AUSTIN, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — Officials with the office of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced today that the state has formed a task force centered around a proposal for Texas to become the future site of the National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC) as well as the National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program (NAPMP). The first meeting of the task force occurred this week.

Titled the National Semiconductor Centers Texas Task Force, a news release from the office states that the task force will bring together various semiconductor industry stakeholders from the private sector as well as community partners and higher education institutions.

“Texas is the ideal location for both the NSTC and NAPMP due to our industry leadership and continued innovation in the semiconductor sector, which is poised to remain strong well into the future,” Abbott said in the release. “This initiative is critical for reinforcing the domestic semiconductor supply chain and is essential to our national security. In 2021, Texas was ranked number one in the country for its leadership in semiconductors, and we continue to see significant capital investment in areas across the state. In addition, the Lone Star State has prioritized developing our large and highly skilled workforce in this sector, ranking number two nationally for employment in semiconductor and machinery manufacturing, employing over 29,000 Texans… With Texas at the helm of this initiative, our growing tech community, world-class research institutions, and emphasis on innovation through collaboration will surely keep the nation on the cutting-edge of advancements in this sector. Texas offers the foundation necessary to fully address the country’s commercial and defense needs in the semiconductor arena.”

According to the release, the United States Congress established the designation of both the NSTC and NAPMP by the U.S. Department of Commerce as part of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. Officials hope both entities will “become a hub for industry, academia and the broader research community, and government to come together to serve as a nexus for conducting advanced semiconductor research and prototyping that strengthens the domestic semiconductor ecosystem.”

Members of the state’s task force include the Office of the Governor, the Texas Workforce Commission, the Texas Economic Development Corporation and various higher education institutions like the University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University, Rice University and Texas Tech University.