The California-Pacific-Northwest AI Hardware Hub, co-led by UC Berkeley and Stanford’s engineering departments, has received $16.3 million from the United States Department of Defense, or DOD, to improve the energy efficiency of artificial intelligence hardware.

 

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The project aims to translate extensive university research into practical manufacturing environments and will collaborate with Defense Industrial Base sector companies such as Raytheon and Lockheed Martin to provide application to laboratory results. The companies provide technologies such as phones and drones, which the physical AI chips can be attached to.

 

“If (the research) stays in a lab, you cannot manufacture that,” states Professor H.-S. Philip Wong. “The Defense Industrial Base will aim to translate this technology into a production environment so they can use it for the Defense Department.” 

 

The majority of the funds will involve AI chip research and translation, but Philip noted that 20% of the hub’s budget will go toward recruitment and talent cultivation. The hub particularly aims to train and hire circuit designers and manufacturing technicians. The hub will open its doors to community college students so they can gain hands-on laboratory and manufacturing experience early on in their careers.

 

According to Philip, the hub will be working on three main areas of talent cultivation: circuit design, technician training and K-12 education.

 

The hub is engaging with schools in Northern California and the Pacific Northwest, and inviting students to tour the labs. Philip said he hopes this will help cultivate interest in the industry and STEM education.

 

The hub was established along with eight other university-led hubs in 2023 under the DOD’s CHIPS and Science Act, which Philip said gave the students the opportunity to “be engaged with this space.”

Excerpted from 'Department of Defense grants $16.3M to Berkeley and Stanford AI hub’