US to Fund Chip ‘Digital Twins’ Center to Cut R&D Costs

The US plans to award $285 million to a new semiconductor research center focused on digital twin technology, with the goal of reducing the cost and time of chip development by roughly a third.

The institute — a total $1 billion investment — will be headquartered in North Carolina and run by the Semiconductor Research Corp., an existing industry consortium. The Commerce Department announced Tuesday that it is entering negotiations with the SRC to provide funding from the 2022 Chips and Science Act.

Earlier: US to Fund ‘Digital Twin’ Projects for Chips With $285 Million

The Chips Act set aside $39 billion in grants to boost domestic semiconductor manufacturing and $11 billion for research and development efforts — all geared toward limiting reliance on Asia for critical electronic components.

The money for the digital twins effort comes from the R&D pool, which will also support new centers for chip design, prototyping and packaging. Digital twins are virtual models of physical components, allowing engineers to test their ideas before launching a new fabrication process.

The aim is that, within five years, the new institute will help speed technology development, reduce by 25% the greenhouse gases associated with chip manufacturing, and train more than 100,000 students and workers on digital twin technology, according to a Commerce Department statement. Officials expect around 150 entities from industry and academia to join the consortium.

That will provide “unparalleled opportunities to collaborate with experts and researchers anywhere in the world to develop the next frontier of technological advancements in the semiconductor industry,” Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said in the statement.

The award for the digital twins institute — like most Chips Act funding — is not yet finalized. Biden administration officials are racing to reach binding agreements with companies and R&D partners before President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January.