Intel announced a $100 million investment plan on Thursday that’s dedicated to education in chip manufacturing and research collaborations with universities across the U.S.
The funds will address immediate semiconductor technical challenges and workforce shortages, said Intel Chief People Officer Christy Pambianchi in a webcast.
$50 million will go directly to educational institutions in Ohio, establishing a collaborative multi-institution research program with emphasis on innovating in chip fabrication. The other $50 million will support educators and researchers nationwide advancing research and development in chip design and manufacturing.
“It’s a win for Intel because of the quality employees they’re going to get, and a win for students and Ohio colleges,” said Ohio Governor Mike DeWine.
The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) will also award an additional $50 million for national funding opportunities in education.
“We at NSF are thrilled to be joining forces with our friends at Intel to be able to accelerate advances in semiconductors that power our lives and futures,” said Dr. Erwin Gianchandani of NSF. Intel and NSF plan to jointly invest $100 million over the next decade to support research at American colleges and universities, he added.
Intel’s initiatives will “increase access to opportunities that will help remove institutional barriers to state-of-the-art STEM education models,” Pambianchi said.
Intel announced a $20 billion project in January to construct two leading-edge chip factories in Ohio. The fabs are expected to be one of the largest chip manufacturing sites worldwide, providing 7,000 construction jobs and 3,000 Intel jobs.
Intel is also spearheading a $36 billion project to construct two chip fabs in Germany.
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Keyvan Esfarjani, executive VP of Intel’s Manufacturing, Supply Chain and Operations, said the Ohio fab project is “well underway,” and construction is expected to begin by the end of the year.
“Intel is committed to leading the way to increase domestic capacity for semiconductor manufacturing,” said Esfarjani. Global supply chain resiliency is “more critical than ever before,” he added, and chips are the backbone of a world growing more dependent on data.
Intel wants to employ students with a variety of education background, from associate degrees to those with PhDs.
“Intel’s need for highly skilled talent can be felt in every element of our operation,” Esfarjani said.
David Harrison, president of Columbus State Community College, said connecting Intel with Ohio’s education programs will be “catalytic, leading to new ways of engaging students from all backgrounds.”
Intel has worked with college campuses across Arizona, New Mexico and Oregon. Arizona’s Maricopa Community Colleges recently partnered with Intel to create the world’s first artificial intelligence certificate and associates degree program.
Education investments are necessary to ensure Intel has the right talent to help the U.S. regain leadership in chip manufacturing, Pambianchi added.
“[Intel] will only be able to fulfill our purpose by closing the technology skill gap and ensuring that we create a robust pipeline of talented and diverse technologists,” she concluded.