NNME Pacific-Intermountain Regional Node
Building a Connected Talent System Across the Western United States
NNME Pacific-Intermountain is lead by Boise State University and activates the National Network for Microelectronics Education (NNME) strategy across one of the most geographically expansive and strategically important semiconductor regions in the country.
NNME Pacific-Intermountain operates as a coordinated, multi-state talent development system—connecting K–12 education, postsecondary institutions, and hands-on experiential learning to workforce demand across the semiconductor ecosystem.
By aligning existing infrastructure, industry investment, and education systems, NNME Pacific-Intermountain transforms a fragmented landscape into a unified, scalable workforce pipeline.
Geographic Reach
Idaho | Washington | Oregon | Montana | Utah | Colorado | Nevada | Northern California | Hawaii
This region represents a vast and rapidly growing semiconductor corridor across the Western United States.
What NNME Pacific-Intermountain Delivers
NNME Pacific-Intermountain is designed to meet urgent and growing workforce demand by:
Connecting education systems directly to industry workforce needs
Expanding access to hands-on, experiential learning opportunities
Aligning training programs across states into a unified system
Supporting pathways into high-demand semiconductor careers
Regional Need and Opportunity
Across the nine-state region, microelectronics-related occupations are projected to grow by 11–18% over the next five years, representing tens of thousands of new job openings. Major industry investments are accelerating demand even further, including:
- Micron’s large-scale memory fabrication expansion in Idaho
- Intel’s ongoing manufacturing and R&D footprint in Oregon
- Texas Instruments’ expansion in Utah
- A growing ecosystem of suppliers, equipment manufacturers, and advanced technology firms
The Pacific-Intermountain region is home to significant strengths and momentum across education, industry, and workforce development. NNME Pacific-Intermountain builds on these assets by creating a more connected, industry-aligned workforce system that expands coordination, increases access, and strengthens training capacity across the region.
Regional Strengths
The NNME Pacific-Intermountain region brings together a powerful combination of capabilities:
- Semiconductor manufacturing and advanced packaging
- Integrated circuit design and AI integration
- Advanced materials and quantum technologies
- National laboratories and cleanroom facilities
- A diverse and distributed education and workforce ecosystem
Network of Partners
NNME Pacific-Intermountain operates through a coordinated network of universities, employers, workforce organizations, and public sector partners across the region.
Postsecondary Institutions
Includes: Boise State University, Bridgerland Technical College, Brigham Young University - Idaho; Brigham Young University, College of Eastern Idaho, College of Southern Idaho, College of Western Idaho, Colorado School of Mines, Eastern Washington University, Fort Lewis College, Gonzaga University, Idaho State University, Montana State University, Northwest Nazarene University, Portland State University, Renton Technical College, San José State University, Spokane Community College, UC Davis, University of Colorado Boulder, University of Hawaii, University of Idaho, University of Nevada, Reno, University of Utah, University of Washington, Washington State University, Western Nevada College, Whitworth University
Microelectronics Sector Employers
Includes: American Semiconductor, Banpil Photonics, Critical Systems, Disco, Guide Star Engineering, HORIBA, Hummingbird Scientific, INL, Inneos, JST Manufacturing, Keysight Technologies, Lumotive, Matthews International, Micron, Microsoft, Mivium, Muse, Nalu Scientific, Nvidia, NxEdge, ON Semi, Photronics, Qualcomm, Rigetti Computing, Siemens EDA, TEL, Texas Instruments, The Western Design Center
Workforce Development Organizations
Includes: Idaho Workforce Development Council, workforce training centers, state CTE offices, and regional workforce boards
K–12 and STEM Education Partners
Includes: Bonneville District 93, Butte County Joint School District 111, Clark County School District 161, Erguvan Art & Academy, Firth District 59, Idaho Digital Learning Alliance, Meridian Technical Charter High School, Moscow School District, Ririe Joint School District, Salmon School District, San Joaquin County Office of Education, Shelley School District, Sugar-Salem Joint School District, The Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society and the Banatao Institute (CITRIS) at UC Davis, UC Davis Teacher Academies, West Ada Career Technical Education
Economic Development Partners
Idaho Commerce, Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development, Washington Department of Commerce, Greater Sacramento Economic Council, Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade
Community-Based & Technical Partners
Includes: ChipMango, ChipReady, Colorado AeroLab, EDGE Consortium, Elevate Quantum, Idaho Business for Education, National Laboratory for Education Transformation (NLET), Nevada Tech Hub, Texas Institute of Electronics
Industry Associations & Credentialing
Includes: NIIMBL (aligned partner), Idaho Technology Council, Idaho Manufacturing Alliance, and credentialing frameworks such as SkillStack
Leadership
NNME Pacific-Intermountain is led by:
Kurtis Cantley
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Director, Microelectronics Education and Research Center, Boise State University
Get Involved
Organizations interested in partnering with NNME Pacific-Intermountain or supporting workforce development across the region can connect with the NNME team.