As the CHIPS and Science Act marks its second anniversary this month, Oregon is a proven winner when it comes to securing federal funding to ensure that our home state remains at the heart of the semiconductor revolution.
Our universities, entrepreneurs and workers have successfully secured billions of dollars in federal investment — and it’s just the second anniversary of the landmark federal law. This year alone, the federal Commerce Department announced an $8.5 billion CHIPS and Science Act investment in Intel nationally that includes its expansion in Hillsboro, paving the path to add thousands of new, high-tech jobs for Oregonians.
Microchip received a $72 million CHIPS Act investment for its Gresham plant expansion, doubling the amount of chips Microchip can produce and adding 300 jobs in east Multnomah County.
Portland State University earned a $1 million regional innovation engine grant under the CHIPS and Science Act legislation to research “smart” electric grid technologies. Additionally, PSU is starting an internship program for historically underrepresented students to ensure the job benefits will be open to all Oregonians. The University of Oregon and Oregon State University also each earned $1 million regional innovation engine grants for research into semiconductors and mass timber technologies, respectively — to ensure our state remains on the leading edge of science.
And Portland Community College has partnered with Intel, WorkSource Oregon, and the city of Hillsboro to provide a more diverse group of students with the opportunity to earn an industry-recognized certification in semiconductor fabrication in only ten days — all while being paid. Similarly, high school students have the chance to get a head start in an advanced manufacturing career through paid, industry-recognized youth apprenticeship programs, like the one in Hillsboro.
Organized labor, representing both construction and production workers, is integral to these efforts, and its support is critical to Oregon’s ability to continue to lead the way in the semiconductor industry.
That all clearly adds up to great news to keep Oregon in the top five states for semiconductor employment, with more than 30,000 workers, earning an average annual salary of $171,750 , and growing those impressive numbers to even bigger heights.
And there are equally good opportunities ahead for Oregon because our state is competing hard to land a National Semiconductor Technology Center designation right here in the Silicon Forest. Our state is uniquely qualified for this designation after decades at the epicenter of semiconductor development, with a diverse supply chain and leading semiconductor researchers, who can provide supply security, reduce risk of disruptions, and foster a collaborative ecosystem.
Intel’s cutting-edge work in advanced lithography — the process of engraving incredibly tiny circuits on silicon wafers — is crucial to maintaining U.S. competitiveness in chips and technology more broadly. The company’s Gordon Moore Park facility in Hillsboro is home to one of only two high-NA (numerical aperture) enhanced ultraviolet lithography tools in the world.
Very few companies do this level of work — and Intel is one of the only U.S. companies blazing the trail in this incredibly new field of complex semiconductor manufacturing that builds strong foundations for artificial intelligence, self-driving cars and technologies of the future.
And we’re working just as hard to support CHIPS and Science Act investment applications by HP, in Corvallis; Lam Research, in Tualatin; Analog Devices in Beaverton; and Stratacache, in Eugene. All of these applications will lead to hundreds of jobs at each locale.
None of the accomplishments to date — and the achievements moving forward — happened on their own. Each of us worked at the federal level to create these opportunities by fighting successfully to get the CHIPS and Science Act passed into law.
We have outstanding bipartisan partners at the state level with Gov. Kotek and legislative leaders from both parties working together to dedicate $240 million to our state’s chip industry, $10 million for industrial land readiness, and another $10 million for tech-forward innovation at Oregon’s universities and community colleges.
According to Business Oregon, our state is projected to see $40 billion in new semiconductor investment over the next five years. That will generate 6,000 new, high-quality, high-tech jobs statewide that will equip Oregon to do what our state does best: compete on a fair playing field and win with our world-class R&D, generating fresh ideas and products.
That’s a lot to celebrate on the second anniversary of the CHIPS and Science Act. And there’s certainly a lot more in the pipeline for anniversaries to come on this historic federal legislation.
Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley are both Democrats from Portland. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici is a Democrat from Beaverton; her Congressional District 1 stretches from the Columbia River to the north and the Oregon Coast to the west, including Washington, Yamhill, Columbia and Tillamook counties and portions of Portland. Rep. Andrea Salinas is a Democrat from Tigard; her Congressional District 6 includes much of Washington, Yamhill and Polk counties.
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