Houston Daily

Austin Community College District (ACC) has received a $3.6 million grant from the Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund (TSIF) to develop an advanced semiconductor manufacturing lab and a precision welding program at its Round Rock Campus in East Williamson County. This is the first TSIF grant awarded to a higher education institution in Texas.

Governor Greg Abbott said, “Texas continues to lead America’s resurgence in semiconductor manufacturing thanks to our highly skilled and growing workforce. Already recognized as a national model for semiconductor workforce training, ACC will establish a new semiconductor advanced manufacturing lab and a precision welding skills lab on their campus in Round Rock. 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.”

The planned Austin Semiconductor Advanced Manufacturing Lab will cover 2,600 square feet and include classroom space, simulation of a real-world manufacturing environment, locker room, gowning area, airlock transition space, simulated clean room, robotics system, machine sensor trainer, process metrology microscopes, and automation studio software. Additionally, ACC will create a new welding fabrication skills lab within an existing 3,728-square-foot area using updated tools for student training in precision welding for semiconductor production.

Senator Charles Schwertner commented on the initiative: “I congratulate Austin Community College Round Rock in becoming the first Texas institution of higher education to be awarded a Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund grant. This grant is a testament to our state’s commitment to building a world-class semiconductor industry and expanding our high-tech workforce. By providing state-of-the-art, hands-on training to meet real industry needs, ACC’s Advanced Manufacturing Lab and precision welding program will create opportunities for students across Texas, ensuring our state remains at the epicenter of cutting-edge innovation in the advanced manufacturing sector.”

ACC District Chancellor Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart added: “We are deeply grateful to the State of Texas and the Governor’s Office for this generous investment in Austin Community College and the communities we serve. This grant empowers us to build the kind of future our students deserve. We’re expanding facilities and opening doors for hundreds of new students each year to step into life-changing careers. This is what it means to be a college of the community — meeting the needs of our regional economy while lifting up every learner we serve.”

In 2023, Governor Abbott signed into law the Texas CHIPS Act establishing TSIF as part of an incentive program intended to support Texas’ role in semiconductor research and production. The programs are managed by the Texas CHIPS Office within the Governor’s Economic Development & Tourism Office with goals that include encouraging expansion among semiconductor companies and enhancing expertise at higher education institutions statewide.