure that the next generation of semiconductor technology is developed and produced right here in the United States”, also underlined Gina Raimondo. The objective is to create a public-private ecosystem, with several research centers and institutes. Added to the overall envelope some 2 billion dollars in a defense project, involving academics and entrepreneurs – “lab-to-fab”.
The administration is gearing up to start receiving applications in February next year, with first checks that could be signed in the spring. Anyone who has announced projects should apply, from the Taiwanese TSMC or GlobalWafers to the Americans Intel, Micron or Onsemi. An allocation of public money that will come with a ban on building advanced technology facilities in China for ten years, the administration says. And the mature chip production expansions in China will only have to serve the Chinese market. “The primary objective is to protect America’s national security,” said the minister.
What benchmarks in a constantly changing world?
Political uncertainties, scientific innovations, war in Ukraine, energy and ecological transition… How to understand these changes? How to position yourself? Every day, the 200 journalists from the “Echos” editorial staff help you decipher economic, political and international news through surveys, analyses, press reviews, chronicles and editorials. Our subscribers know that they can rely on these resources to better navigate our complex environment and make the best strategic decisions.
