US Chips Policy Gains In Intelligence
The CHIPS Act, enacted four years ago, initially focused on revitalizing domestic semiconductor manufacturing, with two-thirds of its $59 billion budget going to grants and loan guarantees for foundries. New funding pivots toward AI computing capabilities, including advanced packaging, interconnects, memory, photonics, materials, and secure electronics. The summer announcement of $874 million targets the AI compute stack's connective tissue, with proposed awards to GlobalFoundries, Kepler, and Multibeam, among others.
Why it matters: This shift reflects a strategic pivot in US industrial policy, emphasizing allied cooperation and bottleneck capabilities over self-sufficiency, a key theme in transatlantic tech cooperation.