Brown Applauds Intel Announcement of New Investment in Ohio’s Higher Education

Intel to Invest $50 Million In Ohio Higher Education Initiatives, Position Ohio as Global Leader in Semiconductor Innovation; Brown Working to Make Additional Investments in American Manufacturing Research and Development

WASHINGTON, D.C. – March 17, 2022 – Today, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) applauded the announcement that Intel will invest $50 million in Ohio higher education initiatives targeting the semiconductor industry. Intel’s announcement is in partnership with the U.S. National Science Foundation, which will provide an additional $50 million for research grants nationally that will be available to Ohio institutions. Today’s announcement follows Intel’s plan to build a $20 billion semiconductor plant in New Albany, which is expected to create 10,000 jobs. Brown worked with local and state leaders and other members of Ohio’s Congressional delegation to ensure that Intel chose Ohio for what will be its most advanced manufacturing facility in the world. This project will help reverse decades of offshoring American manufacturing. Currently, 75 percent of chip manufacturing capacity is in Asian countries – mainly Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, and China – but with this facility, chips will become a major Ohio export.
“We need to make more things in America – and there’s no better place than in Ohio, with Ohio workers. This investment will help make Ohio the center of semiconductor innovation. We can’t let China and other foreign competitors lead us in this critical industry,” said Brown. “We already know that Intel’s record investment in Ohio will mean more than 10,000 new, good-paying jobs, and this added investment in higher education will help to ensure that Ohioans are responsible for burying the term ‘Rust Belt.’”
Brown has pushed for action to support American semiconductor production, which is key to supporting investments in Ohio manufacturing. Intel’s plant will establish a long-term, reliable source of semiconductors, which are essential to U.S. economic competitiveness and national security. It also will support critical Ohio industries, like the auto industry and other high-tech manufacturing.
Last June, the Senate passed the United States Innovation and Competition Act of 2021 (USICA), which invests in American workers and our nation’s long-term competitiveness by shoring up critical industries like semiconductors, which are facing a global shortage. All sectors of the economy need access to semiconductor chips; however, the need is particularly significant for the domestic auto industry. Today’s cars include high-end electronic components that improve vehicle efficiency and safety, and these electronic components rely on semiconductors to function. Brown has urged quick negotiation of the America Creating Opportunities for Manufacturing, Pre-Eminence in Technology and Economic Strength (COMPETES) Act – the House version of the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act (USICA) – so that the final bill can be sent to the president’s desk to be signed into law.
The America COMPETES Act contains Brown’s Leveling the Playing Field 2.0 Act as well as the CHIPS for America Act. The package will make a once-in-a-generation investment in American science, technology and innovation to help the U.S. preserve its competitive edge. Brown wrote to Congressional leadership, urging swift passage of revised bipartisan legislation to invest in manufacturing and address the global semiconductor shortage facing auto manufacturing. The Senator’s priorities laid out in the letter were included in the introduction of the America COMPETES Act.
This bill also includes the Supporting Early Career Researchers Act. Brown cosponsored this bill to authorize the National Science Foundation (NSF) to establish a two-year pilot program to award grants to highly qualified early-career investigators to conduct at independent research institutions of higher education for up to two years. This will help prevent the loss of research talent due to job market disruptions caused by the economic decline during and after the pandemic. Brown is also a cosponsor of the Diversifying by Investing in Educators and Students to Improve outcomes For Youth (DIVERSIFY) Act to diversify the educator workforce by doubling the maximum TEACH Grant award.
Brown recently announced that the National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded grants to fund research at the University of Akron and Ohio State University (OSU).