Consortium Led by Ohio Awarded Hub Designation, $24M in Funding

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Midwest Microelectronics Consortium has been awarded regional hub designation and $24.3 million for fiscal year 2023 through the Microelectronics Commons program.

The Midwest Microelectronics Consortium is a multistate, regional initiative led by Ohio and dedicated to advancing the research and production of microelectronics for the defense industry. 

The partnership with the Department of Defense places Ohio, as a part of the MMEC, among the eight regional hubs nationwide. The MMEC comprises more than 65 public, private and nonprofit entities, with leadership from many key Ohio institutions.

This public-private technology hub will connect the Midwest’s academic institutions, corporate leaders and government partners. Backed by $2 billion in federal CHIPS Science Act funding, Ohio’s leadership within the MMEC will position the state at the epicenter of a national network aiming to revolutionize the “lab-to-fab” microelectronics ecosystem while solving national security challenges, a news release states.

Gov. Mike DeWine, Lt. Gov. Jon Husted and JobsOhio worked with the state’s congressional delegation and the Ohio Grants Alliance to build collaborative advocacy for the MMEC’s selection as an ME Commons hub.

“Being chosen as a critical hub in the ME Commons initiative places the Midwest, with leadership from key Ohio institutions, at the heart of American-made semiconductor innovation,” DeWine said. “The partnerships forged with Ohio’s business, academic and community leaders have resulted in bringing this prestigious hub to the Midwest. The foundation for this statewide collaboration was laid during the advocacy for the CHIPS Act in 2021 and 2022 and, more recently, it has gained momentum as we seize the opportunities arising from Intel’s $20 billion investment in our state.”

Earlier this year, the Ohio Business Roundtable, in collaboration with Ohio’s independent regional business associations, launched the Ohio Grants Alliance initiative, which focuses on helping Ohio-based entities win federal grant funding.

“This ME Commons grant is a monumental win for Ohio because it opens the door to increased job creation, the development of stronger educational pipelines to support the semiconductor supply chain and the potential of new projects within the Department of Defense,” said Pat Tiberi, president and CEO of the Ohio Business Roundtable.

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.