Planned SUNYIT center prompts plans from area districts

As plans progress for a Computer Chip Commercialization Center in the area, Whitesboro Central School District officials are working on developing a nanotechnology course at the high school.

About two years ago, the district created a committee to look at the possibilities of developing a nanoscience curriculum. Then in June, state officials announced a proposal to build a $45 million center at SUNYIT in Marcy.

District officials said they now have a renewed sense that they were on the right track and want to forge ahead with integrating nanotechnology into their school.

“This is going to be a big part of our future in New York state,” Whitesboro Central School District Superintendent David Langone said. “We want to expose students to the principles of nanotechnology at an early age to stir interest. Anything we can do to create opportunities for students to stay in the area after they graduate will be positive.”

Langone said in the coming year, the district will consider how the course would be run and whether it should be offered as a 20-week or 40-week elective. But he said he’s unsure of when the course could be put in place.

Tim Dunn, vice president of marketing and business development for Mohawk Valley EDGE, said schools getting a head start looking at the possibilities for nanotechnology with younger students are headed in the right direction.

“What we’ve learned in dealing with high-tech companies is that as important as site and incentives are, certainly education and work force development are just as important,” Dunn said. “One of the reasons our region is so attractive to the semiconductor industry is the presence of a high-tech work force. The earlier that’s cultivated the better.”

Planning for future

Oneida-Herkimer-Madison BOCES Superintendent Howard Mettelman said Whitesboro stands out for its efforts with nanotechnology, and stressed that he believes the field will play a large role in shaping curriculums across many local districts.

Last week, Mettelman coordinated a nanotechnology briefing from EDGE for district officials throughout the BOCES region.

The goal was to help officials understand the basics of the industry and get districts thinking about strategic planning for integrating the concepts into schools, Mettelman said.

“Some schools will be positioned to offer programs from modified current areas like science, math, engineering and technology, and others might consider more broad resources,” Mettelman said. “We also want to keep a broad enough brush so we don’t eliminate students who are more drawn to other areas.”

Some students more interested in subjects such as English might end up being good candidates for technical writing jobs, Mettelman said.

New Hartford Central School District Superintendent Robert Nole, who attended the briefing, said he’s excited about the prospects of incorporating nanotechnology with younger students.

He noted that the district’s capital project, which will provide new science classrooms, could fit well with the timing of the SUNYIT announcement and the new excitement around the field.

“We want to make a decision on how to proceed that benefits everyone,” Nole said. “We’re in the process of evaluating what we know about the concept, and hopefully we’ll be able to contribute.”

Whitesboro’s goals

Whitesboro has additional plans to promote nanotechnology in the district in the coming years.

Officials said they’re considering introducing technology concepts at the middle school level that would lay the groundwork for a future interest in the field. They’re also looking at integrating nanotechnology concepts into classes such as biology, physics and chemistry, Langone said.

This year, the district also plans to send a cohort of students, teachers and administrators to tour the University at Albany College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, which will partner with the SUNYIT site.

In past years in conjunction with Whitesboro’s nanotechnology initiative, similar cohorts have toured other technology-based institutions such as Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Rochester Institute of Technology, Langone said.

Although officials said many jobs at the Marcy site are likely to require significant higher education, Dunn said if the industry grows across the Mohawk Valley as many expect, more technician jobs could arise within the area’s industry that would only require associate’s degrees or high school education.

“I don’t want anyone thinking they have to create a program tomorrow because it’s going to depend on factors within the individual school districts,” said Dunn, who presented the nanotechnology briefing to district officials. “What they do need to do is be ready for this wave. It’s no longer something on the far out horizon; it’s here today.”

SAN FRANCISCO — Marcy NanoCenter–a fledging R&D operation based in central New York state–has announced a major R&D chip venture.

The project is funded with $92.5 million in capital funds from New York state’s budget, as well as a combined capital investment of $133.5 million from IBM, Sematech and Intel.

Marcy NanoCenter is a greenfield manufacturing site located on the campus of the State University of New York Institute of Technology. The new investment by New York state will focus on three areas:

• A business incubator/technology accelerator at SUNYIT, the state university campus on which the Marcy NanoCenter is located. This joint partnership will support the attraction and retention of small and medium size nanotechnology companies in the Utica-Rome area.

• Establishment of the CCIC, a new venture at the Albany NanoCollege focusing on research and development of system-on-a-chip (SOC) technologies.

• The new CCIC at SUNYIT at SUNYIT, focused on the assembly and integration of SOC systems developed at CCIC. The commercialization center will include a cleanroom.

This week, marketing and development representatives from Mohawk Valley EDGE will once again be taking their efforts on the road, exhibiting with the NY Loves Nanotech team at Semicon West.

EDGE President Steve DiMeo said, “While the global economy continues to struggle, early indicators in the semiconductor industry point to significant investments in the 2010-2011 timeframe. EDGE’s goal is to ensure decision-makers in the industry are well versed on the assets of Marcy NanoCenter and Upstate New York in advance of those decisions.”

SemiCon West, held July 14-16 in San Francisco, California, is the largest international exposition and conference in the United States dedicated to semiconductor equipment, materials, suppliers and services. This year’s marketing effort will include a robust presence by GlobalFoundries, the company building a state-of-the-art semiconductor fab in Malta, NY (Saratoga County).

EDGE Vice President of Marketing and Business Development Timothy Dunn said, “The economic impact of attracting a chip fab to Marcy NanoCenter will have a transformative effect on the Mohawk Valley and all of Upstate New York. Events like Semicon West allow our team to meet face to face with not just the manufacturers, but the entire supply chain of this enabling industry.”

In addition to Semicon West, representatives of EDGE have taken a direct marketing approach to leaders in this industry at events in Nevada, California, Massachusetts, Texas and Japan in just the last 7 months. Later this year, EDGE will be exhibiting at the European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Semicon Europa, both in Germany.

NY Loves Nano and the Marcy NanoCenter team today celebrate a major new R&D announcement at SUNYIT, the state university campus on which the Marcy NanoCenter is located.

This new investment by New York State will focus on three areas:

• A state-of-the-art high tech business incubator/technology accelerator at SUNYIT. This joint partnership will support the attraction and retention of small and medium size nanotechnology companies in the Utica-Rome area and provide the necessary infrastructure to enable innovation, education and commercialization of computer chip solutions in upstate New York.

• Establishment of the CCIC, a new venture at the Albany NanoCollege focusing on research and development of “system on a chip” (SOC) technologies in which components of a computer or electronic system are contained on a single computer chip.

• The new CCCC at SUNYIT, focused on the assembly and integration of SOC systems developed at CCIC. The commercialization center will include a state-of-the art “cleanroom”, which removes impurities from the air and allows for the integration of SOC. The center will act as a business incubator to attract chip suppliers and contractors at SUNYIT, including the first ever SEMATECH Center in upstate New York.

This new venture was outlined in a press conference in New York with by Gov. David A. Paterson, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Assemblywoman RoAnn M. Destito as a partnership between SUNY Institute of Technology SUNYIT and the University at Albany’s College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) establishing the Computer Chip Hybrid Integration Partnership (CHIP).

The project is funded with $92.5 million in capital funds from this year’s state budget, as well as a combined capital investment of $133.5 million from the internationally renowned firms IBM, SEMATECH and Intel.

The partnership also creates a joint educational and training curriculum between the SUNYIT School of Information Systems and Engineering Technology and CNSE that would prepare workers for careers in computer chip integration and deployment. The CHIP establishes an inter-regional, cross-university structure for promoting the nanoelectronics industry.

“Today we are announcing the genesis of a whole new, job-creating high-tech economy in the Utica-Rome region,” said Silver (D-Manhattan). “We are linking the highly successful nanotechnology partnership at UAlbany with SUNYIT to bring the nanotechnology industry and high-paying jobs into the Mohawk Valley. The shovel ready site at SUNY IT in Marcy is an essential piece in creating a high-tech corridor stretching from Albany to Buffalo. We are encouraging university-industry collaboration and the establishment of upstate New York as a premier location for nanotechnology research, development and manufacturing. This partnership would not be possible without the leadership of Governor Paterson and RoAnn Destito’s tireless work in making nanotechnology jobs a reality for the Mohawk Valley.”

“This collaboration is based on the very successful model that has been developed at the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering at SUNY Albany,” said Destito (D/WF-Rome). “Today we are announcing a series of “firsts” that are the culmination of several years of discussion and planning that I have been working on with a number of key partners. Most importantly, the $35 million dollars in funding Speaker Silver and I have secured for this project will establish the first regional, cross-university Research and Development nanotechnology facility in upstate New York.”

As part of the continuum of semiconductor enablement in Upstate NY, more than $6 billion has been invested in R&D, manufacturing, process and engineering enablement and packaging. Today’s announcement is the culmination of over a year of discussions following IBM’s announcement of a new investment in NY at last year’s Semicon West.

SUNYIT site logical place for semiconductor packaging center

Gov. David Paterson’s budget contains $50 million for the development of IBM’s semiconductor packaging center in Upstate New York, and local and state leaders must push for that center to be located here.

Albany lawmakers and the governor need to become serious about broadening the base of this burgeoning technology, and about promoting the Mohawk Valley’s economy.

Marcy’s shovel-ready nanotech site has long been touted as the driving force behind our region’s future economic development for nanotechnology. And although officials said this smaller, research-based packaging facility would likely not go on that exact site — we should still try to attract a larger facility there — it only makes sense that a packaging center be nearby. The two go hand-in-hand.

New York state and IBM announced this past summer that IBM would invest $1.5 billion in nanotechnology research and facilities, including the university-run packaging plant. The state has already budgeted $20 million for improvements to the SUNYIT site, which shows our commitment to bringing this first-class technology into our region.

If the Mohawk Valley were to land the 120,000-square-foot semiconductor packaging facility, it could attract as many as 200 scientists and researchers to the area, officials said last summer. A decision on the location of the plant could come by the March 31 budget deadline.

This is what we have been working for, and it’s something the Mohawk Valley deserves. Our state legislators — including Assemblywoman RoAnn Destito, D-Rome, and Sen. Joseph Griffo, R-Rome — Mohawk Valley EDGE and other local leaders must continue the push for the nanocenter here.

Paterson, too, must realize the Mohawk Valley is best suited for this facility. This type of cutting-edge technology is exactly what this region needs to help us grow like other parts of the state.

Officials promote region for center

Will the Mohawk Valley get a nanotechnology packaging facility?

The possibility is a topic of discussion in the state’s budget process, set to end in late March, but a decision may still be elusive.

State Assemblywoman RoAnn Destito, D-Rome, said it’s not definite that decisions will be made by the official March 31 budget deadline.

“I can’t tell you it’s going to be or not going to be,” she said.

Gov. David Paterson’s budget contains “$50 million for the development of IBM’s semiconductor packaging center in upstate,” according to budget documents published on the Internet.

But a spokesman for Paterson’s budget office declined to give a time frame for a decision on the project.

“There is no definitive timeline as of yet,” spokesman Matt Anderson said. “The Empire State Development Corp. is working closely with the governor’s office, IBM, legislators, and other stakeholders, conducting an appropriate review process. An announcement will be made in due course at the conclusion of that process.”

The development corporation is an economic development agency for the state.

The state and IBM announced this past summer that IBM would invest $1.5 billion in nanotechnology research and facilities, including the university-run packaging plant.

If the Mohawk Valley were to land the 120,000-square-foot semiconductor packaging facility, it could attract as many as 200 scientists and researchers to the area, officials said last summer.

Pushing for nanotech

On Monday, a top official from the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering at the University at Albany, which will be heavily involved with the facility, reiterated his support for the Mohawk Valley’s cause – if not to get the facility itself, then for some of its hundreds of spin-offs.

“We are working closely with Assemblywoman Destito and the officials of Mohawk Valley EDGE on a plan to develop and promote Utica-Rome as the premier site for hosting the hundreds of high-tech, high-paying supplier and contractor jobs that will be attracted to New York to support the packaging research and development center,” Alain Kaloyeros, senior vice president and chief executive officer, said in an e-mailed statement.

“The location of these jobs in Utica-Rome builds on and complements the nanotechnology educational and economic initiatives that the New York State Assembly has been advancing for the region under the leadership of Assemblywoman Destito, and which promise to reach fruition in the very near future,” Kaloyeros said.

Kaloyeros made similar statements in July, when news of the facility first became public.

Even if the area doesn’t get the plant, as many as 475 smaller businesses could be generated to supply the plant’s needs, and some of those could come to the Mohawk Valley, officials said. The packaging facility itself likely would not go on the nanotechnology manufacturing site that’s long been marketed in Marcy, however.

The packaging facility would be smaller in scale, focusing on research and development, rather than manufacturing, said Tim Dunn, vice president of marketing and business development for Mohawk Valley EDGE. EDGE is a Rome-based economic development agency for Oneida and Herkimer counties.

Local officials said Monday that they were working hard to promote the area’s chances.

“We need to make our case on why it would be important not only for the region, but how it would serve the state if it were here,” state Sen. Joseph Griffo, R-Rome, said.

The Albany area, the Hudson Valley and Binghamton are among the other areas that could be interested in getting some of the benefits from the plant, Griffo said.

But Griffo and Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente pointed to the fact that the state had promised the Mohawk Valley a data center with 200 jobs, none of which materialized.

“They need to start coming through for Upstate New York,” Picente said.

EDGE’s Dunn said his agency was aggressively marketing the area.

“We continue to make the case for the Mohawk Valley as a location,” he said. “We are excited about the partnership we are creating with Albany Nano and we think it’s going to make long-term growth opportunities for our area.”

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One of the state university system’s leading nanotechnology officials said Monday that Albany intends for the Mohawk Valley to benefit from plans for a 120,000-square-foot semiconductor packaging facility.

If the Mohawk Valley were to land the University of Albany-operated plant at a site near SUNYIT, the area could attract some 200 scientists and researchers.

Even if it does not win the plant, opportunities would exist for as many as 475 small businesses, contractors and manufacturers to supply and produce high-tech items needed to run and support such a facility, the state says.

It was the first time a state nanotechnology official had been so direct in promoting potential benefits for the Utica area, which lost out on a privately owned nanotechnology facility two years ago.

“We are focused on building the relationship to make sure that the Utica-Rome area hopefully gets a significant portion, if not the lion’s share, of the contractor and supplier jobs that will support the facility,” said Alain Kaloyeros, chief executive officer of the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering at the University of Albany.

Last week, New York state and IBM announced a plan for IBM to put up $1.5 billion in investment in nanotechnology research and facilities, including for the university-run packaging plant.

The state itself would contribute $140 million more, including $50 million for the packaging plant.

Already, some Mohawk Valley leaders see this as an opportunity to make good on decade-old plans to develop the Marcy site for work in nanotechnology, which involves creation of materials at the atomic or molecular level.

Two years ago, the region came up short when Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) Corp. chose Saratoga County over Oneida County for a new plant, which remains unbuilt.

This time, Mohawk Valley EDGE and county leaders are vying to attract a research and development site focused on how micro-sized semiconductors are sheathed.
Under the state’s plan, scientists’ research could lead to innovations in packaging for semiconductors, some so small that they could be dwarfed by the period at the end of this sentence.

The sheathing serves as protection for the semiconductor and also creates a connection with the computer or electronic device in which is it located, Couture said.

Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente wrote Gov. David Paterson last week saying he wants the facility in Marcy because the region needs such high-paying jobs.
The 200 scientist and researcher positions would give the region a boost in a job sector where it is weak compared with the rest of New York state. According to a recent study, less than one-quarter of the 24th Congressional District’s residents have at least bachelor’s degrees.

“This is one that we are really going to stay on top of,” Picente said Monday. “This industry is not one that needs to grow in just the Albany area. We have a pre-permanent site that needs to be invested in.”

“We are in this together, and we need to leverage the successes realized in one city with others that have not been successful,” said Timothy Dunn, vice president of marketing and business development for Mohawk Valley EDGE.

He drew a comparison between the state and the European Union, which has placed jobs in countries with weaker economies across that continent.

“The Capital Region is growing at a tremendous rate that is not seen here,” he said.
Assemblywoman RoAnn Destito, D-Rome, wants what is best for the Mohawk Valley community, she said.

“I want for some of our high-tech machine shops to grow,” she said. “I want growth. I want to say to them that they will, in fact, benefit from this investment that the state of New York is making as well as IBM in this industry.”

A location has not yet been determined for the research facility, whose land area would be similar to that of a very large supermarket.

Officials associated with the project could determine this year where the facility will be placed.

IBM spokesman Jeff Couture said the goal is to complete the project by 2011.

The investment will go toward three separate and complementary components of a comprehensive project, supporting the nanotechnology chip computer activities of IBM: the expansion of IBM’s operations at the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering at the University at Albany (Albany NanoTech), the creation of a new, advanced semiconductor packaging research and development center at a to-be-determined in Upstate New York, and the upgrading of IBM’s East Fishkill facility in Dutchess County.

“With this announcement, we are once again demonstrating that New York State is open for business. We offer a highly skilled workforce and high quality of life. New York State is also, now more than ever, a clear national leader in nanotechnology development,” said Governor Paterson. “The positive effects of this critical investment will be felt for a generation, and will be the catalyst for other high tech business development throughout Upstate New York. Our State has become the leading location for nanotechnology research and development.”

The three projects will collectively advance “nano-chip” technologies, including cutting-edge chip design, demonstration, and testing which all takes place at Albany NanoTech. Nano-chips each carry billions of transistors, and applications include high-end personal computers and laptops; high-performance servers and supercomputers; virtual reality and advanced electronic games; medical devices and components; ultra-fast telecommunications devices; “sensor-on-a-chip” systems for anti-terrorism and “soldier-in-the-field” remote monitoring and sensing.

“This agreement demonstrates the potential of public-private academic collaboration. IBM applauds the bold leadership of Governor Paterson, Senator Bruno, Speaker Silver and other New York State leaders for their commitment to high-tech economic development,” said Dr. John E. Kelly III, IBM senior vice president and director of research. “These new investments will spur continuing advancements in nanotechnology and semiconductor research and development – including new efforts in semiconductor packaging – propelling IBM chip innovations and solidifying the state’s reputation as a high-technology leader.”

IBM has agreed to expand its operations at Albany NanoTech and the State will also provide $25 million to acquire state-of-the-art infrastructure and advanced semiconductor tooling at that location, resulting in the creation of 325 new research and development jobs.

To build on the successes at Albany NanoTech, the State will invest $50 million toward the establishment of a new, 120,000 square foot semiconductor packaging center at a to-be-determined location in Upstate New York. This center will be established, managed and owned by the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, with IBM conducting operations at that site. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) will also be a research partner in the new packaging facility. It is expected this public-private partnership will ultimately create over 675 jobs.

Today’s agreement will also help IBM retain more than 1,000 key semiconductor jobs at its East Fishkill plant in Dutchess County. The company has agreed to provide significant resources to upgrade that site with state-of-the-art technology. The State will additionally provide $65 million toward that effort.

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer said: “One thousand high-paying, high-tech jobs is terrific news for all of Tech Valley and Upstate New York. Not only will it secure thousands of IBM jobs in the Hudson Valley, but it strengthens IBM’s presence at the world-renowned Nano Campus at UAlbany, and bolsters the network of nanotechnology suppliers across upstate. I had several discussions with our State leaders as this deal took shape and I know how hard they worked with IBM and the NanoCollege to put it together. I am confident that it will have a major economic development and job impact on the Upstate economy for years to come.”

Senate Majority Leader Dean G. Skelos said: “I applaud Senator Joe Bruno for showing, again, his leadership in getting a deal done to create new jobs for the Capital Region, the Hudson Valley and all of Upstate New York. For over a decade, Senator Bruno has been the catalyst for high tech economic development projects that have created tens of thousands of new jobs. As the new Senate Majority Leader, I will continue our efforts to encourage new business growth to revitalize all of Upstate New York. I look forward to working with Governor Paterson to make New York more economically competitive with other states and countries so we can have many more job creation announcements such as this across the State.”

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said: “Today’s announcement is great economic news for the people of New York State and another sign that New York is regarded as a leader in nanotechnology research and development. We are saving 1,000 jobs in East Fishkill, adding 1,000 jobs to the upstate economy and expanding by at least 325 the number of jobs at Albany NanoTech. This is the crux of the Assembly’s High Tech Agenda – creating the jobs of the future and protecting existing jobs – and we have successfully achieved these goals with this agreement.”

Senator Joseph L. Bruno said: “Over a decade ago, we in state government developed an ambitious plan in which we sought to combine the resources of government, higher education and business to attract investment and job creation in the high tech sector. Today’s announcement is the culmination of these efforts, creating new opportunities in the field of nanotechnology while sending a clear message to the rest of the world that the Capital Region is the place to be in the development and production of technologies to be used by future generations.”

Alain Kaloyeros, Senior Vice President & Chief Executive Officer of the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering said: “We applaud Governor Paterson, Speaker Silver, and Senator Bruno for this visionary and pioneering investment in the global IBM-CNSE partnership with important technological, economic, and social implications to New York, particularly Upstate. To my knowledge, this initiative represents the first cross-regional collaboration in New York’s history, with critical job creation and funding benefits spanning from Buffalo to Hudson Valley.”

IBM intends to extend its investments and semiconductor research and development partnership alliances to meet the increasing challenges of producing future semiconductor chips with 45-nanometer (one billionth of a meter), 32nm and smaller geometries, and to develop the required complementary advanced packaging technologies. Semiconductors have become increasingly sophisticated to meet growing demand for advanced computer systems, telecommunication devices and highly complex and multifunctional digital consumer electronic products.

The National Science Foundation has awarded a $199,000 grant to fund a joint SUNYIT-MVCC nanotechnology project.

“Educators and researchers in New York State are a major reason the semiconductor industry is so interested in Marcy NanoCenter,” said Timothy Dunn, Mohawk Valley EDGE Vice President of Economic Development and Marketing. “This accomplishment for SUNYIT and MVCC represents yet another milestone in the journey to prepare our workforce to compete in this industry and in a flat world.”

The project, “Instructional Laboratory for Visualization and Manipulation of Nanoscale Components for Engineering Technology Students,” is under the direction of Salahuddin Qazi, professor of electrical engineering technology at SUNYIT, and Robert C. Decker, associate professor of electrical engineering technology at Mohawk Valley Community College. The grant will be used to purchase specialized equipment that will be housed in existing laboratories on both campuses.

“The grant will be used to acquire atomic force microscopes and software tools to develop learning material and hands-on experimental facilities for students and faculty,” Decker said. “The proposed lab will also provide hands-on experience in existing and newly introduced nanotechnology and semiconductor manufacturing technology courses at SUNYIT and MVCC, both of which offer practice-oriented Technology Accreditation Commission Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology programs.”

“The goal of preparing teaching material that will train students and faculty in the fields of visualization and manipulation of nanoscale components will also help educate a growing workforce in the field of nanotechnology,” Qazi said. “We view the project as a first step toward preparing academic programs to support nanotechnology and ‘clean technology’ industries.”

Mohawk Valley EDGE is actively pursuing potential nanotechnology tenants for the Marcy NanoCenter at SUNYIT, a 300-acre site on campus property in the Town of Marcy. A recent study showed that a microchip fabrication facility would generate more than 5,500 jobs and generate hundreds of millions of dollars in regional economic activity.