Florida leaders from government, industry, and higher education gathered at the inaugural Florida Semiconductor Engine Conference on August 28 in Kissimmee to discuss the state’s position as a potential international center for semiconductor innovation. The event attracted more than 250 participants and highlighted ongoing efforts to strengthen Florida’s advanced semiconductor packaging sector.
Ron Piccolo, interim CEO of the Florida Semiconductor Engine, opened the conference by stating, “This conference is more than a singular event. It is the continuation of strategic, bold, and coordinated efforts that will shape the future of semiconductor technology in Florida, the U.S., and around the world.”
The Florida Semiconductor Engine is based at Osceola County’s NeoCity technology district and may receive up to $160 million over ten years to develop advanced semiconductor packaging. In addition to this support, Osceola County received $50.8 million from the U.S. Economic Development Administration through the Build Back Better Regional Challenge in 2022 and could obtain up to $289 million from the Department of Defense for microchip production and workforce development.
Panel discussions during the conference focused on workforce needs and educational pipelines while bringing together leaders from industry, academia, and economic development agencies. Advanced packaging technologies were a key topic due to their importance for specialized applications beyond consumer electronics. The state has seen significant growth in its semiconductor sector; it now ranks third nationally for semiconductor establishments and fifth for manufacturing employment with over 18,000 jobs. Nationwide efforts to return semiconductor manufacturing to the United States are underway, which could result in billions of dollars in investment and create about half a million new jobs.
Jason Mahon, Deputy Secretary of Economic Development for Florida Department of Commerce, commented on these developments: “We are in the perfect position, I’d argue, and the best position of any state in the nation to be able to go out and attract those jobs.” He noted that “the state has invested $380 million in semiconductor workforce education over the past four years.”
Paul Sohl, CEO of Florida High Tech Corridor, led a panel discussion with University of Central Florida President Alexander N. Cartwright, Valencia College President Kathleen Plinske, University of South Florida Vice President for Research & Innovation Sylvia Wilson Thomas, PhD., and David Arnold from University of Florida’s Florida Semiconductor Institute—all members of an NSF-backed coalition working on workforce development.
Valencia College recently introduced an associate degree program in Semiconductor Engineering Technology—the first such degree offered in Florida—in partnership with employers like SkyWater Technology. “Give us 15 weeks — and we can help you earn an industry certification that will land you a full-time job with benefits,” said Plinske.
Cartwright highlighted UCF’s effort to meet growing demand: “UCF was founded as a startup with a mission to provide workforce, and that’s the mindset we need to expand across Florida,” he said.
Sylvia Wilson Thomas emphasized semiconductors’ broader significance: “When we talk about AI, what is the underlying technology behind it? It’s semiconductors,” she said. “Helping society understand that research in this field directly impacts health, transportation, and communication is critical and commercialization is how we turn that into real impact.”
David Arnold described collaborative initiatives such as Lab Link at his institute: “We challenge these teams of students to come up with an idea that came out of (their) conversations,” he said. “Our goal is to try to fund these as collaborative inter-institutional research partnerships.”
Piccolo outlined ambitions for both regional prosperity and national leadership: “We have a mission to transform the U.S. semiconductor industry through collaborative research, to build the most advanced technical workforce in the nation and to create regional economic prosperity that has national and global impact. Now these are not small ambitions… If this were to happen…it will only happen by visionary leadership.”
Don Fisher from Osceola County spoke about progress since NeoCity began development: “We have been in this development process since 2014…It’s just a long haul…In the past 36 months we have received over $500 million in investment…Osceola County and its partners were one of three clusters…that received both Build Back Better and National Science Foundation awards…you want to be affirmed…the federal government is telling us you did the right thing…”
Mahon also addressed recent investments: “About four years ago we recognized making investments in growing the semiconductor industry…would be really important from both a national security perspective and a lot of opportunity for the state…we’ve invested $380 million into…the workforce education side…and we did that because…if you don’t have people who are going to work [in facilities], we’re not actually going anywhere.”
For further details about statewide efforts or Cenfluence’s role within Florida’s semiconductor cluster, additional information can be found online.
