Statewide Semiconductor Coalition Named Regional Innovation
Engine Program Finalist

Funding would allow Oregon companies to harness AI to improve chip design and manufacturing, recruit and train a highly skilled workforce, and foster regional economic growth

CORVALLIS, Ore. (September 18, 2025) – The National Science Foundation (NSF) named Frontiers of Advanced Semiconductor Technology (FAST), a finalist to receive up to $160 million federal investment over the next decade from the National Science Foundation (NSF). FAST is one of 15 finalists in the Regional Innovation Engine competition announced on Thursday.

FAST is a bold initiative revolutionizing integrated circuit manufacturing in Oregon and will develop an interconnected semiconductor ecosystem to benefit the Oregon economy, support the U.S. semiconductor industry, and boost other industry sectors reliant on integrated circuits.

Led by Oregon State University, FAST encompasses over 95 organizations and includes core partners Intel, Siemens EDA, HP, Tektronix, Technology Association of Oregon, Business Oregon, Oregon Business Council, University of Oregon, Portland State University, Chemeketa Community College, Oregon STEM.

“Our semiconductor industry is vital to our daily life, our economy, and our national security,” said FAST Interim CEO Robert Stone, “As a Regional Innovation Engine, FAST will advance our nation’s capabilities to develop advanced logic chips while creating high-wage jobs and boosting Oregon’s economy.”

FAST’s first major workforce development milestone came this week with the launch of Oregon Semiconductor Central (Semi Central), a website designed to raise awareness for education and career pathways that support the semiconductor industry.

“The success of Oregon’s semiconductor industry relies on building and attracting a world-class workforce,” said Kyle Ritchey-Noll, Director of Education and Workforce Policy at the Oregon Business Council. “Semi Central will serve as a one-stop shop for semiconductor job awareness, education, and training providers connecting students and job seekers to education and job opportunities aligned with and informed by industry leaders.

Oregon is currently home to about 15% of the nation’s semiconductor workforce. Yet, local semiconductor companies have projected nearly 2,500 new jobs annually. This far exceeds the current estimates of people joining the semiconductor field.

A recent Semiconductor Talent Assessment identified existing workforce challenges, including a lack of alignment between industry needs and educational outcomes, and the semiconductor industry isn’t as visible to the students and public as it could be.

To develop the site, FAST partnered with the Semiconductor Talent Consortium, led by the Oregon Business Council. Funding for the site was provided by Oregon’s Higher Education Coordinating Commission.

“Semi Central is the perfect example of how FAST is already organizing the ecosystem to drive results,” said Christie Dudenhoefer, Executive Director of Semiconductor Economic Development at Oregon State University. “Through FAST we can restore national leadership and catalyze a resurgence in semiconductor innovation and manufacturing right here in Oregon.”

FAST started in 2023 with an initial proposal to the National Science Foundation (NSF). Late last year, NSF selected it to advance to the full proposal stage. Since then, the consortium has expanded and begun addressing critical workforce development needs. Originally, 71 organizations were invited to submit a full proposal to NSF as part of the Regional Innovation Engines program. The NSF is expected to announce funding decisions in early 2026.

Additional NSF funding would be used to tackle FAST’s four primary goals:

• Drive technology advances by harnessing artificial intelligence to improve chip design, boost performance, reduce manufacturing costs, and shorten product development cycles.
• Promote economic growth by stimulating high-tech job creation throughout the Cascades-Willamette Innovation Corridor. According to the Oregon Employment Department, semiconductor industry jobs have an average annual salary of $180,000, a full $100,000 higher than the average salary across other industries in Oregon.
• Enhance workforce development by recruiting and training a larger workforce to address the shortage of trained semiconductor technicians through new educational pathways. In Deloitte’s 2023 semiconductor industry outlook, they estimate that the industry needs to add a million skilled workers by 2030.
• Align regional assets and partnerships by organizing and sustaining high levels of coordination among key economic development agencies, academic institutions, research teams, entrepreneurial organizations, and funding partners to harness the full potential of the region to advance U.S. competitiveness in a rapidly advancing global industry.

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The Frontiers of Advanced Semiconductor Technology (FAST) consortium includes over 95 organizations from multiple economic sectors, throughout the Willamette Valley and into central Oregon. FAST, led by Oregon State University, is revolutionizing integrated circuit manufacturing in Oregon and will develop an interconnected semiconductor ecosystem to benefit the Oregon economy, support the U.S. semiconductor industry, and boost other industry sectors reliant on integrated circuits.