Texas Border Business
AUSTIN – Governor Greg Abbott announced that a Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund (TSIF) grant of $700,000 has been extended to The University of Texas at Dallas (UT Dallas) for a training cleanroom project on their campus in Dallas.
“Texas is where the workforce of tomorrow is training for the high-skill, in-demand jobs that support continuous innovation in technology,” said Governor Abbott. “With this TSIF grant, UT Dallas will expand access to hands-on training in a real-world cleanroom environment. Working together with our higher education partners and leaders in semiconductor research, design, and manufacturing, we are advancing Texas’ leadership for decades to come.”
UT Dallas will equip a small-scale training cleanroom to be located in the Research Operations West (“ROW”) building on the UT Dallas campus, which is also home to the Center for Harsh Environment Semiconductors and Systems. The project includes equipment to teach participants about basic cleanroom operations, safety, and processing, offering hands-on experience that will support the growth of a vital semiconductor workforce for the region.
“The University of Texas at Dallas expresses its gratitude for the Texas Semiconductor Innovation Consortium and the Texas CHIPS Office for their leadership in enhancing semiconductor activities within Texas,” said UT Dallas Vice President for Research and Innovation Dr. Joseph J. Pancrazio. “This matching grant will enable UT Dallas to advance its semiconductor workforce initiatives across North Texas by establishing a small-scale training cleanroom. This facility will provide essential training in cleanroom operations, safety protocols, and semiconductor processing to students at various educational levels— high school, community college, undergraduate, and graduate—as well as newly recruited employees in semiconductor manufacturing firms.”
“Texas continues to lead the nation in innovation, and investments like this ensure that leadership endures for generations,” said Senator Bob Hall. “The University of Texas at Dallas is playing a critical role in preparing a highly skilled workforce right here in North Texas. This grant will give students and future professionals hands-on experience in a field that is vital to both our state’s economy and our national security.”
View more information about UT Dallas.
Governor Abbott signed the Texas CHIPS Act into law in 2023 to establish the Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund (TSIF), a grant program to continue Texas’ leadership in semiconductor research, design, and manufacturing, as well as the Texas Semiconductor Innovation Consortium (TSIC). These programs, administered by the Texas CHIPS Office, a division within the Texas Economic Development & Tourism Office in the Office of the Governor, are designed to leverage Texas’ investments in the semiconductor industry, encourage semiconductor-related companies to expand in the state, further develop the expertise and capacity of Texas institutions of higher education, and maintain the state’s position as the nation’s leader in semiconductor manufacturing.
