The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) Board of Directors, comprised of CEOs and senior executives at leading U.S. chip companies, today sent a letter to President Biden urging him to include substantial funding for semiconductor manufacturing and research in the administration’s economic recovery and infrastructure plan. SIA represents 98 percent of the U.S. semiconductor industry by revenue.
The share of global semiconductor manufacturing capacity in the U.S. has decreased from 37 percent in 1990 to 12 percent today. This decline is largely due to substantial subsidies offered by the governments of our global competitors, which have placed the U.S. at a competitive disadvantage in attracting new fab construction. In addition, federal investment in semiconductor research has been flat, while other governments have invested substantially in research initiatives to strengthen their own semiconductor capabilities. The SIA letter urges President Biden to prioritize semiconductor investment to reassert U.S. technological leadership and fulfill the goals of the Biden administration’s “Build Back Better” plan.
“Semiconductors power essential technological advancements across healthcare, communications, clean energy, computing, transportation, and countless other sectors, and chip-enabled technologies have helped keep us productive and connected during the pandemic,” said John Neuffer, SIA president and CEO. “By investing boldly in domestic semiconductor manufacturing incentives and research initiatives, President Biden and Congress can reinvigorate the U.S. economy and job creation, strengthen national security and semiconductor supply chains, and ensure the U.S. remains the leader in the game-changing technologies of today and tomorrow.”
By enacting the CHIPS for America Act in the FY 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Congress recognized the critical role the U.S. semiconductor industry plays in America’s future. Now, SIA calls on the administration and Congress to fully fund the provisions authorized by the NDAA to make them a reality.
The full letter is available here.