U.S. Department of Commerce Awards Approximately $23 Million Tech Hubs Grant to Strengthen the Gallium Nitride-based Semiconductor Industry in Vermont

Contact: EDA Public Affairs Department, edamedia@eda.gov

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) has selected Vermont Gallium Nitride Tech Hub, led by the University of Vermont, for an approximately $23 million Tech Hubs grant to implement three projects that aim to position Vermont as a global leader in the development and adoption of high-power, high-frequency electronic devices using Gallium Nitride (GaN)-based semiconductor chips.

The Vermont Gallium Nitride Tech Hub is among six Tech Hubs to receive awards from additional funding for the Tech Hubs Program through the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). 

The grant will support implementation of two projects that include:

• establishing a cutting-edge computing facility dedicated to supporting the design of Gallium Nitride (GaN) and other wide bandgap semiconductor-based device development for both commercial and defense applications by providing small enterprises and startups with the industry’s best design tools, deployment methodologies, and capabilities; 

• creating a central governance and organizational structure to provide personnel and resources to coordinate and amplify consortium members’ efforts; and 

• delivering of workforce training through courses, certifications, trainings, apprenticeships, and internships, all developed in partnership with local industry and based on skill gap assessments. 

“To out-innovate and out-compete the rest of the world, we need to ensure we’re investing in the industries of the future that will drive American innovation, manufacturing, and workforce to succeed in a 21st century economy – that's how America maintains its competitive edge,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “The Tech Hubs Program and this latest allocation of funds are the result of bipartisan cooperation in Congress – I hope that good-faith work will endure so we can continue to invest in these centers of excellence across the nation, which in return, are providing good-paying jobs in industries of the future and helping to strengthen U.S. economic and national security.”

“We are so pleased that bipartisan support in Congress for the Tech Hubs Program will allow us to make even more impactful investments in the future of America’s economy,” said Cristina Killingsworth, Acting Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development. “This implementation funding will empower the Vermont Gallium Nitride Tech Hub to spur job growth, attract private investment, and fortify its regional economy as a global leader in gallium nitride-based semiconductors.”

“Vermont’s new Tech Hub will benefit generations of researchers, tech innovators, and manufacturing leaders. The Biden-Harris Administration’s $23 million investment in the Green Mountain State’s technological and economic future is a testament to our innovative leadership, world-renowned research institutions, and our record of excellence in manufacturing,” said Senator Peter Welch. “While serving on the Senate Commerce Committee, I advocated for the Administration to invest in the Vermont Gallium Nitride Tech Hub at the University of Vermont and am thrilled to see the Department of Commerce selected the Vermont GaN Tech Hub consortium for one of six competitive Tech Hub awards. I thank Secretary Raimondo for her commitment to expanding opportunities in zip codes large and small. With this new funding, we’ll enter 2025 celebrating jobs, innovation, and the advancement of the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act’s mission of bolstering our nation’s supply chain and onshoring manufacturing, right here in Vermont.”

“Vermont continues to demonstrate our culture of innovation and solidify our leadership in semiconductor manufacturing,” said Representative Becca Balint (VT-AL). “I’m proud that the Vermont Gallium Nitride Tech Hub is one of six Tech Hubs selected to receive additional funding. This investment will create more good-paying jobs and workforce training essential to our rural communities, and pave the way for a brighter economic future in our state and beyond.”

The Vermont Gallium Nitride Tech Hub is among 31 Tech Hubs designated in October 2023 by President Biden to scale up the production of critical technologies, create jobs in innovative industries, strengthen U.S. economic competitiveness and national security, and accelerate the growth of industries of the future in regions across the United States.  

Last year, the Vermont Gallium Nitride Tech Hub received a $500,000 Consortium Accelerator Award to continue implementing their strategies, including the pursuit of additional capital. 

Learn more about the Tech Hubs Program at TechHubs.gov. 

About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)   
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation’s regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA invests in communities and supports regional collaboration in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.