Minnesota Launches Regional Pipeline for Defense Microelectronics Talent
ST. PAUL, Minn. — October 14, 2026 — The Minnesota National Security Ecosystem today officially launched Minnesota SCALE, a regional program connecting students at three Twin Cities universities with paid, hands-on training at Minnesota's defense microelectronics companies. The program, a regional node of the national SCALE consortium funded by the U.S. Department of War, is backed by an $8 million federal investment.
Microelectronics — the chips and circuits inside everything from medical devices to communications networks and national security infrastructure — is among the most in-demand fields in the country, and workforce demand far outstrips the number of clearable, skilled workers. Minnesota SCALE addresses this shortage through a regional workforce development program: the three universities supply coursework, laboratory training and research, while eight partner companies offer paid internships and hands-on industry experience.
“Minnesota SCALE is helping build the talent pipeline that will strengthen the U.S. microelectronics supply chain for years to come,” said Betsy Thompson, Executive Director of the Minnesota National Security Ecosystem. “By connecting students with real-world industry experience, we’re growing the skilled workforce needed to support both economic competitiveness and national security.”
“Microelectronics are a critical technology powering everything from phones, to cars, to medical devices and our key national security systems,” said Rep. Betty McCollum. “America faces a serious deficit of skilled engineers, but this $8 million federal investment in Minnesota SCALE will narrow that gap and build a home-grown microelectronics workforce capable of meeting our future technology needs.”
The program has placed its first cohort of 10 students in paid industry internships this fall. Its three university partners are also modernizing microelectronics education, with work underway on hands-on, project-based coursework; course content aligned to the positions industry partners need to fill; and new graduate certificates in microelectronics. Scholarship support is expanding as well, including up to $274,000 at the University of Minnesota alone. Minnesota SCALE is a pilot of a regional approach within the national consortium: national standards and curriculum, local recruitment and placement. The eight participating companies are ALTER TECHNOLOGY US, Collins Aerospace, ForwardEdge ASIC, Honeywell Aerospace, Northrop Grumman, Polar Semiconductor, SkyWater Technology and Trusted Semiconductor Solutions.
“Maintaining our technological edge requires a dedicated, highly skilled microelectronics workforce,” said Michael Dodd, Assistant Secretary of War for Critical Technologies, Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering. “The Department invested in SCALE to unite world-class universities and defense industry leaders, building the robust talent pipeline necessary to sustain our national technological supremacy.”
“More than 400 University of Minnesota engineering students will benefit annually from Minnesota SCALE-enhanced courses,” said David Orser, Distinguished University Teaching Professor and SCALE program co-principal investigator, University of Minnesota. “Through summer workshops, over 30 undergraduates from all three participating universities will gain the unique opportunity to fabricate microelectronic devices inside the Minnesota Nano Center’s cleanroom, a hands-on experience unmatched in the state.”
“Minnesota SCALE creates a direct path from the university to employment at TSS,” said Stephanie Pusch, Chief Commercial Officer and Co-Founder of Trusted Semiconductor Solutions. “Students can work with us while completing their studies, preparing them for future roles designing, packaging and testing the semiconductors that are critical for national security.”
“Interning at a Minnesota SCALE industry partner while I finish my engineering and finance degrees at St. Thomas has shown me what a career in microelectronics really looks like, and I’m thrilled to be joining that company full time after I graduate,” said Zoe Olson, Minnesota SCALE Student Ambassador at the University of St. Thomas. “Minnesota SCALE is opening that same door for students across the Twin Cities, connecting what we learn in class with work that matters for our national security.”
About Minnesota SCALE. Minnesota SCALE is a regional workforce development program producing skilled microelectronics professionals aligned with national defense priorities. It brings together the University of Minnesota, the University of St. Thomas and Metropolitan State University with microelectronics companies across the region, coordinated by the Minnesota National Security Ecosystem, and is a regional node of the national SCALE consortium funded by the U.S. Department of War. natsecmn.org/mn-scale
About the Minnesota National Security Ecosystem. The Minnesota National Security Ecosystem is an industry, academic and nonprofit-driven 501(c)(6) organization whose mission is to grow and sustain Minnesota's national security sector. The Ecosystem furthers its mission through networking, information sharing, collective engagement with policymakers and promoting its members' innovation. Minnesota SCALE is one of the Ecosystem's initiatives, focused on talent development in the microelectronics and semiconductor industry. natsecmn.org
Media contact email: MNSCALE@natsecmn.org