America’s Frontier Fund (AFF) is pleased to submit the following materials for the consideration of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to inform the development of semiconductor Manufacturing USA Institutes (MUSAs).
Within this response, AFF offers our insights and recommendations from our perspective as an independent non-profit investment fund composed of technologists, venture capitalists, and national security professionals with experience building
technology companies and strategic investment funds for the public benefit. We have focused our comments on areas in which we have specific expertise that might benefit NIST and other agencies responsible for designing and establishing Manufacturing
USA Institutes related to semiconductors. The CHIPS Act is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to revitalize U.S. microelectronics leadership by revolutionizing the ecosystem for inventing and scaling next-generation microelectronics domestically. Realizing this vision requires lowering the domestic
barriers to entry for microelectronics researchers and firms, reducing design-to-manufacturing costs and timelines, and de-risking technology maturation in the United States. Put simply, the U.S. must be the best place to launch and scale a microelectronics company.
