RIT part of U.S.-Japan semiconductor development program
Rochester Institute of Technology will be one of 11 universities to participate in a high-level research and development program for semiconductor technology, it was announced last week at the G7 Summit in Hiroshima, Japan.
The initiative, called UPWARDS for the Future, was established by Micron Technology, the company that recently announced a $100 billion investment in the Syracuse area. In will involve five schools in Japan and six in the United States, also including Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy.
The universities will help develop semiconductor curricula and grow a more diverse engineering workforce. Micron and others will fund it with about $60 million over five years, according to a press release.
"As a leading producer of STEM graduates, Rochester Institute of Technology recognizes the crucial role that semiconductors and related technologies play in driving innovation and economic growth," RIT President David Munson said in a statement. “More importantly, we are committed to fostering diversity and removing educational barriers. We look forward to partnering with our academic colleagues in Japan and in the United States, as well as Micron, through the UPWARDS for the Future initiative to advance semiconductor research and workforce development."
RIT already has a microelectronic engineering program, one of the first in the nation, and more than 1,500 alumni working in the semiconductor field now, it said.
Semiconductors are a crucial component of all electronic devices; Micron focuses primarily on chips for memory and storage uses. Gaining a market advantage in their production and use has turned into an international race, particularly between the United States and China.
China this month banned the use of Micron memory chips in some cases, a move viewed as retaliation for restrictions the United States lay against China in March.
As a sign of the industry's geopolitical significance, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Japanese Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Keiko Nagaoka were present for the signing of the UPWARDS for the Future agreement.
Besides RIT and RPI, the other participating universities are Boise State University, Purdue University, the University of Washington and Virginia Tech in the U.S. and Hiroshima University, Kyushu University, Nagoya University, Tohoku University and Tokyo Institute of Technology in Japan.
RIT's specialized semiconductor and microsystems manufacturing lab is currently being expanded with the help of state and federal funding. Much of its involvement in UPWARDS for the Future will be concentrated in the Kate Gleason College of Engineering and the College of Engineering Technology.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: RIT part of U.S.-Japan semiconductor development program
