Powering the future of innovation

The semiconductor industry received a major boost this week as the U.S. Department of Commerce announced that it will award up to $406 million to GlobalWafers America, LLC and MEMC LLC, which are subsidiaries of GlobalWafers Co., Ltd. This funding was made possible through the CHIPS Incentives Program’s Funding Opportunity for Commercial Fabrication Facilities.  

With this, the total investment in the semiconductor industry is approximately $4 billion, which will support the construction of new wafer manufacturing facilities in Texas and Missouri. 

Missouri State University’s Jordan Valley Innovation Center leads the way in supporting the semiconductor industry in Missouri. In August 2022, NextFlex, a leading member of the Manufacturing USA Innovation Institutes, announced the approval of the Missouri Node at JVIC, and in May 2023, JVIC was awarded the Advanced Manufacturing Resiliency Grant Program funds through the Missouri Technology Corporation. The JVIC Node awarded funding to MEMC LLC to support the company’s 300 mm silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer capabilities. 

JVIC’s Advanced Manufacturing Node is currently conducting its second call for projects to support the semiconductor industry. 

Thanks to the CHIPS and Science Act funding, more than 1,700 construction jobs and 880 manufacturing jobs are expected to be created across both states. The new facilities will produce silicon wafers, a critical component for advanced semiconductors used in various applications, including electronics, national defense, automotive and aerospace.