A Regional Innovation Engine Promoting Prosperity in Oregon

Growing a Semiconductor Ecosystem

FAST is a consortium of over 60 organizations focused on revolutionizing integrated circuit manufacturing in Oregon. This Regional Innovation Engine will develop a 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. 

Become a Partner

“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.”

Somdeb Majumdar

Director of AI Labs at Intel, a FAST Core Partner

Primary Goals

Economic
Growth

Stimulate high-tech job creation and economic growth, particularly in underserved regions of Oregon.

Workforce Development

Recruit and train a larger and more diverse workforce to address the shortage of trained semiconductor technicians.

Technology Advances

Harness artificial intelligence to improve chip design, boost chip performance, enhance fab productivity, cut manufacturing costs, predict equipment failures, and shorten product development cycles.

Keys to Success

Eight university and community colleges across Oregon including two R1 universities, a Minority Serving Institution, and a Hispanic Serving Institution.

Semiconductor industry leaders in manufacturing, software, metrology and inspection tools, test equipment, and fabless design including Intel, HP, Siemens, Teradyne, and NVIDIA.
A new advanced process control system (AI-APC) that draws metrology, inspection, and test data from throughout the wafer fab into a closed-loop feedback system that models and controls the entire manufacturing process.

A diverse group of partner organizations including local, state, and tribal government agencies, community-based organizations, and venture capital groups that are committed to developing a strong semiconductor workforce.

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.

See Activities

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.

See Partners