In a notable move for the tech industry, NVIDIA has successfully produced its first Blackwell chip wafer in the United States. This achievement is a significant milestone in the effort to revitalize American manufacturing, a cause strongly supported by Pat Gelsinger, the former CEO of Intel.
Gelsinger’s Vision for American Manufacturing
Pat Gelsinger recently expressed his admiration for NVIDIA’s efforts via a post on X, highlighting the importance of building advanced technology products within the U.S. Gelsinger, who has been an advocate for American production, emphasized the need for resilient supply chains for critical technologies like semiconductors. This initiative aligns with his long-standing vision of strengthening domestic manufacturing capabilities.
Gelsinger’s efforts in promoting U.S. manufacturing were evident during his time at Intel through the introduction of the “IDM 2.0” strategy. This initiative aimed to position the company as a prominent player in the chip industry for the coming decade. His leadership saw Intel making substantial investments in American chip production, benefiting from policies like the CHIPS Act.
NVIDIA’s Manufacturing Milestone
NVIDIA’s production of the Blackwell wafer in Arizona represents a major achievement, albeit with certain limitations. While the U.S. is making strides in chip fabrication, it still lacks advanced packaging facilities necessary for completing the entire manufacturing process domestically. Currently, the nation relies on offshore facilities for these crucial steps, indicating that there is still work to be done. Nevertheless, focusing on enhancing every aspect of the supply chain is crucial for achieving self-sufficiency in the industry.
The Intel-NVIDIA Dynamic
The relationship between Intel and NVIDIA has been marked by rivalry, particularly during Gelsinger’s tenure as Intel’s CEO. Gelsinger has previously criticized NVIDIA’s CUDA software as a competitive barrier and has been vocal about the high costs of NVIDIA’s chips in inference workloads. Despite this competitive backdrop, the recognition of NVIDIA’s manufacturing efforts as a positive development underscores the importance of advancing U.S. tech manufacturing capabilities, a goal shared across the industry.