WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced a nearly $35 million investment for five different semiconductor innovation projects through the Midwest Microelectronics Consortium (MMEC) based in Beavercreek. These projects will engage with member organizations from industry, academia, and government stakeholders to deliver solutions to strengthen the U.S.-based supply chain of microchips and semiconductors, and place the U.S. at the forefront of microelectronics development and manufacturing.

The five projects will receive nearly $35 million total in the first year, with an award potential of over $135 million over the next four years. This investment will be used for research and development, utilizing existing tools and machinery, investing in new infrastructure capabilities for the expansion and modernization of manufacturing facilities, and to partner with training providers to ensure that educational programs are aligned with industry needs and that students are prepared to fill jobs that are in high-demand.

This investment was made possible by the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, which Brown helped to write and pass.

"From theMidwest Microelectronics Consortium in Beavercreek to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton to NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio is proud to be a key contributor to our national defense. With our rich manufacturing history, Ohio is a natural fit to make the microchips our economy and our national defense will rely on," said Brown. "We passed the CHIPS Act to make investments like this possible, and position Ohio to lead in developing and manufacturing the technologies of the future."

"These awards are the culmination of months of effort from the MMEC members and our team," Jackie Janning-Lask, MMEC CEO stated, "We are very excited to see these projects awarded to the MMEC members. These projects will play a critical role in onshoring chip development and are a critical step in securing the US microelectronics supply chain."

"The MMEC was formed to identify opportunities and build collaboration between members to accelerate microelectronics innovation. It was impressive to see how the project teams leveraged MMECs role-based hub model to produce 15 very high-quality proposals. Being awarded five projects really speaks to the talent and expertise of our members and the MMEC team" said MMEC CTO, Matt Casto PhD. "I am confident these projects will be successfully executed and will ultimately be a huge benefit to the US and the warfighter."

Brown has been a leader in bringing new manufacturing opportunities to Ohio. The CHIPS and Science Act authorizes a historic $829 million investment in the Manufacturing USA program over five years, the largest increase in funding for the program since its inception. The CHIPS Act will support and grow domestic supply chains, invest in Ohio manufacturing jobs, and reduce costs for Americans by investing in American manufacturing. Currently, 90 percent of chip manufacturing capacity is overseas, but with investments in domestic manufacturing - like Intel's $20 billion investment in a semiconductor plant in New Albany - chips will become a major American export out of Ohio. Brown also introduced the Building Chips in America Actto streamline federal reviews for microchip manufacturing facilities.

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