(The Center Square) – Gov. Gretchen Whitmer gave another $10 million toward the Michigan Semiconductor Talent and Technology for Automotive Research, a private-public partnership that wants to make the Great Lakes State a leader in electric car innovation.
The MSTAR initiative was launched a year ago and has developed a portfolio of projects. Partners include semiconductor company KLA, Belgium-based imec, the University of Michigan, Washtenaw Community College and General Motors.
“At imec, we bridge industry and academia to develop new technologies that improve people’s lives,” Luc Van den hove, president and CEO of imec, said. “We are thrilled to begin joint research with the University of Michigan, on their Ann Arbor campus, and grateful for the state’s support for the MSTAR initiative and Gov. Whitmer’s leadership. By combining the strengths of our research organizations, we can accelerate technological innovations for the automotive industry, making vehicles safer and more sustainable.”
Through the $10 million initiative, MSTAR hopes to expand to train the current and future workforce in chip manufacturing, collaborate with K-12 schools and implement current innovations toward electric car technology.
“Michigan put the world on wheels, and we need to do the work to ensure we stay at the forefront of innovation and technology,” U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Michigan, said. “We are competing in a global marketplace, facing many challenges, and are not competing on an even playing field with countries like China. We must work together and do everything we can to create policies that ensure the U.S. remains a global leader in shaping the future of the auto industry.”
