Capability 1.2.2.2
Manufacturing Accelerators
Definition
The physical fabrication and assembly and testing of the chips and memory units that power AI systems. This includes processes such as wafer production, photolithography, etching, doping, and component integration within fabrication plants (fabs).
Examples
- Fabrication or packaging firms and facilities physically assembling accelerators, such as the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC).
Indicators
- Number of units assembled or packaged annually
- Number of companies or fabrication facilities
- Semiconductor fabrication patents
National AI Plan
PLAN COMMITMENT
No commitment
No reference in the plan. No government commitment in the plan aligns with evidence-based recommendation to maintain and monitor (notwithstanding global scarcity). Future plans would benefit from recognising the role of this capability in the ecosystem.
Stocktake
Australian Semiconductor Sector Study: Capabilities, opportunities and challenges for increasing NSW's participation in the global semiconductor value chain. University of Sydney Nano Institute for the NSW Chief Scientist & Engineer. December 2020. https://www.chiefscientist.nsw.gov.au/data/assets/pdf_file/0011/1415/Australian-Semiconductor-Sector-Study.pdf
Australia's semiconductor manufacturing moonshot. Capri and Clark. 21 September 2022. Australian Strategic Policy Institute. https://www.aspi.org.au/report/australias-semiconductor-national-moonshot/
Is the Stocktake missing evidence?
Share additional information for potential future Assessments