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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe Indiana Economic Development Corp. on Friday announced the formation of a task force that will try to boost the semiconductor industry in the state.
The launch of the Accelerating Microelectronics Production & Development, or AMPD, task force, was announced at the inaugural Indiana Global Economic Summit in Indianapolis.
The task force will be made up of industry experts and university research officials. The IEDC said it has “seeded the initiative with $2.7 million of state funding for the task force to design and execute a strategic outreach and marketing plan to secure commitments from established sector leaders and disruptive companies over the next two years to create a vibrant cluster in Indiana.”
Indiana Secretary of Commerce Brad Chambers and Jimmy Costa, senior vice president of innovation and semiconductor strategy for the IEDC, will lead the 15-member task force. Costa is a former executive with Analog Devices Inc. and design engineer for Delphi Automotive Systems who was heavily involved in the microelectronics industry.
“AMPD, created to bolster the state’s efforts to become the leading state in the semiconductor industry, will accelerate and support microelectronics research and innovation in Indiana by securing commercial semiconductor and federal funding opportunities,” the IEDC said.
The task force is charged with attracting “significant investments” by “connecting semiconductor companies with local resources and assets, including skilled talent, prime real estate and competitive investment packages.”
Other task force members:
• Ajit Manocha, CEO, Semiconductor Equipment & Materials International, or SEMI
• Alan Seabaugh, director, Notre Dame Nanoscience and Technology
• Amy Schumacher, CEO, The Heritage Group
• Dave Roberts, executive vice president of entrepreneurship and innovation, IEDC
• Scott Kirkpatrick, associate professor of physics and optical engineering, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
• George Scalise, CEO of George Scalise Semiconductor Innovation Center and former SIA president
• Joe Carley, director of economic development, Indiana University
• Kenneth Johnson, executive vice president, Hunt construction Group;
• Mark Lewis, executive director of the Emerging Technology Institute;
• Mark Lundstrom, professor of electrical and computer engineering, Purdue University;
• Rich Ravas, industry veteran consultant and former Global Chief Engineer, Delphi Electronics
• Sue Smith, vice president of technology and applied science, Ivy Tech Community College
• Todd Hillman, senior vice president and chief customer officer, Midcontinent Independent System Operator.
The IEDC also said two leading global strategic consulting groups have been retained “to ensure AMPD is equipped with the best information and strategy for engaging the industry.”
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Start looking at hydrogen research, production. Batteries are a half measure, stop-gap getting to hydrogen production. It is coming quickly, and is why charging stations aren’t going in everywhere.
Not just late to the party, but decades late.
The state should have been on this well over a year ago.