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NYS Board of Regents gives unanimous approval to merger of UAlbany NanoCollege and CNSE's STC in Canandaigua
(Nanowerk News) The New York State Board of Regents has unanimously approved the merger of the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) of the University at Albany and CNSE's Smart System Technology & Commercialization Center of Excellence (STC) in Canandaigua, the final step in a consolidation that will establish the first inter-regional partnership of its kind in New York state and spur nanotechnology-enabled research, workforce development and economic growth in Western New York.
The groundbreaking collaboration leverages the world-class infrastructure and unparalleled intellectual and technological resources at CNSE's Albany NanoTech Complex with the state-of-the-art facilities for micro electromechanical systems (MEMS) fabrication and packaging at CNSE's STC – a pioneering paradigm in which the assets and resources of an innovation and education hub in one region is supporting research and development, prototyping and workforce training in another region through the establishment of a major nanotechnology node.
The integration of CNSE's STC into CNSE will enable new opportunities to accelerate the development, prototyping and commercialization of advanced sensors for a variety of critical applications, from equipping and protecting our military forces, to providing next-generation health care and clean energy technologies, to building innovative nanoelectronics devices.
"On behalf of the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, I want to extend our thanks and gratitude to Chancellor Merryl H. Tisch and the New York State Board of Regents, along with State Education Commissioner John B. King, Jr., for their unanimous support in joining two of New York's vibrant and powerful resources for nanotechnology research, development, commercialization and economic outreach," said CNSE Executive Vice President for Strategic Partnerships Dean Fuleihan. "The potent combination of CNSE and STC gives New York a 21st century powerhouse with the intellectual capital and technological assets that are critical to attracting high-tech economic investment and growth for the benefit of all New Yorkers."
"This critical approval by the New York State Board of Regents will fuel further expansion and growth at CNSE's Smart System Technology and Commercialization Center of Excellence," said CNSE Vice President for Disruptive Technologies and Executive Director of CNSE's STC Paul Tolley. "In leveraging the unmatched resources of CNSE with STC's state-of-the-art capabilities for sensor-based technologies, we have unique opportunities to drive innovative nanotechnology research, commercialization and workforce training that will attract high-tech jobs, companies and investment to Western New York."
The approval provides further momentum to support the growth of CNSE's STC, building on a number of significant developments over the past year, including a $17 million private investment by Moser Baer Technologies to set up the world's first pilot production line for Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) lighting panels, creating 60 new jobs; a $3 million partnership with Carestream Health that will create 24 high-tech positions to support advanced medical imaging technologies; and the awarding of $6 million in contracts by the U.S. Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) to develop, fabricate and deploy nanosensing technologies.
CNSE's STC was initially integrated into CNSE in a partnership of two of New York's Centers of Excellence in September 2010.
About CNSE
The UAlbany CNSE is the first college in the world dedicated to education, research, development and deployment in the emerging disciplines of nanoscience, nanoengineering, nanobioscience and nanoeconomics. With more than $12 billon in high-tech investments, CNSE represents the world's most advanced university-driven research enterprise, offering students a one-of-a-kind academic experience and providing over 300 corporate partners with access to an unmatched ecosystem for leading-edge R&D and commercialization of nanoelectronics and nanotechnology innovations. CNSE's footprint spans upstate New York, including its Albany NanoTech Complex, an 800,000-square-foot megaplex with the only fully-integrated, 300mm wafer, computer chip pilot prototyping and demonstration line within 85,000 square feet of Class 1 capable cleanrooms. More than 2,600 scientists, researchers, engineers, students and faculty work here, from companies including IBM, Intel, GlobalFoundries, SEMATECH, Samsung, TSMC, Toshiba, Applied Materials, Tokyo Electron, ASML and Novellus Systems. An expansion now underway, part of which will house the world's first Global 450mm Consortium, will add nearly 500,000 square feet of next-generation infrastructure, an additional 50,000 square feet of Class 1 capable cleanrooms, and more than 1,000 scientists, researchers and engineers from CNSE and global corporations. In addition, CNSE's Solar Energy Development Center in Halfmoon provides a prototyping and demonstration line for next-generation CIGS thin-film solar cells. CNSE's Smart Systems Technology and Commercialization Center of Excellence (STC) in Rochester offers state-of-the-art capabilities for MEMS fabrication and packaging. CNSE also co-founded and manages operations at the Computer Chip Commercialization Center at SUNYIT in Utica and is a co-founder of the Nanotechnology Innovation and Commercialization Excelerator in Syracuse. For information, visit www.cnse.albany.edu.
About CNSE's STC
The College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering's Smart System Technology & Commercialization Center assists small and large companies in transitioning new technologies from concept to manufacturing. STC maintains a 140,000-square-foot facility with over 25,000 square feet of cleanrooms for micro electromechanical systems (MEMS) fabrication and packaging, and works with large and medium-sized companies to help them bring new technologies to market; with small companies ready to transition from prototype and low-volume manufacturing to scalable manufacturing; and with various federal agencies to develop technology solutions to areas of critical national need, including smart prosthetics and improvised explosive device (IED) detection. For more information, visit www.stcmems.com.
Source: CNSE