A June 2025 report by the Semiconductor Industry Association reviews the four CHIPS research programs administered by the US Department of Commerce: the National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program (NAPMP), the National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC), SMART USA and the Metrology program. Approximate funding for the programs totals $11 billion, positioned as a complement to $540 billion of industry investment.

From research to manufacturing
  1. 01Research

    Industry-guided research agendas across packaging, technology, digital twins and metrology.

  2. 02Pilot production

    Shared facilities such as the NSTC and the Advanced Packaging and Piloting Facility let technologies be tested at scale.

  3. 03High-volume manufacturing

    The stated mission is to activate technologies for commercial production, complementing fab investment.

Source: SIA, Semiconductor R&D Programs (June 2025) Simplified view of how the report describes the programs' role.

A different mission from conventional funding

Unlike conventional government funding programs that engage early technologies, the report argues the CHIPS research programs have a unique mission: to activate technologies for high-volume manufacturing. The programs are guided by industry leaders and technology roadmaps, with industry-led advisory boards for the NSTC and SMART USA.

The competitive context

The report frames the programs against a global race for research leadership. It states that in 2025 China is investing $55 billion on research in semiconductors, artificial intelligence and quantum information sciences, and argues that where cutting-edge research takes place defines where the most cutting-edge businesses will grow.

Limitations

The report is an industry-association analysis published in June 2025, and program implementation has continued since. The $11 billion funding figure is approximate and spans several programs and years; it is not comparable to annual company research budgets. We do not publish a numerical forecast of research outcomes.

AW

For information and educational purposes only. This research is not personalized investment advice or a recommendation to buy or sell a security.