Biden administration announces $5 billion commitment for research and development of computer chips

The Biden administration announced Friday that it expects to commit $5 billion in a public-private consortium for research and development of computer chips.

The White House said this would advance President Joe Biden's goals of driving research and development in the United States, which include cutting down on the time and cost of commercializing new technologies.

The development comes as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are gearing up for the global chips competition through a new partnership that would tap into what they say is one of America's greatest strengths: diversity.

HBCU leaders and federal government officials convened on Thursday to support research and development in advanced computer chips and diversify the semiconductor industry.

«It's a moment for everyone to get in the boat and row in the same direction,» U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said in her remarks at the HBCU CHIPS Network event, adding "[It] may be the first time in the United States' history we make sure that the people who get these jobs look like America."

Sec. Raimondo said the semiconductor industry needs diversity if the country wants to out-compete China, Taiwan, and the rest of the world.

«I'm just here to say we need you,» Raimondo said to the auditorium of HBCU leaders.

During the network's public kickoff in Washington, D.C., more than a dozen HBCUs joined White House and Commerce Department officials to discuss the Biden administration's Chips and Science Act. The legislative victory became law in August 2022 and provides funds to support the domestic production of semiconductors. In addition, the law authorizes various programs and activities of the federal science agencies, according to the text.

The HBCU