SkyWater, a hi-rel fabrication firm based out of Minnesota is planning to invest $1.8 billion in an integrated circuit research and development facility in Indiana which will also be in a partnership with the state and Purdue University. Recently the US Senate voted to go ahead with the legislation known as the CHIPS Act, which is predicted to give billions of dollars in tax credits and subsidies to the semiconductor manufacturing industry.
“This endeavour to bolster our chip fabrication facilities will rely on funding from the CHIPS Act,” says SkyWater CEO Thomas Sonderman, “Federal investment will enable SkyWater to more quickly expand our efforts to address the need for strategic reshoring of semiconductor manufacturing.”
“Today’s announcement marks a dramatic advance toward multiple strategic goals of Purdue’s last decade: enriched academic and career opportunities for our students; new research possibilities for our faculty; a transformed, more attractive environment on and adjacent to our campus; and the latest demonstration that Purdue and Greater Lafayette are now the hot new tech hub of a growing, diversifying Indiana economy,” says Purdue President Mitch Daniels. “Even for the place that specialises in them, this constitutes a genuine giant leap.”
“We are on the verge of passing a major investment in next-generation technologies that is vital for the success of this and future projects, and that will ensure Indiana remains at the centre of our high-tech national security economy,” says U.S. Senator for Indiana Todd Young.
SkyWater anticipates the groundbreaking for the new establishments to begin in the year 2023, according to the company representative, but the timing would still hinge on whether the chip ruling is enacted. The Indiana establishment will be established on the Purdue campus in West Lafayette. SkyWater also has a cutting-edge packaging facility in Kissimmee, Florida which is working to ramp-up up production.
