Focusing on advanced semiconductor technologies for life sciences and AI applications, the American government has announced to award $50 million to HP for expanding its Oregon fab and R&D facility.
On Tuesday, the U.S. Commerce Department revealed plans to award $50 million under the CHIPS Act to the multinational IT company HP to support the expansion and modernisation of its R&D and chip fabrication facility in Corvallis, Oregon.
According to a report by Reuters, the funding will specifically target technologies used in life sciences instrumentation and technology hardware for artificial intelligence and other projects.
Furthermore, this initiative aims to leverage HP’s established knowledge in microfluidics and microelectromechanical systems, eyeing to enhance the production of silicon devices critical for life sciences lab equipment used in drug discovery, single-cell research, and cell line development.
Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo stated that the proposed $50 million investment in HP’s Oregon campus underscores the federal government’s focus on advancing every segment of the semiconductor supply chain.
The department also noted that the technology funded by this investment would benefit partner institutions, including Harvard Medical School, the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, and Merck.
HP CEO Enrique Lores remarked that the funding offers an opportunity to update and expand the company’s facility, enhancing its microfluidics technology.
Meanwhile, the Commerce Department has announced term sheets with 17 companies, providing over $32 billion in grants and up to $29 billion in loans. Other significant awards include $6.4 billion to South Korea’s Samsung for expanding chip production in Texas, $8.5 billion in grants to Intel, $6.6 billion to Taiwan’s TSMC for U.S. production, and $6.1 billion to Micron Technology for domestic chip factory projects.
All these awards are still pending finalisation and may be adjusted after further review by the department.
