HP Eyes $50M Chips Act Award For Oregon Fab

HP will “modernize and expand our facility” with the funds, CEO Enrique Lores said in a statement.

HP has inked preliminary terms for a $50 million award from the U.S. federal government that would support its microfluids semiconductor fab in Oregon.

Should HP receive the funds, the Palo Alto, Calif.-based computer maker will “modernize and expand our facility to further advance our microfluidics technology, which is the study of the behavior and control of fluid on a microscopic scale,” CEO Enrique Lores said in a statement Tuesday.

“Microfluidics has the potential to drive revolutionary changes across industries, delivering speed, efficiency, and precision, to help pave the way for the next generation of innovation in life sciences and technology,” he said.

HP Chips Act Deal

CRN has reached out to HP and the U.S. Department of Commerce for comment.

HP has about 250,000 channel partners worldwide, according to CRN’s 2024 Channel Chiefs.

The funding would come from the U.S. Chips and Science Act, which passed in 2022.

A Tuesday statement from the U.S. Department of Commerce adds that the project should create more than 100 manufacturing jobs.

“Among other products, the proposed funding would support the manufacturing of silicon devices that are key components of life sciences lab equipment which are used in drug discovery, single-cell research, and cell line development,” according to the statement.

“The United States will continue leading the world in innovative breakthroughs which all require advanced semiconductor technology while also generating economic opportunity,” Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said in the statement.

The Corvallis, Ore., site is 47 years old and one of three research and development (R&D) centers of excellence within HP’s global footprint, according to the statement. The terms of any final award may differ from the non-binding preliminary memorandum of terms (PMT) HP and the government have reached so far for the project.

Chipmaker Intel is in the running for billions of dollars under the Chips Act. Those funds would go toward commercial chip and semiconductor packaging projects in Arizona, New Mexico, Ohio and Oregon.