Mark Halfman is the director of the Northeast Microelectronics Coalition Hub, a division of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative established to advance regional microelectronics workforce and production capabilities.
PBN: How and why was the Northeast Microelectronics Coalition Hub established?
HALFMAN: The Northeast Microelectronics Coalition Hub is a division of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative and was established with federal CHIPS and Science Act funding under the Microelectronics Commons program.
The NEMC Hub is one of eight regional Microelectronics Commons Hubs across the country working on a shared mission to advance the nation’s leadership in microelectronics and expand domestic semiconductor prototyping. The hubs were created with the support of the Healey-Driscoll administration, focused on specific technology areas, including 5G/6G technology, artificial intelligence/hardware, commercial leap-ahead technologies, electromagnetic warfare, secure edge/IoT [Internet of Things] computing, and quantum technology.
The NEMC Hub supports the microelectronics ecosystem, enabling a sustainable laboratory-to-fabrication pipeline, boosting education and workforce development, and supporting job growth.
PBN: Though based in Massachusetts, NEMC has a regional reach. What states does NEMC oversee, and does Rhode Island stand out for any specific initiatives or potential areas of development under NEMC's programming?
HALFMAN: The NEMC Hub is a network of more than 200 organizations, including commercial and defense companies, leading academic institutions, federally funded research and development centers, and startups concentrated in eight Northeast states.
Rhode Island’s state-based institutions and defense contractors stand out as potential areas for development under NEMC programming. We are excited to partner with these organizations to strengthen the microelectronics work being done in Rhode Island and across the region.
PBN: What requirements must a business or entrepreneur meet to become a member of NEMC, and what services are available to them with this membership? How many Rhode Island businesses are currently members?
HALFMAN: NEMC Hub members must be a contributor to a microelectronics or microelectronics-adjacent industry. Members gain access to a variety of lab-to-fab enablement services, including the Microelectronics Commons Call-for-Projects and Propel grant funding programs, as well as education and workforce development opportunities. Rhode Island members include Raytheon, Nautilus Defense, the University of Rhode Island and the Community College of Rhode Island.
PBN: What is the goal of NEMC's Propel Manufacturing Program, and what types of businesses or entrepreneurs are eligible for this funding?
HALFMAN: The Propel program provides funding and resources to startups and small businesses in the microelectronics industry to address their lab-to-fab transition needs. The Propel Manufacturing Program allocates up to $1 million to NEMC Hub members across the region. These grants support startups and small companies by offsetting the costs of hardware lab-to-fab development. To be eligible, companies must provide a cost share that depends on the size of their business.
PBN: How does the regional microelectronics economy compare to the rest of the U.S., in terms of the number of companies present and funding availability for these companies? What about Rhode Island specifically?
HALFMAN: There is power in proximity, and the Northeast region exemplifies this with an incredibly high spirit of innovation. The regional ecosystem is comprised of a dense network of semiconductor original equipment manufacturers working in commercial and defense sectors, equipment and material producers, supply chain partners, R&D [research and development] capacity, and talent.
The NEMC Hub has activated almost 200 organizations across the region, including many in Rhode Island, accounting for over 20% of the participating organizations in the Microelectronics Commons program. Beyond the funding through the Department of Defense Microelectronics Commons program, many Northeast regional companies and organizations are well positioned for and pursuing funding through the Department of Commerce's Manufacturing Incentives and R&D Incentives.
Jacquelyn Voghel is a PBN staff writer. You may reach her at Voghel@PBN.com.
