Texas Semiconductor Summit Puts Industry Leaders in the Spotlight

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Semiconductor executives, researchers, and government leaders gathered at the Texas Semiconductor Summit to explore how Texas can strengthen its manufacturing leadership through investment, innovation, and workforce development.

The October 22–23event, presented by the Texas A&M Semiconductor Institute, featured Joe Stockunas, president of SEMI Americas, alongside Adriana Cruz, executive director of Economic Development and Tourism in the Office of Governor Greg Abbott.Their featured conversation focused on the semiconductor industry’s outlook and the talent, infrastructure, and business conditions needed to turn investment into successful manufacturing operations.

According to the state economic development presentation, Texas ranked first nationally in semiconductor exports and second in semiconductor establishments and employment in 2025, with an industry workforce exceeding 50,000 people. The state exported approximately $19.68 billion in semiconductors and other electronic components that year. The presentation also reported that Texas accounted for approximately 28% of U.S. semiconductor exports, exceeding California, Arizona,and New York combined. These figures highlight the state’s established manufacturing capacity and its importance to the national semiconductor supply chain.

Brian Dunlap, vice president of 300mm Fab Operations at Texas Instruments,delivered the opening-day keynote. The program also included Texas A&M University System Chancellor Glenn Hegar,U.S. Representative Michael McCauland Texas A&M Semiconductor Institute Director StevePutna.

The speaker lineup also included Trace Hurd, vice president of R&D at Tokyo Electron; Brent Omdahl, executive vice president for Government Affairs at Global Wafers; Monica Farkash, fellow at AMD; Michael Turner, director of Device Engineering at NXP Semiconductors; and Paul Mosinskis, solutions architect at Cadence Design Systems.

Joe Stockunas, president of SEMI Americas, brought a national perspective to the discussion.

As president of SEMI Americas, Stockunas directs the association’s North American services,events, and programs and advocates for the microelectronics industry as part of SEMI’s global leadership team. His work supports companies throughout the electronics manufacturing supply chain, helping connect businesses with industry partners and opportunities for growth.

Stockunas brings extensive industrial experience to that role. Before joining SEMI, he oversaw Nordson Corporation’s worldwide electronics systems business as an executive vice president and corporate officer. He previously spent more than three decades at Air Products and Chemicals, including leadership positions in electronics materials and equipment. That background gives Stockunas a perspective spanning the specialized inputs, equipment, and manufacturing systems essential to semiconductor production.

Presentations highlighted Texas’s semiconductor exports, manufacturing workforce, and research capabilities, while technical sessions addressed chip design, advanced packaging, materials, and production readiness. The gathering connected industry expertise with educational and government resources to support the next stage of Texas manufacturing growth.

Semiconductor manufacturing is becoming an increasingly powerful driver of Texas’s industrial growth, connecting chip production with advances in artificial intelligence,automotive technology, aerospace, and factory automation. The Texas Semiconductor Summit highlighted the combination of industry expertise,research, and workforce development supporting that momentum. As the sector expands, it creates opportunities for suppliers, engineers, technicians, and communities across the state to participate in a more advanced and competitive manufacturing economy.