In August 2022, 12 colleges and universities in three states joined forces to form the Midwest Semiconductor Network ). Now, just more than two years later, the membership has grown to more than 30 institutions in five states, with more expected to be added.
But the overarching goal of the network remains the same: develop an ecosystem to help the semiconductor industry put down roots in the Midwest. This will involve all forms of collaboration with universities, including nurturing talent.
The growth of the college and university network is an encouraging first step toward that goal, said Balasubramaniam Shanker, who is leading the network. He is also a professor and chair of The Ohio State University's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
"We've grown out of a collection of technical schools, colleges and universities that are the big players in engineering in the Midwest," Shanker said. "And we're not done growing."
Right now, Shanker said the network has sights set on growing the ecosystem among the universities that will allow them to understand each other's capabilities and work out how they can collaborate to share and build on each other's efforts.
"We need to create a system that will help both industry and universities discover capabilities at their peers and how all those pieces fit together," Shanker said.
"We want to make it so that when a semiconductor company plans to move to the Midwest, they can figure out what expertise they can rely on, who they can work with, what facilities they have access to and so on. Likewise, we can help researchers discover complementary expertise and equipment that can grow their research portfolio and make a positive impact for the industry."
Collaborations between universities, local, state and federal governments and industry all need to work as seamlessly as possible to ensure that industry has what it needs, he said.
The network has an Industry Advisory Board that is a key part of ensuring that the network is on track, Shanker said. At the same time, the institutions in the network are beginning to plan how to educate the workers needed to staff these new semiconductor facilities.
One firm has projected a shortfall of about 300,000 engineers and 90,000 skilled technicians in the U.S. semiconductor industry by 2030.
"And therein lies the challenge. It takes a long time to ramp up to that amount," Shanker said.
In central Ohio, Intel has broken ground on the first of two planned semiconductor fabrication plants that will create 3,000 long-term high-tech STEM jobs. Intel suppliers are expected to need an additional 2,500-3,000 high-tech positions.
Ohio State's College of Engineering has responded to the demand for semiconductor-savvy talent for Intel by launching two undergraduate minors, two undergraduate certificates and six graduate certificates. Other universities are also taking steps to meet the new demand by investing more in their programs and creating new certification programs - and these early efforts are having an impact, Shanker said.
"We've seen an uptake in students at many member colleges and universities, which is good, but we need a lot more," he said.
One of his goals is to encourage university and college members of the network to find ways to collaborate and help their students get the best possible education - including by possibly having students take classes at other universities.
"I would like the network to leverage each other's strengths instead of rebuilding the same strengths at every institution. More importantly, I want to create a framework that will help students figure out how to leverage our collective strengths," he said.
Community colleges and technical schools are a key part of the Midwest Semiconductor Network. Many of the jobs in semiconductor facilities will be technicians, Shanker said. These jobs don't require bachelor's degrees, but they do need well-trained, motivated workers. Sharing some of the best practices at community colleges across the region is one of the network's planned activities.
Shanker said he expects the network will help foster engagement at education before college to be successful in building a semiconductor workforce, noting that K-12 students need more exposure to electrical and computer engineering if they are going to play a role in the semiconductor ecosystem.
"We can't wait until they're seniors in high school to get them engaged. It has to be much, much earlier."
Right now, the network meets virtually once a month to coordinate its various projects. Shanker said he hopes to get an in-person meeting planned soon.
One thing is certain, Shanker said: The need for semiconductors - and the professionals to design and build them - is not going away.
"Semiconductors are part of our everyday lives and we often don't realize it. We want to make sure the Midwest is ready to play a significant role in this opportunity," he said.
