Commerce RFI Seeks How to Incentivize Investment in US Chips

Comments are due March 25 in docket DOC–2021–0010 in the Commerce Department’s request for information with its National Institute of Standards and Technology to help the “planning and design” of “potential programs” authorized under the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act to promote investment in U.S. semiconductor manufacturing and R&D, said an item in Monday’s Federal Register. In a detailed, five-page RFI, Commerce wants to know how incentives written into NDAA Section 9902 can “be designed and deployed to encourage additional and new private capital investment in the semiconductor ecosystem.” It seeks input on how federal funds can “incentivize the creation of a broad semiconductor ecosystem that includes producers of semiconductor manufacturing equipment and other upstream suppliers.” Section 9906 would establish a National Semiconductor Technology Center as “a hub (or multiple hubs) of talent, knowledge, investment, equipment, and toolsets,” said the notice. Commerce wants to know “what attributes or capabilities of the NSTC would make it attractive and beneficial for companies, universities, and other agencies to want to send employees for assignments” there. It also wants to know what types of research and training opportunities should be made available at the NSTC “for students and early career staff.”