ANY SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIP relies on three things: leveraging each partner’s expertise, creating an environment that nurtures collaboration, and last but not least, listening to each other. This is what David Bishop sees as the keys to success for the Mid-Atlantic Semiconductor Hub (MASH).
Bishop is a professor of physics, the head of the Division of Materials Science and Engineering, and director of the CELL-MET Engineering Research Center at Boston University. MASH was formed in response to the CHIPS (Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors) and Science Act, which is focused on boosting domestic production of semiconductors and related technologies. It is a regional hub consisting of a partnership among 10 universities including Penn State and Boston University, and various industry and government entities.
Bishop brings a unique perspective to the table, as he has a career that includes 33 years working for Bell Laboratories and 12 years at Boston University. “I would say as an individual, I really understand the world from both perspectives, having kind of been in both domains,” Bishop said. “One of the key things about the CHIPS Act is trying to enhance the competitiveness of the MASH Partner Spotlight: American semiconductor industry. To do this, academia needs to forge an effective partnership with this industry.” Part of this is communication and understanding each other’s perspective, goals, and needs. This, Bishop said, can be a little difficult due to each group not knowing the other’s world very well, such as the culture and how things are done differently in academia and as opposed to industry.
“There’s real value in having some members of our team who understands both sides and can build bridges between the two sides,” Bishop said. “We then realize that even though the goals may be the same, there are different cultures, different ways of approaching it, different ways of thinking about how to solve problems. It leads to an understanding that this is a win-win scenario, and we can leverage each other’s strengths.”
The MASH universities themselves boast a wide range of strengths, including robust material research and other STEM programs and state-of-the-art facilities. Their focus on areas such as infrared detectors, nano manufacturing, low-energy computing, and power computing are key to semiconductor work. However, Bishop said that the MASH universities can add another important aspect to this effort: workforce development.
Building America’s semiconductor industry back to its prior prominence will require tens of thousands of skilled workers. This is a major focus of the CHIPS Act. Bishop notes that to find qualified workers, semiconductor companies and universities need to partner on early education programs such as Boston University’s Engineering Engagement Kit (EEK), which introduces elementary school students to the concept of engineering and inspires them to pursue STEM careers.
“If you ask a five-year-old what an engineer is, a five-year-old thinks the engineer is the person who drives the train and does not know that the engineer is the person who built the train,” Bishop said. “The EEK introduces the concept of what engineering is and what engineers do to show them that engineering is an interesting, important way to change the world. It plants the idea early of engineering as a career. A lot of students, especially those in underrepresented populations, who could become engineers will not do so if they are not given the right kind of encouragement or opportunities.”
Encouraging these underrepresented communities is important for the future of America’s semiconductor industry simply because of the number of workers that are needed as it ramps up to levels outlined in the CHIPS Act. Bishop stressed that the net for workers needs to be cast with diversity in mind and include underrepresented communities.
“Every industrial company looks around, looks at their workforce, and realizes that it’s not as diverse as it should be,” Bishop said. “I think by partnering, we can put together a good workforce that’s diverse with broad participation, one that creates innovative technical solutions and valuable intellectual property.”
MASH is designed to leverage the unique strengths that individuals and institutions within higher education, industry, and government bring to the semiconductor industry. As Bishop stresses, by combining the expertise of diverse stakeholders, fostering collaboration, and listening to each other, universities can play a pivotal role in strengthening the American semiconductor industry.
“MASH will be a wonderful team to be a member of,” Bishop said. “I’m really excited to be part of this team and excited to work with these individuals to show the world what we can all do.”