Investing in Texas with cutting-edge research
by Phil Ritter, Senior Vice President, Public Affairs
Texas increasingly competes, not just with other states,
but with countries like China and India, to attract
high-tech research and development (R&D) and manufacturing
investment.
TI recognizes this challenge and promotes policies that
demonstrate strong government commitment to basic research,
support a world-class work force skilled in math and
science, and create an environment that welcomes private
sector R&D investment.
As this year’s chairman of the Semiconductor Industry
Association (SIA), TI President and CEO Rich Templeton
is taking a lead in promoting these issues.
In his 2006 State of the Union address, President Bush
announced the American Competitiveness Initiative (ACI),
which includes doubling investment in basic research
at the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National
Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST), and the
Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science
during the next 10 years.
The initiative also urges improved math and science
education, immigration reform for highly skilled workers,
and extension of the R&D tax credit. The Democratic
Innovation Agenda, announced in fall 2005, contains
similar measures and contemplates doubling investment
in basic research over five years.
The proposed research investments will result in at
least an additional $10 billion in annual research funding
by the end of ten years. For 2007, Congress passed an
appropriations bill containing a $585 million increase
for scientific research at NSF, NIST and DOE. This outcome
represents a victory because early indications held
research funding flat for 2007.
TI’s Washington office played an active role in
lobbying for these research increases to be included
in the continuing resolution. Rich co-signed letters
to Congress from SIA and the Task Force on the Future
of American Innovation in support of the additional
funding.
The president’s 2008 budget proposal contains
$1.2 billion in combined new funding for NSF, NIST and
DOE’s Office of Science. The NSF 2008 budget proposes
$390 million for nanotechnology research.
 Texas
is well positioned and should aggressively compete for
this increased funding through the merit-based research
programs of federal agencies. The University of Texas
at Dallas (UTD) is doing some interesting work on plastic
electronics to develop flexible displays the military
can use as portable battle maps updated in real-time.
Rice University has developed metallic nanoshells for
cancer treatment that can be chemically attached to
tumors and radiate without destroying the surrounding
healthy tissue.
Federally funded basic research, especially at universities,
continues to be important to TI. In 1958, when Jack
Kilby invented the integrated circuit at TI, NASA and
the Defense Department were some of his first supporters.
DLP® technology was originally developed as part
of a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
program in the late 1970s to improve aircraft cockpit
displays. Some recent TI engagements in university research
include the world’s first bionic arm and work
in artificial vision.
NSF and NIST funding are particularly key to the semiconductor
industry’s Nanoelectronics Research Initiative
(NRI). In 2005, six semiconductor companies –
AMD, Freescale Semiconductor, IBM, Intel, Micron Technology
and TI – established the NRI specifically to find
additional options beyond the current 30-year-old Complementary
Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) technology that underpins
today's electronics.
The unique NRI model supplements NSF funding with industry
and state government funds, and has created three regional
multiuniversity centers, in California, New York and
Texas to explore “beyond CMOS” technology.
The Texas center, the Southwest Academy of Nanoelectronics
(SWAN), is headquartered at The University of Texas
at Austin. SWAN involves researchers at numerous UT
System institutions, including those in Arlington, Austin
and Dallas, as well as Texas A&M University and
Rice University. Arizona State University, the University
of Maryland and the University of Notre Dame also participate
in SWAN.
The goal is to make Texas a national leader in nanoelectronics
research. Starting with the establishment of SWAN, the
effort aims to attract top academic researchers who
will develop and commercialize nanoelectronics materials
and devices that promise to take the electronics industry
beyond today's chip technologies. TI is the lead corporate
investor in the effort, with a $5 million contribution.
Texas has a tremendous opportunity to be a global leader
in research, particularly on nanotechnology. TI stands
ready to work with the governor and the Legislature
to ensure that our state succeeds in this effort. |
