The Department of Defense wants to engage companies, academic institutions and government laboratories to set up regional innovation hubs for microelectronics development and education.
DOD issued a request for information Friday to solicit input on the Microelectronics Commons initiative and interested parties can view information about the process for submitting ideas through the official website of the department’s chief technology officer.
A cross-functional team under Heidi Shyu, undersecretary of defense for research and engineering, proposed the new public-private partnership to encourage microelectronics prototyping work and train college or university students in semiconductor technology.
The team envisions semiconductor company facilities or federally funded research and development centers hosting the prototype hubs.
“Microelectronics are vital to every aspect of our lives from delivering power to our homes to securing our nation’s infrastructure,” said Shyu, an inductee into Executive Mosaic’s Wash100 for 2022.