Meta, Broadcom and partners launch $125 million semiconductor research hub at UCLA
Meta, Broadcom and several leading chip design firms have agreed to launch a $125 million semiconductor research hub at UCLA. The facility will focus on AI-optimized chip architectures, advanced packaging and high-speed interconnect protocols.
The Meta- and Broadcom-led consortium will provide $125 million in funding over five years at UCLA's Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science. The hub will focus on energy efficiency and thermal management challenges in AI data centers.
Other consortium members include suppliers of memory and custom ASIC solutions. The program's core research areas span 1.6 Tbps Ethernet protocols, photonic integrated circuit packaging and analog computing architectures beyond conventional CMOS. UCLA's semiconductor doctoral program will expand by roughly 200 students under the initiative.
The U.S. Department of Commerce framed the program as a direct contribution to the CHIPS and Science Act's academia-industry bridging goal. Coordinated with the West Coast arm of the National Semiconductor Technology Center, the facility's initial lab capacity will come online in spring 2027. Readers should seek professional financial advice before making investment decisions.
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