Under the CHIPS Act, digital twins are expected to receive $285 million from the Biden administration.

The Biden administration is seeking funding to improve semiconductor manufacturing using digital twins.

Digital twins are virtual models used to test and optimise physical objects and systems.As an illustration, auto manufacturers are investigating the use of digital twins in their factories to test out novel manufacturing processes without causing any disruptions to production.

The Biden administration has recently announced that it will be accepting applications for a substantial funding opportunity. This funding aims to support various projects, including research into semiconductor digital twin development, the establishment of combined physical and digital facilities, industry demonstration projects, workforce training, and the operation of a new CHIPS Manufacturing USA Institute.

During a press briefing on Sunday, Laurie E. Locascio, the Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, highlighted the potential benefits of digital twins in the field of chip development and manufacturing. She emphasised how digital twins can help reduce costs and foster greater collaboration in chip design and development processes.

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“No country has made the necessary investment or effectively brought the industry together to fully harness the immense potential of digital twin technology for groundbreaking discoveries,” Locascio stated.

This funding is a component of the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, a substantial $280 billion bill that allocates $52.7 billion towards enhancing domestic semiconductor manufacturing. During that period, President Biden highlighted the decline in the United States’ semiconductor production from 40 percent globally to less than 10 percent.

In line with a prominent message in the administration’s discourse, Arati Prabhakar, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, emphasised on Sunday that the CHIPS Act was enacted due to the concerning concentration of semiconductor manufacturing in a single region of the world.

Mark your calendars for an upcoming informational webinar on May 8. Organisations eligible for application include nonprofits, universities, governments, and for-profit companies that are considered “domestic entities” (incorporated in the United States, with their principal place of business here).