The Future of Semiconductors Begins in Oregon

By Skip Newberry, President & CEO of the Technology Association of Oregon

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Most people don’t know it, but Oregon is one of America’s secret weapons in the global semiconductor race. Our state may be small, but we are home to 15% of the nation’s semiconductor workforce. And much of that brainpower is focused on research and development, the very foundation of what’s next in tech.

The Frontiers of Advanced Semiconductor Technology (FAST) is a consortium comprising over 95 organizations from various economic sectors, spanning the Willamette Valley and extending into central Oregon. FAST is revolutionizing integrated circuit manufacturing in Oregon and will develop an interconnected semiconductor ecosystem to benefit the Oregon economy, support the U.S. semiconductor industry, and boost other industry sectors reliant on integrated circuits.

TAO is proud to be a Core Partner in FAST to keep Oregon — and the U.S. — at the center of the chip industry.

Think of it this way, the CHIPS Act gave billions to big, established companies to expand manufacturing. While FAST (through the National Science Foundation’s Regional Innovation Engine Program) will develop the startups, workforce, and applied research necessary to spark new ideas and propel industries forward.

Together, it’s the one-two punch America needs.

Oregon’s semiconductor ecosystem is established but not yet mature. We have many large, global players, but we need stronger connections in startup formation, workforce development, and applied research. FAST will unite Oregon’s ecosystem to help: 

• Startups: New ventures such as Ahead Computing, ChEmpower, Kepler Computing, and Mueon, all founded by former Intel talent, are already proving the potential. With support, hundreds more could follow.
• Workforce: From reskilling mature-company employees to inspiring K–12 students, FAST is creating a coordinated pipeline of AI- and semiconductor-ready talent.
• Research: Universities will focus on use-inspired research—guided by industry needs—so faculty and students can translate ideas into market-ready innovations.

This ecosystem model has been proven elsewhere. Waterloo, Canada, transformed itself from a one-company town to “Silicon Valley North” in just a decade, thanks to smart investments in startups and talent. Oregon can do the same, and faster.

We have even better ingredients: world-class engineers, global companies, and a growing ecosystem of ambitious new ventures.

With the right support, we could become the place where the world’s most advanced chips are designed, tested, and built.

This isn’t just about high-tech jobs, though. It’s about:

• Opportunity: Better-paying careers in communities across Oregon.
• Security: Making sure America can design and build chips at home instead of relying on fragile overseas supply chains.
• Innovation: Using AI to reinvent how chips are designed and manufactured, fueling everything from smartphones to clean energy.

Chips are the invisible backbone of modern life. If we lose leadership here, we risk losing our competitive edge in everything from national defense and cyber security to healthcare. 

The truth is simple: what got us here won’t get us there. The U.S. used to lead in chipmaking — today, we don’t. But Oregon has the rare combination of experience, talent, and drive to change that story.

The future of semiconductors starts in Oregon.

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