People walk on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles, on August 11, 2025 in Los Angeles.
Daniel Cole | Reuters
broadcom, Meta, applied materials, global foundries and synopsis is collaborating to launch a $125 million “semiconductor hub” at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering.
The new partnership aims to accelerate AI-powered chip technology research and talent development and support innovation across chip design, equipment, software, manufacturing and other parts of the chip ecosystem, according to a UCLA press release.
The research hub, based on the UCLA Samueli Campus, will launch as a five-year effort. Ah-Hyung “Alissa” Park, dean of engineering at UCLA Samueli, told CNBC that faculty and student researchers will work with founding companies to help shorten the timeline for new chip innovations to reach rapidly changing markets.
“No one, including the industry, knows what the semiconductor industry will look like in 10 years,” Park said. “But can we continue to ask the most challenging and difficult questions, and the high-risk, high-return kind of questions? That’s what we want, because this conversation is happening (in a) very slow manner.”
The funding also includes a year-long internship with the same partner for the hub’s engineering PhD students.
UCLA’s hub opening comes as AI continues to disrupt the job market and companies in technology and other sectors lay off thousands of people. Meta, one of the project’s partners, will begin its own layoffs this week, cutting 8,000 positions, or about 10% of its workforce.
“As the complexity of semiconductors increases and the pace of AI development accelerates, stronger collaboration between industry and academia is more important than ever,” Applied Materials CEO Gary Dickerson said in a statement. “We look forward to working closely with our semiconductor hub partners to bring technology breakthroughs to market faster while inspiring the next generation of American engineering talent.”
Mr Park said the hub’s involvement in internships would lead to “better career paths” for students who benefit.
“I think it’s important to understand how you evolve and grow as an independent researcher and engineer,” Park said. “So I think their growth will be really enriched by receiving guidance not only from faculty but also from industry.”
