MINNESOTA - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, hosted a roundtable discussion and press conference at Normandale Community College with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo to discuss the recently passed bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act and how it can benefit Minnesota companies and workers.
“Chips are in everything from the planes in the sky, to the phones in our pockets, to the medical devices that so many people rely on. And chips will be critical in developing the technologies of the future, from advanced wireless networks to quantum computing,” said Klobuchar. “Making chips here in Minnesota and in the United States matters because in order to continue to lead in the global economy, we need to be a country that makes stuff, that invents things, and that exports to the world. Domestic chip manufacturing is a key part of that agenda. That’s why I fought to boost our economic competitiveness and strengthen our supply chains by passing the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act in the last Congress.”
Greater MSP CEO Peter Frosch, Bloomington Mayor Tim Busse, Normandale Community College Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Kristina Keller, University of Minnesota Interim President Jeff Ettinger, Minnesota Building Trades Association Executive Director Tom Dicklich, Skywater Technology President and CEO Thomas Sonderman, Polar Semiconductor VP of Business and Technology Development Rajesh Appat, Summit Academy President Leroy West, and recent Normandale Community College graduate and current engineering student Grace Jarvis all participated in the roundtable.
The bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act will strengthen domestic semiconductor production and boost American competitiveness and innovation. The CHIPS and Science Act is providing significant resources to:
- Help companies build, expand, or modernize domestic facilities and equipment for semiconductor production;
- Kick start development of the domestic semiconductor workforce and address near-term labor shortages;
- Make the largest five-year investment in public research and development in the nation’s history, including in critical technologies such as artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing, as well as boosting STEM education and regional technology hubs.
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