Semiconductor Research Corp. and Georgia Tech Secure $285M SMART USA Institute

 The Department of Commerce has granted the Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC), its partners, and Georgia Institute of Technology $285 million to establish and operate the 18th Manufacturing USA Institute. The Semiconductor Manufacturing and Advanced Reseach with Twins (SMART USA) will focus on using digital twins to accelerate the development and deployment of microelectronics. SMART USA, with more than 150 expected partner entities representing industry, academia, and the full spectrum of supply chain design and manufacturing, will span more than 30 states and have combined funding totaling $1 billion. 

This is the first-of-its-kind CHIPS Manufacturing USA Institute. 

“Georgia Tech’s role in the SMART USA Institute amplifies our trailblazing chip and advanced packaging research and leverages the strengths of our interdisciplinary research institutes,” said Tim Lieuwen, interim executive vice president for Research. “We believe innovation thrives where disciplines and sectors intersect. And the SMART USA Institute will help us ensure that the benefits of our semiconductor and advanced packaging discoveries extend beyond our labs, positively impacting the economy and quality of life in Georgia and across the United States.” 

The 3D Systems Packaging Research Center (PRC), directed by School of Electrical and Computer Engineering Dan Fielder Professor Muhannad Bakir, played an integral role in developing the winning proposal. Georgia Tech will be designated as the Digital Innovation Semiconductor Center (DISC) for the Southeastern U.S.  

“We are honored to collaborate with SRC and their team on this new Manufacturing USA Institute. Our partnership with SRC spans more than two decades, and we are thrilled to continue this collaboration by leveraging the Institute’s wide range of semiconductor and advanced packaging expertise,” said Bakir. 

Through the Institute of Matter and Systems’ core facilities, housed in the Marcus Nanotechnology Building, DISC will accelerate semiconductor and advanced packaging development. 

“The awarding of the Digital Twin Manufacturing USA Institute is a culmination of more than three years of work with the Semiconductor Research Corporation and other valued team members who share a similar vision of advancing U.S. leadership in semiconductors and advanced packaging,” said George White, senior director for strategic partnerships at Georgia Tech. 

“As a founding member of the SMART USA Institute, Georgia Tech values this long-standing partnership. Its industry and academic partners, including the HBCU CHIPS Network, stand ready to make significant contributions to realize the goals and objectives of the SMART USA Institute,” White added. 

 Georgia Tech also plans to capitalize on the supply chain and optimization strengths of the No. 1-ranked H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISyE). ISyE experts will help develop supply-chain digital twins to optimize and streamline manufacturing and operational efficiencies. 

David Henshall, SRC vice president of Business Development, said, “The SMART USA Institute will advance American digital twin technology and apply it to the full semiconductor supply chain, enabling rapid process optimization, predictive maintenance, and agile responses to chips supply chain disruptions. These efforts will strengthen U.S. global competitiveness, ensuring our country reaps the rewards of American innovation at scale.”  

Read the full announcement from the Department of Commerce.