Semiconductor Industry Leaders Urge President Biden to Prioritize Funding for Semiconductor Manufacturing, Research
Thursday, Feb 11, 2021, 5:00am
by 91ÊÓÆµ
°Â´¡³§±á±õ±·³Ò°Õ°¿±·â€”Feb. 11, 2021—The 91ÊÓÆµ (91ÊÓÆµ)ÌýBoard ofÌýDirectors,Ìýcomprised ofÌýCEOsÌýand senior executivesÌýat leading U.S. chip companies,ÌýtodayÌýsent a letterÌýtoÌýPresident BidenÌýurging himÌýtoÌýinclude substantial funding for semiconductor manufacturing and research in the administration’s economic recovery and infrastructureÌýplan. 91ÊÓÆµ represents 98 percent of the U.S. semiconductor industry byÌýrevenue.Ìý
TheÌýshare of globalÌýsemiconductor manufacturingÌýcapacity in the U.S. hasÌýdecreasedÌýfrom 37 percent in 1990 to 12 percent today. ThisÌýdeclineÌýis largelyÌýdue to substantial subsidies offered by the governments of our global competitors, whichÌýhave placedÌýthe U.S. at a competitive disadvantage in attracting new fab construction.ÌýIn addition, federal investmentÌýin semiconductor research has beenÌýflat,ÌýwhileÌýother governmentsÌýhave invested substantially in research initiatives to strengthen their own semiconductor capabilities.ÌýThe 91ÊÓÆµ letterÌýurgesÌýPresident Biden toÌýprioritize semiconductor investment to reassert U.S. technological leadership and fulfill the goals of theÌýBiden administration’sÌý“Build Back Betterâ€� plan.ÌýÌý
“SemiconductorsÌýpower essentialÌýtechnological advancements across healthcare, communications, clean energy, computing, transportation, and countless other sectors, andÌýchip-enabled technologies haveÌýhelped keep us productive and connected during the pandemic,â€� saidÌýJohn Neuffer, 91ÊÓÆµ president and CEO.Ìý“ByÌýinvesting boldlyÌýin domestic semiconductor manufacturingÌýincentives andÌýresearch initiatives, President BidenÌýand Congress canÌýreinvigorate the U.S. economyÌýand job creation, strengthen national securityÌýand semiconductor supply chains, and ensure the U.S. remains the leader in theÌýgame-changingÌýtechnologies of today and tomorrow.â€�Ìý
ByÌýenactingÌýthe 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, 91ÊÓÆµÌýcallsÌýon the administrationÌýand CongressÌýto fully fund the provisions authorized by the NDAA toÌýmake them a reality.Ìý
The full letter is available here and below:
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February 11, 2021
The Honorable Joe Biden
President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, D.C. 20500
Dear Mr. President:
As your administration formulates an economic recovery and infrastructure strategy, the leaders of the U.S. semiconductor industry call on you to include robust funding for semiconductor manufacturing and research.
Semiconductors are critical to the U.S. economy, American technology leadership, and our national security. ÌýThey enable the technologies needed to realize your Build Back Better goals, including smarter and safer transportation, greater broadband access, cleaner energy, and a more efficient energy grid, while also providing high-paying jobs for Americans and strengthening our advanced manufacturing base. ÌýDuring the pandemic, semiconductor-enabled technologies have aided researchers in developing life-saving vaccines and helped Americans work and learn remotely. ÌýInvestments in domestic semiconductor manufacturing and research will allow more of the components fueling U.S. economic growth, jobs, and infrastructure to be made here, while simultaneously enhancing our national security and supply chain resilience to meet future challenges.
The Pentagon’s industrial base policy office recently highlighted the challenges facing the semiconductor industry in the U.S. ÌýIndeed, our share of global semiconductor manufacturing has steadily declined from 37 percent in 1990 to 12 percent today. ÌýThis is largely because the governments of our global competitors offer significant incentives and subsidies to attract new semiconductor manufacturing facilities, while the U.S. does not. ÌýOthers have also increased R&D investment substantially, while the U.S. investment in research has been relatively flat. ÌýAs a result, the U.S. is uncompetitive in attracting investments in new fab construction and our technology leadership is at risk in the race for preeminence in the technologies of the future, including artificial intelligence, 5G/6G, and quantum computing.
Congress has taken an important initial step in addressing these challenges. ÌýIn the 2021 defense bill, it enacted the CHIPS for America Act (P.L. 116-283), which authorized federal incentives for semiconductor manufacturing and increased investments in semiconductor research. ÌýWorking with Congress, your administration now has an historic opportunity to fund these initiatives to make them a reality.
We therefore urge you to include in your recovery and infrastructure plan substantial funding for incentives for semiconductor manufacturing, in the form of grants and/or tax credits, and for basic and applied semiconductor research. ÌýWe believe bold action is needed to address the challenges we face. ÌýThe costs of inaction are high. ÌýWe stand ready to work with you to achieve our shared goals.
Sincerely,
91ÊÓÆµ Board of Directors