Austin Community College (ACC) has been awarded a $3.6 million grant from the Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund to expand workforce training in semiconductor manufacturing and precision welding.
The award marks the first time a Texas higher education institution has received funding from the state program, which was established under the Texas CHIPS Act in 2023 to boost Texas’ role in the national semiconductor industry.
Administered by the Texas CHIPS Office within the Governor’s Economic Development and Tourism Office, the fund is designed to attract and expand semiconductor-related businesses, strengthen university partnerships and maintain Texas’ status as a national semiconductor hub.
The funding will support the development of a 2,600-square-foot Austin Semiconductor Advanced Manufacturing Lab at ACC’s Round Rock Campus in East Williamson County. The facility will replicate a real-world semiconductor manufacturing environment, featuring a clean room simulation, gowning and airlock areas and specialized equipment including robotics systems and automation software.
In addition to the semiconductor lab, the grant will enable ACC to build a new welding fabrication skills lab in a renovated 3,728-square-foot space. This facility will house advanced tools for precision welding and fabrication training.
In a press release, Gov. Greg Abbott described the investment as a step toward sustaining Texas’ leadership in domestic chip manufacturing. “Working together with our higher education partners and industry leaders, we will ensure the chips that drive the innovative technologies of tomorrow are made in Texas,” Abbott said in a statement.
ACC Chancellor Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart said the college plans to use the grant to open opportunities for hundreds of students annually. “This grant empowers us to build the kind of future our students deserve,” he said. “We’re expanding facilities and opening doors for hundreds of new students each year to step into life-changing careers.”
Previous recipients of Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund grants include SpaceX, Silicon Labs and IntelliEPI.
Austin Community College Receives $3.6M Semiconductor Innovation Grant
What to Know:
- The award marks the first time a Texas higher education institution has received funding from the state program.
- The funding will support the development of a 2,600-square-foot Austin Semiconductor Advanced Manufacturing Lab at ACC’s Round Rock Campus in East Williamson County.
- The grant will also enable ACC to build a new welding fabrication skills lab in a renovated 3,728-square-foot space.
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