Calfee Connections

For companies that wish to receive manufacturing incentives in connection with the CHIPS and Science Act, the newly created CHIPS Program Office (CPO) at the U.S. Department of Commerce will begin accepting applications this spring.

While semiconductor manufacturers, local governments, and economic development entities await the guidance, rules, and application format for these incentives from the U.S. Department of Commerce, there are steps that companies can begin taking to shape their project to be competitive toward the national effort to bolster the U.S. semiconductor ecosystem and provide for a skilled workforce necessary to drive innovation for the next generation.

With billions of dollars in financial assistance available under the CHIPS and Science Act (CSA), companies should ensure they have a working understanding of the CSA, which is viewed as the catalyst for Intel’s decision to build multiple semiconductor fabrication plants northeast of Columbus, Ohio.

Semiconductor chip manufacturer Intel Corporation has announced plans for a massive expansion into Ohio, intending to make an initial investment of more than $20 billion in the construction of two new leading-edge chip factories near Columbus. This investment (and recent federal legislation such as the CHIPS and Science Act, which provides over $50 billion in federal incentive funding and tax credits to help the American semiconductor industry reshore manufacturing and invest in the next generation of technology) represents an exceptional opportunity for Ohio residents and companies, though there may be some unique challenges tech companies could face when starting or growing operations in the Buckeye State.

Thanks to the passage of the CHIPS and Science Act, aimed at encouraging more investment in the tech sector to help produce more semiconductor chips here in the U.S., companies large and small are considering how to invest in the next generation of semiconductor manufacturing and considering lucrative federal incentives as a catalyst to this growth.

After months of delay, the CHIPS Act of 2022 finally cleared both houses of Congress last week, as part of larger legislation focused on supporting many aspects of science and innovation.

Launching a startup company requires a mind-crushing amount of thought and effort. One area that entrepreneurs often unintentionally neglect is the legal protection of their business’ intellectual property.