EAST LANSING, Mich. — The global shortage of chips used in cars and other electronics has raised the question, what do we do now? Michigan State University and 11 other colleges and universities are teaming up to find a solution.
“The disruptions in the supply chain caused by the pandemic, but accentuated by the fact that the chips are made overseas rather than in North America, really display that we need to do something and do something fast,” said Leo Kempel, dean of the College of Engineering at MSU.
Comprising the Midwest Regional Network to address the semiconductor shortage are:
- Case Western Reserve University
- Columbus State Community College
- Lorain County Community College
- Purdue University
- Sinclair Community College
- The Ohio State University
- University of Cincinnati
- University of Dayton
- University of Michigan
- University of Notre Dame
- Wright State University
“We're gearing up to to educate more students and produce more workers for for high tech industry, and particularly the semiconductor industry,” Kempel said.
For the past year, the shortage has caused GM's Lansing Delta Township/Lansing Regional Stamping plant to close for weeks on end. The most recent closure was in July.
The presidents of these universities formed this network with the goal of innovating ways to bring the semiconductor and microelectronics supply chain to the Midwest.
This network of universities aligns with President Joe Biden signing of the CHIPS and Science Act on Tuesday.
“It also will create jobs – good-paying jobs right here in the United States. It will mean more resilient American supply chains, so we are never so reliant on foreign countries for the critical technologies that we need for American consumers and national security,” President Biden said.
Kemple said in June the MSU Board of Trustees authorized the planning process for an engineering and digital building, which is where a lot of the semiconductor research will take place.
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