A Regional Innovation Engine Promoting Prosperity in Oregon
Growing a Semiconductor Ecosystem
FAST is a consortium of 95 organizations focused on revolutionizing integrated circuit manufacturing in Oregon. This Regional Innovation Engine will develop an interconnected semiconductor ecosystem and advance technologies to benefit the Oregon economy, support the U.S. semiconductor industry, and boost other industry sectors reliant on integrated circuits.
“This project will protect and advance the global market shares of U.S. partner companies, promote national security and economic security, and generate prosperity in the Oregon Region of Service – if we begin now.”
Primary Goals
Economic
Growth
Workforce Development
Technology Advances
Keys to Success
Region of Service
The FAST region extends from Portland southward to Eugene and into central Oregon. It includes eight counties in which per capita income is less than 90% of the national average. The region supplies 15% of the national semiconductor workforce and is home to the R&D center of Intel, the only U.S. manufacturer with the potential to fabricate leading-edge circuits for a worldwide market. It consists of three northern counties that comprise the Silicon Forest (the nation’s most concentrated locus of semiconductor manufacturing and research) and nine southern, predominantly rural counties that have not yet benefited from a technology boom.
Activities
Initiated in 2023, FAST members have been meeting regularly to collaboratively develop and execute plans to address the workforce shortage, connect research with industry needs, support start-up companies, and promote understanding and interest in the semiconductor industry.
Partners
Oregon State University, the lead institution, has the largest College of Engineering in the Pacific Northwest, and the seventh largest in the U.S. The academic partners include four community colleges and four universities. FAST includes 18 industry partners including Fortune 500 companies such as Intel, HP, and NVIDIA. Our partners include 10 government agencies, 19 nonprofit or philanthropy organizations, and eight venture capital or startup incubators.