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UVM tech hub pitches Gallium Nitride cluster, seeks $27M federal support
Summary
UVM’s Vermont Gallium Nitride Tech Hub told the House Ways & Means Committee it seeks federal funding and regional partnerships to train technicians, host design tools, and attract semiconductor design firms to complement GlobalFoundries.
Doug Merrill, regional innovation officer and director of the Vermont Gallium Nitride (VGAN) Tech Hub at the University of Vermont, briefed the House Ways & Means Committee on a federal Tech Hub program and a plan to develop design, prototyping and testing capacity for gallium nitride semiconductors. "I'm Doug Merrill. I'm currently the regional innovation officer and the director of the Vermont Gallium Nitride Tech Hub at the University of Vermont," he said.
Merrill said VGAN’s work focuses on gallium nitride because the material conducts electricity and switches faster than silicon, and has applications in energy conversion, EVs, communications and radar. He described three core proposed projects: a subsidized software design center (to lower expensive licensing costs for smaller firms), a production/prototyping concierge service (in partnership with Northeast Microelectronics Coalition and MIT Nano), and a testing/characterization lab based in South Burlington.
Merrill said the state provided $750,000 to help small Vermont companies move designs to production and that GlobalFoundries contributed a matching $750,000; the Northeast Microelectronics Coalition backed the characterization lab with $3.5 million. He told the committee VGAN submitted a $27 million federal grant request for full implementation and expects to train roughly 700 engineers/operators and to attract roughly 14 firms or offices over five years.
On workforce, Merrill described a semiconductor certificate program at UVM developed with GlobalFoundries and plans to share curriculum regionally so Dartmouth, UMass Lowell and others can scale training; he also noted apprenticeships with Vermont State University and CCV to prepare industrial technicians. Merrill called regional collaboration essential given the scale of semiconductor investment and asked lawmakers to continue state support as the hub seeks federal funding.
Members asked about competition from larger states’ programs and about cybersecurity and defense contracting requirements; Merrill said VGAN has sought partnerships to reduce per‑company costs for required software and CMMC compliance assistance.
Merrill said VGAN had early funding setbacks in the federal process but has since secured state and private support and is awaiting a decision on a phase‑two EDA application. The committee did not vote; staff said they would track the grant timeline and follow up with VGAN.
