A new $15 million federal grant for Oregon's semiconductor industry targets workforce training and job growth in the Hillsboro chip corridor where thousands of Bethany and Cedar Mill residents work.

The National Science Foundation announced last week that Oregon's Frontiers of Advanced Semiconductor Technology coalition, known as FAST, is one of 12 recipients of its Regional Innovation Engines awards.

The coalition was selected from more than 300 applicants in a two-year competitive process. If FAST hits progress milestones, the initial two-year award could grow to $160 million over the next decade.

The grant arrives at a critical moment for Washington County's chip sector. Intel, the county's largest private employer, cut more than 3,000 Oregon jobs in 2025.

Semiconductor employment across Washington County dropped roughly 3,500 positions, about 7%, between March 2025 and May 2026, according to OPB reporting published May 23, 2026.

Edwards Vacuum LLC announced in November 2025 that it would lay off 128 workers and close its Hillsboro production unit in 2026.

"There are only three places in the world that have such capabilities: one being Taiwan, Korea, and then of course here in Oregon and Hillsboro," FAST Interim CEO Rob Stone said at a July 14 press conference announcing the award.

FAST is led by Oregon State University and includes nearly 100 partners, among them businesses, public universities, community colleges, economic development groups, and local governments. Its mission centers on workforce development and research, areas a June 2026 Business Oregon strategic assessment flagged as urgent.

That report, authored by state economist Damon Runberg, found Oregon's 50-year-old semiconductor industry faces "high risk of stagnation, continual decline, and irrelevance" without new investment. Workforce shortages among technicians and mid-career talent ranked as a top barrier to growth.

U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden said at the press conference that the grant will spark growth in a semiconductor workforce that already employs 30,000 Oregonians and will create high-paying jobs. Gov. Tina Kotek said the funding builds on years of work by her administration and the Legislature to grow Oregon's chip industry.

The grant adds to prior state action. In 2023, the Oregon Legislature passed a semiconductor research and development tax credit and created the Oregon CHIPS Fund to administer $240 million in federal manufacturing support.

Oregon's Silicon Forest, anchored by Intel, Nvidia, and Analog Devices in the Hillsboro area, exported $11.4 billion in computer products in 2025, according to the U.S. Trade Representative.

The Business Oregon report specifically recommended aligning K-12 education, community college programs, and workforce systems through FAST to address the talent shortage.

For Bethany and Cedar Mill residents employed in or supplying the chip industry, that pipeline work is the grant's most direct local promise.

No specific spending plan, program launch date, or local enrollment timeline has been announced. The initial $15 million covers a two-year funding window, with future disbursements tied to progress reviews by the NSF.