Tech Diplomacy Now: CHIPS Act Funding Begins to Flow
The Commerce Department is beginning to commit large grants as a part of the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act, with a concentration on expanding defense and automobile related semiconductors.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Top News of the Week
The Briefing
Latest News
Technology Strategy and Policy
Artificial Intelligence
Telecommunications Networks and Infrastructure
Critical Minerals
Synthetic Biology
Quantum
Advanced Aerospace Technology
Semiconductors and Microelectronics
Energy and Climate
Opinion and Commentary
The Last Word
Tech Diplomacy Now: CHIPS Act Funding Begins to Flow
After some relatively small grants in late 2023, the Commerce Department is beginning to commit large grants as a part of the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act. The announcement this week of the intention to provide $1.5 billion in direct funding to Global Foundries follows the pattern of earlier grants. The funding is focused on expanding capacity for mature-node chip production, not advanced semiconductors.
So far, the Commerce Department has concentrated its efforts on expanding defense and automobile related semiconductors. Given the nature of these industries, defense systems and automobiles rely heavily on mature-node chips.
More Background:
Biden-Harris Administration Announces Preliminary Terms with GlobalFoundries to Strengthen Domestic Legacy Chip Supply for U.S. Auto and Defense Industries – U.S. Commerce Department, February 19, 2024
Global Foundries Lands $1.5 Billion in Funding from CHIPS and Science Act – HPC Wire, February 19, 2024
U.S. to give $1.5 billion for computer-chip plant, heating up global race – Washington Post, February 19, 2024
Intel in Talks for More Than $10 Billion in Chips Act Incentives – Bloomberg, February 16, 2024
Welcome to Silicon Desert: How Biden helped boost an Arizona boomtown – Washington Post, February 12, 2024
The Briefing
FBI Director Says China Cyberattacks on U.S. Infrastructure Now at Unprecedented Scale - Wall Street Journal, February 18th, 2024
The Chinese government has been embedding its hackers in critical U.S. infrastructure - for years - and the scale of these cyberattacks is now at an all-time high, according to FBI Director Chris Wray.
CEO of the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue, Michelle Giuda, talks about the importance of accelerating the collaboration between government, business, tech leaders and allies in order to secure our infrastructure – and our freedom.
Latest News
Japan's nominal GDP outgrows China's for first time in 46 years – Nikkei Asia, February 16, 2024
How Russia Recruits Soldiers from Cuba to Fight in Ukraine – WSJ, February 16, 2024
Biden, lawmakers hammer Ukraine aid holdouts after Navalny death – Politico, February 16, 2024
NATO chief warns against dividing the US and Europe or undermining their joint nuclear deterrent – AP, February 15, 2024
Chinese Influence Campaign Pushes Disunity Before U.S. Election, Study Says – NYTs, February 15, 2024
Technology Strategy and Policy
How Silicon Valley learned to love America, drones, and glory – Washington Post, February 17, 2024
Critical And Emerging Technologies List Update – National Science and Technology Council, February 15, 2024
China is warily eyeing the US and EU’s pursuit of “collective economic security” – Quartz, February 15, 2024
Lawmakers weigh blacklist for firms lobbying for Chinese military-linked companies – Politico, February 14, 2024
Reading between the lines of the new US National Defense Industrial Strategy – Atlantic Council, February 14, 2024
Is quantum computing the next technology on the EU's regulation agenda? – Euronews, January 30, 2024
Artificial Intelligence
OpenAI’s newest model Sora can generate videos — and they look decent – TechCrunch, February 16, 2024
Navy envisions ‘hundreds of thousands’ of drones in the Pacific to deter China – Defense One, February 16, 2024
FTC Wants to Penalize Companies for Use of AI in Impersonation – Bloomberg, February 15, 2024
Hackers for China, Russia, and Others Used OpenAI Systems, Report Says – NYTs, February 14, 2024
AI fired nukes in a war simulation because it wanted 'peace in the world' – Quartz, February 8, 2024
Telecommunications Networks and Infrastructure
FBI warns Chinese malware could threaten critical US infrastructure – Financial Times, February 17, 2024
Chinese Hackers Embedded in US Networks for at Least Five Years – Bloomberg, February 7, 2024
US and Allies Kick Russian Hackers Off Home Routers, FBI Says – Bloomberg, February 16, 2024
Critical Minerals
Deep-sea mining 'seems to be inevitable,' UN regulator says, as fight for critical minerals heats up – CNBC, February 19, 2024
West challenges China's critical minerals hold on Africa – Reuters, February 18, 2024
U.S. 'very concerned' about China's dominance as a critical minerals supplier, energy chief says – CNBC, February 14, 2024
IEA to launch security program for minerals critical to energy sector – Reuters, February 13, 2024
How China is Tightening its Noose on Critical Minerals – Oil Price, February 12, 2024
Synthetic Biology
NIST, Nonprofit Research Consortium to Develop Safety Tools for Synthetic Biology to Defend Against Potential Misuse of AI – NIST, February 16, 2024
Genetics journal retracts 18 papers from China due to human rights concerns – The Guardian, February 15, 2024
China’s seed industry at least a generation behind as Western giants enter ‘Industry 4.0 Era’, must increase collaboration – SCMP, February 8, 2024
Quantum
Quantum computers move closer to the assembly line – Axios, February 18, 2024
Alibaba and Baidu Cash Out on Quantum Computing Stakes – Spectrum IEEE, February 14, 2024
Advanced Aerospace Technology
China-Latin America Space Cooperation: An Overview – The Diplomat, February 16, 2024
Why Russia won’t have its anti-satellite weapon in space anytime soon – Politico, February 15, 2024
America’s Space War Vulnerability – WSJ, February 15, 2024
Semiconductors and Microelectronics
NVIDIA Accelerates Quantum Computing Exploration at Pawsey Supercomputing Centre – HPC Wire, February 19, 2024
Seoul’s Big Switch – The Wire China, February 18, 2024
Masayoshi Son Seeks to Build a $100 Billion AI Chip Venture – Bloomberg, February 16, 2024
China is quietly reducing its reliance on foreign chip technology – The Economist, February 13, 2024
Energy and Climate
World’s biggest solar company warns west not to cut out Chinese suppliers – Financial Times, February 15, 2024
Ford Sees ‘Colossal’ Competitive Threat in Low-Cost Chinese EVs – Bloomberg, February 14, 2024
Shell Sees Demand Surging for Liquefied Natural Gas – NYTs, February 14, 2024
U.S. Gas Producers Are Racing to Sell to Asia. And Mexico Is Key. – NYTs, February 13, 2024
Opinion and Commentary
The Taiwan Catastrophe: What America—and the World—Would Lose If China Took the Island – Andrew S. Erickson, Gabriel B. Collins, and Matt Pottinger, Foreign Affairs, February 16, 2024
Wyoming Hits the Rare-Earth Mother Lode – Michael ‘Misha’ Auslin, WSJ, February 14, 2024
What Putin and Xi Have in Common – Leon Aron, AEI, February 14, 2024
Why America Can’t Have It All – Foreign Affairs, February 14, 2024
The Last Word
“Semiconductors are in everything from our cellphones, to refrigerators, to cars, and our most advanced weapons systems, and access to them carries important economic and national security implications.”
Secretary of Commerce, Gina Raimondo
About: Tech Diplomacy Now
The Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue is the world’s preeminent trusted technology accelerator. As the leader of the new category of Tech Diplomacy, the Institute integrates technology expertise, Silicon Valley strategies, and foreign policy tools to build the Global Trusted Tech Network of governments, companies, organizations and individuals to accelerate the innovation and adoption of trusted technology and ensure technology advances freedom.