WESTBOROUGH, Mass. –The Northeast Microelectronics Coalition (NEMC) Hub at the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MassTech) has announced the hiring of Mark Halfman as Hub director.
Halfman brings over two decades of experience in the commercialization of advanced technologies in both Silicon Valley and Boston, having held leadership roles at public semiconductor companies such as Qualcomm and Xilinx, and startups Pixtronix (acquired by Qualcomm) and American Robotics (acquired by Ondas Networks). Halfman will leverage his background in developing technologies from research and development (R&D) prototypes to commercial fabrication to spearhead the NEMC Hub’s strategy and execution.
“MassTech is proud to welcome Mark and looks forward to his proposals of the region’s lab-to-fab strategy,” said Carolyn Kirk, CEO, MassTech. “Mark has the dedicated experience and technical know-how to critically understand the requirements needed for our Hub to build a thriving semiconductor ecosystem in the Northeast. His work is critically important to realizing the positive impact the Hub represents for economic opportunity in Massachusetts and the region.”
The NEMC Hub has been in a dynamic phase since launching in September 2023, putting funding to work and leading collaborative projects across its diverse coalition of 170 members. In February 2024, the NEMC Hub responded to the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DoD) call for projects executed through Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division and the National Security Technology Accelerator (NSTXL) by submitting proposals that addressed key technology priorities, including 5G/6G technology, AI hardware, commercial leap ahead technologies, electromagnetic warfare, secure edge/IoT computing, and quantum technologies.
These efforts have demonstrated the strong impact of the Hub, which serves as a regional entry point to the Northeast microelectronics ecosystem for the DoD. Halfman will build upon this initial success and lead the Hub’s ongoing effort to expand the nation’s global leadership in microelectronics and develop regional lab-to-fab enablement capabilities.
Since its formation, Ben Linville-Engler, MassTech’s deputy director and chief investment strategist, had previously served as the NEMC Hub’s acting director. Linville-Engler led the charge to build the coalition of Hub members, fiercely competing against more than 80 other organizations from around the country to become one of eight designated regional Microelectronics Commons hubs nationwide.
Under Linville-Engler ’s leadership, the MassTech Center for Advanced Manufacturing (CAM) and Strategic Investment and Business Operations Team were instrumental in establishing the new division, developing the initial NEMC Hub programs, and orchestrating the response to the 2024 Microelectronics Commons Call for Projects. MassTech team members include:
- Adam Couturier, director, manufacturing education, CAM
- Christine Nolan, director, CAM
- Farhad Vazehgoo, director, advanced technology programs, CAM
- John Wetzel, director, enablement and integration, strategic investment and business operations
“The entire MassTech team hit the ground running on day one when the Department of Defense selected NEMC as a regional Microelectronics Commons Hub,” said Linville-Engler. “The NEMC Hub is off to an incredibly strong start, and we are excited for Mark to lead the effort going forward and leverage his industry and entrepreneurial experience to take things to the next level.”
Halfman holds a B.A. in Applied Mathematics from the University of California, San Diego, and a M.B.A. from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business.
About the Northeast Microelectronics Coalition (NEMC) Hub
The Northeast Microelectronics Coalition (NEMC) Hub is a network of 170+ organizations, including commercial and defense companies, leading academic institutions, federally funded R&D centers (FFRDCs), and startups concentrated in eight Northeast states. Established in 2023 and funded through the CHIPS and Science Act, the NEMC Hub is one of eight regional Microelectronics Commons Hubs acting on a shared mission to expand the nation’s global leadership in microelectronics and accelerate domestic semiconductor prototyping. As a division of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MassTech), the NEMC Hub fosters a vibrant, connected ecosystem to provide sustainable lab-to-fab enablement, boost education and workforce development, and spur new jobs. Learn more at www.nemicroelectronics.org.
Members of the Microelectronics Commons leadership team pose with MassTech executives. Pictured from left to right: Ben Linville-Engler, Dr. Dev Shenoy (Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering OUSD (R&E)/ASD(CT), Stephanie Lin (National Security Technology Accelerator (NSTXL)), Mark Halfman, and Dr. Tim Morgan (Naval Surface Warfare Center - Crane Division (NSWC Crane Division))
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