FIRST Receives $525,000 Grant from Science Foundation Arizona (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology)

Grant to Expand Youth Robotics Program in Arizona

CHANDLER, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Microchip Technology Inc. (NASDAQ:MCHP), a leading provider of microcontroller and analog semiconductors, today announced that FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) has received a grant of $525,000 from Science Foundation Arizona (SFAz). The investment will be used to expand FIRST in Arizona, including the development of additional teams and recruitment of teachers to mentor them. Any student participating on a high-school FIRST team is eligible to apply for over $8 million in scholarships.

Founded by inventor Dean Kamen in 1989, FIRST is a worldwide, non-profit organization that designs and implements programs to encourage students to seek education in math, science and technology, as well as build their self confidence and life skills. These programs include the FRC (FIRST Robotics Competition) and FVC (FIRST Vex Competition) for high-school students, as well as the FLL (FIRST LEGO(R) League) for students ages 9 - 14. For the FRC, high-school teams raise a $6,000 entry fee and then work with mentors to solve a common problem in six weeks--they must build a robot using a standard "kit of parts" and a common set of rules. The robots are then entered into a series of competitions designed by Dean Kamen, Dr. Woodie Flowers, and a committee of engineers and other professionals.

Steve Sanghi, president and CEO of Chandler-based Microchip Technology, Co-Chair of the FRC Arizona Regional Planning Committee and FIRST Board of Directors member, brought the FRC to Arizona in 2002 and continues to do so each year through fundraising and community outreach. Today, more than 30 high-school teams (including teams from Canada and Mexico) participate, a number that Sanghi would like to grow.

"This grant is a major win for FIRST and for Arizona," said Sanghi. "This program isn't just about building robots--it's about developing life skills. The SFAz grant will enable us to raise the bar even higher for expanding FIRST in Arizona, and it will improve our community by building good citizens and future employees. We are pleased to accept the SFAz funding, and we look forward to continuing to expand FIRST in Arizona."

"Education in math and science, starting in elementary school, is the bedrock on which Arizona's future prosperity needs to be built," says William C. Harris, president and CEO of SFAz. "Science Foundation Arizona sees FIRST as a particularly unique organization because it calls for partnership between academia, industry and the community, and focuses on more than just science and technology--it focuses on developing good citizens. This program impacts our community in many positive ways, and we look forward to seeing it grow."

For more information about FIRST in Arizona, or to sponsor a team, please visit www.azfirst.org.

About FIRST

Accomplished inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) in 1989 to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people. Based in Manchester, N.H., FIRST designs accessible, innovative programs to build self-confidence, knowledge and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology and engineering. With the support of many of the world's most well-known companies, the not-for-profit organization hosts the FIRST Robotics Competition and FIRST Vex Challenge for high-school students, the FIRST LEGO(R) League for children 9-14 years old, and the Junior FIRST LEGO League for 6 to 9 year-olds. To learn more about FIRST, go to www.usfirst.org.

About Science Foundation Arizona

Science Foundation Arizona (SFAz) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization initiated in 2006 by the Greater Phoenix Leadership Inc., Southern Arizona Leadership Council and the Flagstaff Forty. Its goal is to build and strengthen scientific, engineering and medical research programs and infrastructure in areas of greatest strategic value to Arizona's competitiveness in the global economy. SFAz is investing in partnerships between nonprofit research institutions and industry; innovative science, engineering and math programs; and in the education pipeline to help Arizona create a knowledge-driven economy. For more information, visit www.sfaz.org.

About Microchip Technology

Microchip Technology Inc. (NASDAQ:MCHP) is a leading provider of microcontroller and analog semiconductors, providing low-risk product development, lower total system cost and faster time to market for thousands of diverse customer applications worldwide. Headquartered in Chandler, Ariz., Microchip offers outstanding technical support along with dependable delivery and quality. For more information, visit the Microchip website at www.microchip.com.

Note: The Microchip name and logo are registered trademarks of Microchip Technology Incorporated in the U.S.A. and other countries. All other trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective companies.

Source: Microchip Technology Inc.

Released June 4, 2007