An announcement in August by the administration that it will take a 10 percent equity stake in Intel grabbed headlines, and rightly so. It signaled a recognition that American semiconductor manufacturing, and by extension, our technological future, cannot be left to chance.
As significant as this investment may be for Intel’s immediate stability, it is only one piece of a much larger set of challenges.
Capital infusions alone, while helpful, will not secure America’s long-term leadership in science and technology. To maintain our edge in an era of intensifying global competition, the United States must couple financial investments with sustained commitments to research and talent development.
First, we must confront the reality that federal support for basic and applied research has declined as a share of GDP for decades. While private companies such as Intel invest heavily in research and development, they typically focus on near-term, commercially viable technologies. Breakthroughs, such as the internet, GPS, and even the underlying architecture of today’s semiconductors, were born from federally funded research programs. If we want to lead in quantum computing, artificial intelligence and advanced materials, Congress must restore robust, predictable funding for foundational science.
Second, we cannot ignore the talent pipeline. Semiconductors are only as strong as the engineers who design them, the technicians who build them and the scientists who innovate beyond them. Today, the United States faces a critical shortage of STEM graduates at every level. Other nations, notably China, are pouring resources into cultivating their own talent base. If we fail to do the same, no amount of capital investment will make up for a workforce deficit.
This is where companies have a pivotal role to play. Corporate partnerships with universities, K-12 STEM programs and workforce development initiatives can accelerate the training of the next generation of innovators. Such efforts require government coordination and support. Together, public and private sectors must create an ecosystem where young people see a clear, attainable pathway from their classrooms to cutting-edge research labs.
The United States has the resources, ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit to lead the world in science and technology, but only if we treat this as a comprehensive national priority. Equity stakes and factory subsidies are a start. What will determine our success, however, is whether we also invest in the ideas, people and infrastructure that turn dollars into discoveries.
While Congress is focused on the budget, with the government reopened, it should not delay in acting to expand federal research funding and strengthen STEM education. American companies should match that commitment with partnerships and long-term planning. Anything less risks leaving our future on uncertain ground and ceding tomorrow’s U.S. technology breakthroughs, leadership and ability to attract investment to others.