News: Microelectronics
16 January 2025
Vermont Gallium Nitride Tech Hub awarded $23.7m from US Economic Development Administration
The Vermont Gallium Nitride (V-GaN) Tech Hub — a consortium led by the University of Vermont (UVM) and including GlobalFoundries and the State of Vermont — has been awarded $23.7m in federal funding from the US Economic Development Administration (EDA).
The Vermont Tech Hub will create a technology ecosystem in the Green Mountain State and New England to drive design and manufacturing of high-power and high-frequency GaN semiconductors. Pairing GlobalFoundries’ semiconductor expertise with UVM’s researchers, the Tech Hub aims to fuel business growth and workforce development to enhance the region’s and state’s economic and social vitality — bringing new facilities and computing technology to Vermont.
The Tech Hub will train over 500 new staff in the semiconductor workspace and engage over 6000 K-12 students across Vermont in STEM participation in the next five years.
The federal funding “solidifies UVM’s position as a national leader in research and workforce development within this critical technological field,” reckons UVM interim president Patricia Prelock.
Vermont’s Tech Hub is one of six federal hubs awarded a total of $210m in funding in this cycle. The investment is intended to advance innovative projects in Vermont promoting GaN technology, economic growth, and workforce development, including:
- Advanced Design Computing Center: A facility offering start-ups affordable access to advanced GaN and semiconductor design tools, reducing financial risks and fostering innovation. Partnering with UVM’s Vermont Advanced Computing Center, it will support commercial and national security applications, driving next-gen computing solutions.
- Test and Characterization Lab (TCL): Located at OnLogic in South Burlington, V-GaN’s TCL will be the only publicly accessible lab in the USA offering comprehensive testing and technical advice for high-power and high-frequency GaN devices. Its capabilities were developed with input from key stakeholders, including GlobalFoundries, UVM’s College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, and smaller regional semiconductor firms.
- V-GaN Training, Innovation, Design and Engineering (TIDES): UVM’s Professional and Continuing Education division will lead this major workforce development effort, offering K-12 initiatives to spark interest in GaN technologies, career pathways to increase rural access to semiconductor manufacturing jobs, and continuing education in semiconductor design, manufacturing, and GaN-specific skills. Partners include the Community College of Vermont, Norwich University, the Vermont State University System, and the Vermont Manufacturing Extension Center.
“Global demand for GaN and related semiconductor solutions is rapidly increasing, and we are determined to meet that demand,” says Kirk Dombrowski, UVM’s vice president for Research and Economic Development. “GaN not only holds promise for a wide range of applications in the technology space, it also provides an opportunity for V-GaN Tech Hub members to make northern New England the global leader in that space,” he adds. “This work benefited from the participation of more than 30 UVM partners — including GlobalFoundries, OnLogic, Cadence, and the Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies — and represents the next generation of UVM’s land grant mission.”
Twelve companies have already committed to accelerating their product development through the V-GaN Tech Hub. It will make grant funding available to offset development costs for businesses owned by under-served and under-represented populations in the semiconductor industry.
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