Florida leaders from government, industry, and higher education convened in Kissimmee for the inaugural Florida Semiconductor Engine Conference, “Powering Prosperity,” on August 28. The event brought together more than 250 participants to discuss Florida’s growing role in semiconductor innovation.
Ron Piccolo, interim CEO of the Florida Semiconductor Engine, described the conference as a continuation of ongoing efforts to shape the future of semiconductor technology in Florida and beyond. “This conference is more than a singular event,’’ Piccolo said. “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 consortium, supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and based at Osceola County’s NeoCity technology district, could receive up to $160 million over ten years to expand advanced semiconductor packaging capabilities. Osceola County previously secured $50.8 million from the U.S. Economic Development Administration through the Build Back Better Regional Challenge in 2022 and may receive up to $289 million from the Department of Defense for microchip production and workforce development.
Conference panels addressed workforce needs and educational pipelines while engaging leaders from industry, academia, and economic development organizations. The focus was on building momentum for advanced packaging within Florida’s semiconductor sector—a field that enables complex technologies beyond standard consumer chips—as well as supporting national efforts to reshore manufacturing amid increased demand driven by artificial intelligence and other tech sectors.
Florida ranks third nationally for semiconductor establishments and fifth for employment in semiconductor manufacturing with over 18,000 jobs statewide. Nationwide initiatives aim to return more manufacturing capacity to the United States with expectations of billions in investment and hundreds of thousands of new jobs.
“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,” said Jason Mahon, Deputy Secretary at Florida Commerce. He noted that $380 million has been invested into workforce education related to semiconductors over four years.
Paul Sohl, CEO of Florida High Tech Corridor, moderated a panel on preparing Florida’s semiconductor workforce with representatives from University of Central Florida (UCF), Valencia College, University of South Florida (USF), and University of Florida—all members of NSF’s Engine coalition.
Valencia College President Kathleen Plinske highlighted a new associate degree program in Semiconductor Engineering Technology—the first such degree offered in Florida—launched with input from employers like SkyWater Technology at NeoCity. “Give us 15 weeks — and we can help you earn an industry certification that will land you a full-time job with benefits,” Plinske said.
UCF President Alexander N. Cartwright discussed increasing engineering enrollment from 12,000 to 17,000 students with plans for further expansion: “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—USF Vice President for Research & Innovation—emphasized semiconductors’ broader impact: “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 from University of Florida spoke about fostering partnerships through initiatives like Lab Link at the Florida Semiconductor 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.”
Ron Piccolo summarized their goals: “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—Osceola County Manager—highlighted ongoing investment since NeoCity’s inception: “We have been in this development process since 2014… In past 36 months we have received over $500 million in investment either from State or federal partners.” He also noted recognition by federal agencies as validation for local strategy: “Osceola County… received both Build Back Better and National Science Foundation awards.”
Jason Mahon added perspective on state priorities: “About four years ago we recognized making investments… would be really important from both a national security perspective [and] opportunity for state… At state level we’ve invested $380 million into workforce education side…”
Further information about these programs can be found through resources provided by organizations such as the Florida Semiconductor Engine or Cenfluence’s semiconductor cluster.
