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Plans underway to bring 3rd national microchip research and development facility to Tempe

Machine makes microchips
Getty Images
Machine makes microchips

By the end of 2028, Tempe will be the official home of the country’s third national research facility focusing on development and packaging of microchips and semiconductor technologies.

Alyssa Tufts with the state Commerce Authority said it’s a credit to the thriving semiconductor ecosystem that is already here.

“Since 2020, for example, Arizona has seen over 40 semiconductor expansions and those represent more than 16,000 high-quality, good-paying jobs,” said Tufts. “And those expansions represent over $105 billion in investment across the state of Arizona.”

Tufts said the agency is in close contact with the relevant partners to get started on next steps while research starts at an existing Arizona State University facility. Instead of building a new structure from scratch, she said, the idea is to retrofit an existing space to fit the program’s needs, with planning for next steps already in the works.

Especially after the COVID-19 pandemic majorly disrupted the semiconductor supply chain, Tufts emphasized the importance of having an in-house industry that spans the entire process, from creating to distributing the tech.

“What it really does is really positions us as one of the only places in the country where we have a full end-to-end semiconductor ecosystem,” she said.

Given the state’s history, she added, this new development isn’t a surprise – even with how competitive the selection process was.

“The fact that Arizona and ASU were selected for this national facility, I think, really speaks volumes to Arizona’s semiconductor leadership and innovation,” said Tufts, adding that the state has been preparing for this kind of opportunity since Intel came to Arizona in 1979.

Kirsten Dorman is a field correspondent at KJZZ. Born and raised in New Jersey, Dorman fell in love with audio storytelling as a freshman at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication in 2019.
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