DOD, DOC sign MOA on strengthening semiconductor industrial base

The Defense and Commerce departments have signed a memorandum of agreement to expand collaboration to strengthen the U.S. semiconductor defense industrial base.

"The agreement will increase information sharing between the departments to facilitate close coordination on the CHIPS for America's incentives program, ensuring that their respective investments position the U.S. to produce semiconductor chips essential to national security and defense programs," a joint statement issued today reads.

"This agreement is an important step forward in increasing the capacity and resiliency of our domestic semiconductor industrial base," Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy Laura Taylor-Kale, who signed the MOA on behalf of DOD, said in the statement. "It is essential for DOD and DOC to consult one another to ensure we are making complementary investments that support a robust semiconductor industrial base. Both departments are working together to expand domestic semiconductor production capacity in a coordinated fashion."

By aligning priorities and decision-making, the MOA "will enable a more synchronized approach to promoting a robust and resilient semiconductor supply chain," according to DOD. "Specific areas of consultation identified in the MOA include sharing information on the semiconductor needs of the Defense Industrial Base, the investment priorities of DOD and each military service, the existing and planned investments to sustain mature and legacy chip capabilities for current defense programs, and funding to support emerging technologies that are critical to future U.S. national security programs."