Governor Abbott joined leadership from The Texas A&M University System and Texas Representative Paul Dyson on April 9 to break ground for the nearly 80,000-square-foot facility for the Texas A&M Semiconductor Institute (TSI).
"Texas and America must be microchip independent," said Governor Abbott. "We must ensure we lead the way forward. This groundbreaking is a giant step toward achieving that independence. Texas A&M is accelerating in innovation, and cementing Texas' position as the global leader for semiconductors."
The A&M System Board of Regents approved the establishment of TSI in May 2023 in response to federal and state-level CHIPS and Science Act legislation. By June 2023, Gov. Abbott signed the Texas CHIPS Act that appropriated $1.4 billion for semiconductor research, development and manufacturing in Texas, with $226.4 million directly allocated to the A&M System.
“At the A&M System, our job is to see where the state and country are going — and build ahead of it,” said Jay Graham, vice chairman of the Board of Regents. “This project does exactly that. It strengthens Texas. It strengthens our workforce. And it strengthens the country.”
“This is a facility designed for semiconductor research and workforce training,” said Glenn Hegar, chancellor for the A&M System. “It includes advanced cleanrooms, fabrication space and flexible labs to mirror real-world production environments. That is how you build a workforce and strengthen an industry.”
The A&M System named Dr. E. Steve Putna the inaugural director of TSI in July 2024. Putna came to TSI with more than 25 years of extensive experience in the semiconductor industry, particularly in manufacturing and supply chain management at Intel Corporation.
“This groundbreaking marks a significant step forward for TSI,” said Putna. “We are celebrating more than a new building; we are celebrating our collective mission to drive economic growth in Texas through workforce development; disruptive, next-generation research; and impactful collaborations in support of national security and the semiconductor resurgence in the United States.”
