KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday announced plans for the state to invest $80 million to expand the University of Florida Semiconductor Institute.
The money for the plan would come from the state budget and first have to be approved the the Florida Legislature.
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DeSantis said the institute expansion may not be located in Gainesville. The university may choose to locate it somewhere else in the state under the UF banner, possibly someplace where there would be more businesses more likely to start and expand, he said.
“I think given this money, we’ll be able to provide for the infrastructure, and we’ll be able to provide for the good workforce training,” DeSantis said.
DeSantis said the investment is not part of the CHIPS and Science Act, a federal program that aims to boost American semiconductor research, development, and production, ensuring U.S. leadership in the technology that forms the foundation of everything from automobiles to household appliances to defense systems.
America invented the semiconductor, but today produces about 10 percent of the world’s supply and none of the most advanced chips, according to the White House. Instead, the country relies on East Asia for 75% of global production.
DeSantis said he also wants to target state grant programs specifically for the semiconductor industry.
Florida is now the fifth largest employer of semiconductor manufacturing in the nation, DeSantis said.
So far, DeSantis said, the state has invested about $380 million for various components of semiconductor education and infrastructure.