UVM/GlobalFoundries Consortium Recognized as Tech Hub

National Designation Unlocks Potential for up to $75 Million in Funding for Semiconductor Research

RESEARCH | This past fall, a consortium led by the University of Vermont and including GlobalFoundries and the State of Vermont was designated as one of 31 Tech Hubs by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA), opening the opportunity for up to $75 million in federal grant funding to further research in semiconductor technology.

“The consortium’s Tech Hub designation galvanizes UVM’s standing as a national leader in research and workforce development related to this vital technological space,” said UVM President Suresh Garimella. “We are deeply grateful to our partners in the consortium—GlobalFoundries, the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development, and the Vermont State College System—for their collaboration and support helping establish Greater Burlington as a national center for semiconductor innovation.”

The EDA designation paves the way for the consortium to apply for Phase II of the program, which will culminate in award implementation grants totaling approximately $50-75 million to each of up to 10 Tech Hubs.

GaN technology, and other emerging semiconductor materials, are being rapidly adopted by the region’s semiconductor industry and promise growth across the entire tech sector with unique research potential, growth in ancillary and supply chain companies, and new opportunities for the regional workforce and education sectors.

“Advancing Gallium Nitride (GaN) Technology in the Greater Burlington Area” was selected by the Tech Hubs program from nearly 400 applications. The aim of the program is to “strengthen U.S. economic and national security by catalyzing technology-based regional growth that enables the industries of the future to start, grow, and remain in regions across our country,” according to the EDA’s written announcement of the designation. The actual public announcement took place at a live event hosted by President Biden.

The goal of the Vermont Tech Hub is to build and sustain a successful ecosystem for advancing GaN and other semiconductor innovations and, in the process, to grow the economy and economic vitality of the region and the state.

The Tech Hub designation came on the heels of the recent launch of UVM’s new Device Characterization Lab, a partnership with GlobalFoundries, with funding from the U.S. Department of Education, aimed at driving semiconductor research and preparing students for key roles within the field.