The Microelectronics for American Innovation and National Security Hub unites the Northeast and Midwest into a single ecosystem of more than 600 organizations, moving emerging microelectronics from the lab to domestic prototyping, manufacturing, and operational use.
One national ecosystem.Six critical technology areas.A stronger pathway from innovation to deployment.
Scroll to exploreTwo established Microelectronics Commons hubs have consolidated into a single national platform. Their networks, capabilities, and partnerships now operate as one, and both legacy sites remain available while the transition continues.
Operated by Massachusetts Technology Collaborative · Massachusetts
nemicroelectronics.org/
Operated by Applied Research Institute · Indiana
pathfinder.theari.us/siliconcrossroads/home
600+
Organizations connected
Across academia, industry, government, FFRDCs, and startups
6
Critical technology areas
All six Microelectronics Commons technical areas
2→1
Regional hubs, one national ecosystem
NEMC and SCMC, now the MAIN Hub
5
Sectors in the ecosystem
Startups, industry, government labs, FFRDCs, academia
By uniting more than 600 partners, the MAIN Hub harnesses the combined strengths of the Midwest and Northeast to accelerate domestic microelectronics from lab discovery to field-ready defense manufacturing.
The Hub connects technology with mission and market impact, aligning technical performance, affordability, manufacturability, and development milestones with the requirements of the warfighter and the realities of the microelectronics supply chain.
Rapidly commercialize R&D into prototypes and production by connecting innovators with the facilities, equipment, and expertise they need.
Combine Northeast research and development with Midwest manufacturing and testing, engaging the right capabilities wherever they exist.
Build domestic talent and onshore supply chains for critical hardware through hands-on education, training, and career pathways.
MAIN connects innovators with the expertise, infrastructure, industry relationships, and mission partners needed at every stage, engaging the right capabilities wherever they exist rather than being constrained by geography.
Where conventional approaches fall short
Breakthrough science from universities, FFRDCs, government laboratories, and startups across the national ecosystem.
Next: PrototypingAccess to the facilities, equipment, and expertise needed to build, test, and validate prototypes beyond the laboratory.
Next: ManufacturingPractical guidance on cost, scale, manufacturing readiness, and supply-chain considerations for domestic production.
Next: DeploymentAlignment with mission requirements and transition partners to deliver new capabilities to the warfighter and the market.
Mission impactMAIN's capabilities span every Microelectronics Commons technical area. Through connections spanning universities, FFRDCs, industry, government, and startups, the Hub helps technologies move from promising research toward domestic manufacturing and operational use.
One ecosystem, six critical technology areas, and a stronger pathway from innovation to deployment.
Next-generation wireless
Secure, resilient wireless technologies that keep communications connected in contested and congested environments.
Compute for intelligent systems
Microelectronics purpose-built for artificial intelligence workloads at the edge and at scale.
Disruptive commercial advances
Emerging commercial technologies with the potential to deliver step-change capability for national security missions.
Spectrum dominance
Devices and systems that sense, protect, and operate across the electromagnetic spectrum.
Trusted devices everywhere
Trusted, low-power microelectronics for connected sensors and systems operating at the tactical edge.
The next computing frontier
Quantum sensing, communication, and computing hardware with exceptional performance and reliability demands.
At the center of the MAIN Hub is a community of startups, emerging companies, and other non-traditional innovators, connected to defense and commercial industry, government laboratories, FFRDCs, and academic institutions.
Non-traditional innovators bringing new ideas to national security missions.
Primes, suppliers, and manufacturers with the capacity to scale.
Mission owners and labs that define requirements and validate results.
Federally funded research and development centers advancing critical science.
Universities driving discovery and preparing the next generation of talent.
Leaders from both hubs and their operating organizations on why one national ecosystem matters.
“SCMC and NEMC bring complementary strengths that, together, create a more powerful national platform for microelectronics innovation. By combining SCMC's defense-transition expertise with NEMC's broad coalition, MAIN can help more promising technologies move from innovation to meaningful national security impact.”
Ben Griffin
Executive Director, Silicon Crossroads Microelectronics Commons Hub; Senior Vice President of Research Partnerships
Applied Research Institute
“Bringing together the NEMC and SCMC hubs creates a uniquely powerful national asset for strengthening America's microelectronics ecosystem. By combining the Northeast's extraordinary concentration of semiconductor development and innovation with SCMC's expertise in defense sector system integration, we can create a more connected pathway from breakthrough research to prototyping, manufacturing, and deployment.”
Mark Halfman
Director, Northeast Microelectronics Coalition Hub
Massachusetts Technology Collaborative
“America's microelectronics advantage depends not only on breakthrough research, but on our ability to turn that research into technologies that can be manufactured, scaled, and deployed. MAIN brings mission needs, technical expertise, industrial capabilities, and transition partners into one coordinated ecosystem.”
Andrew Kossack
President & CEO
Applied Research Institute
The MAIN Hub builds on successful workforce and talent development programs established by NEMC and SCMC, and will expand access to hands-on education, training, and career pathways that prepare the next generation of the microelectronics workforce.
A workforce ecosystem that scales nationally
The goal is a workforce ecosystem that can scale nationally while adapting to regional needs.
ARI and MassTech are bringing together their respective networks, capabilities, and partnerships to support the continued growth and operation of the MAIN Hub as a single, nationally focused ecosystem.
Operates the SCMC Hub
A 501(c)(3) nonprofit that accelerates the transition of breakthrough science and technology into mission-ready impact. ARI works across government, industry, academia, and communities to build partnerships, manage complex initiatives, and create pathways that move innovation from discovery through validation, transition, and scale.
www.theari.us
Operates the NEMC Hub
A statewide public agency focused on advancing technology. MassTech strengthens the competitiveness of the tech and innovation economy by driving strategic investments, partnerships, and insights that harness the talent of Massachusetts, with a strategic focus on talent, ecosystems, and innovation infrastructure.
masstech.org
Reporters and editors can reach the MAIN Hub communications team directly.
What the MAIN Hub is, why it was formed, and how to get involved.
Uniting the two Microelectronics Commons hubs creates a single national ecosystem with a broader, more coordinated pathway for advancing U.S. microelectronics from research through prototyping, manufacturing, and deployment. Innovators no longer need to be in a particular place to reach the expertise, infrastructure, and partners required to advance a technology.
Whether you are building a technology, operating a facility, funding innovation, or preparing the next generation of talent, there is a place for you in the ecosystem. Tell us about your organization and we will follow up.
Media and press
Thomas McAninch, Director of Communications, Applied Research Institute
thomas.mcaninch@theari.us