Talent is the most strategic asset in semiconductors — and the hardest challenge. Every cluster in the world claims to have the answer, but the truth is that no one has solved the shortage of engineers and IC designers. The Capital Region does have an advantage: a deep pool of semiconductor and engineering talent shaped by RPI, UAlbany, HVCC, GlobalFoundries, IBM, and NY CREATES, and more than a decade of deliberate workforce programs. But it’s still not enough. We know this will take time, persistence, and industry partnership.

HDX is committed to doing the hard work — retaining and training the next generation of designers — while calling on companies, universities, and government to join us in building a talent pipeline that lasts.