SCHUMER LAUNCHES PUSH TO SECURE FED FUNDING FOR BINGHAMTON UNIVERSITY TO DEVELOP CUTTING-EDGE HIGH-TECH ELECTRONICS – FUNDING WOULD ENABLE BU TO CREATE 50-200 JOBS BY DEVELOPING NEXT GENERATION OF ADVANCED ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS AT ITS CENTER FOR ADVANCED MICROELECTRONICS MANUFACTURING
Binghamton University Is Leading New York’s Portion Of The FlexTech Alliance – A Public-Private Consortium of Industry Leaders in Electronics Manufacturing – Application For $100 Million In Fed Funding Would Allow Consortium Of Companies Across The Country, Including Many Across NY, To Develop Manufacturing Innovation Institute
If Selected, BU Could Receive $20 Million & Lead NY State’s Research And Development Efforts For Technologies Used In High-Tech Electronic And Computer Devices – Schumer Helped Launch BU’s Center For Advanced Microelectronics Manufacturing Over A Decade Ago & Has Played Integral Role In Boosting Southern Tier Technology Sector
Schumer: Bring Manufacturing Institute To BU & Good-Paying, High-Tech Jobs To Southern Tier
U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced his push to secure federal funds for Binghamton University to develop high-tech electronics and create local jobs. Schumer explained that FlexTech Alliance, a California based consortium of industry leaders in electronics manufacturing, is currently working with Binghamton University and a consortium of universities and companies across the country, to apply through the Department of Defense (DOD) to become a Flexible Hybrid Electronics Manufacturing Innovation Institute. Receiving this designation would award them a total of $100 million in federal funding to develop flexible hybrid electronics, a sophisticated technology found in advanced robotics, computers, biomedical and sensory devices, for manufacturing and production.
With Binghamton University (BU) leading the New York node of the application, the University and its local partners across New York State could stand to receive $20 million to work on the research and development portion of this project if the application is selected. Schumer said this award could bring 50 local jobs within the first two years, with the potential to create a total of 200 new jobs. Schumer explained the ripple effect of this award could mean 500 to 1,000 jobs for New York State over the next 7-10 years, as companies like i3 Electronics could win contracts to develop this technology, while others corporate partners like Lockheed Martin, BAE, Corning, Inc. and GE could win contracts to manufacture these technologies for both commercial and government use.
“Securing this institute designation and funding has the potential to put Binghamton University and its local partners across New York State on the map as leaders in the high-tech electronics industry. This would be a major win for the Southern Tier, which would serve as the project’s hub for research and development and create good-paying jobs for potentially hundreds of people,” said Schumer. “BU has assembled a top-notch team of corporate and academic partners in their application, and I have seen firsthand that they are prepared to get the job done and develop the next generation of advanced electronics. That is why I will be fighting vigorously on behalf of this application.”
Schumer explained that if FlexTech is given the award, BU’s research and development for these high-tech electronics products would be housed in its Center for Advanced Microelectronics Manufacturing (CAMM) played a leading role in securing the federal financial assistance that facilitated CAMM’s establishment. Schumer explained that FlexTech’s application involves numerous research institutions and corporations across several states, including New York. Schumer said BU has worked extensively with its corporate partners to develop technology for their industries such as electronic packaging and reliability, thin chip-on-flex electronic systems-in-package technology, and 2.5D electronic imposers. Given its history in the high-tech manufacturing industry, BU and CAMM would be a perfect fit for the MII.
Schumer said BU has sought out New York-based corporate research partners to assist its push to become a manufacturing innovation institute, such as General Electronic Global Resarch, Corning, Inc., and i3 Electronics, Inc. Schumer said if FlexTech’s application is approved, $20 million will go directly to BU and CAMM to work on research and development for the project. This will pave the way for the creation of 50 to 200 jobs over the next two plus years. Schumer said other companies such as Lockheed Martin, BAE, Corning and GE could win system level contracts to integrate this hybrid technology for commercial and government use as well, which would have the potential to bring an additional 500 to 1,000 jobs to Upstate New York over the next 7-10 years.
The Manufacturing Innovation Institute initiative was launched by the White House and Department of Defense (DOD) to find opportunities to bring research institutions together with private companies to advance specific technological sectors. One of those sectors was flexible hybrid electronics (FHE), which combines advanced materials that flex with thinned silicon chips to produce sophisticated electronic products found in robotics, vehicles, infrastructure, and military equipment.
Schumer has long advocated on behalf of BU and CAMM. Over a decade ago, he secured the federal funding needed to establish the manufacturing center and has been a strong supporter of its work since. Schumer said winning this award would be a major step forward in putting BU and CAMM on the map as a leader in high-tech electronic research, development and production.
A copy of Senator Schumer’s letter to the DOD appears below:
Dear Secretary Carter,
I write today in support of FlexTech Alliance’s application for a Flexible Hybrid Electronics Manufacturing Innovation Institute (FHE-MII) under Funding Opportunity Announcement FOA-RQKM-2015-0014. The award of this project to FlexTech Alliance will have immeasurable benefits to New York State.
Binghamton University, through its Small-Scale Systems Integration and Packaging (A New York State Center of Excellence) and its Center for Advanced Microelectronics Manufacturing (CAMM), are leading the organization of a New York State node in the national FlexTech Alliance FHE-MII partnership. Binghamton has recruited its long-term corporate research partners to become founding members of this new manufacturing innovation institute. The list includes: General Electric Global Research (Niskayuna, NY), Corning, Inc. (Corning, NY) and i3 Electronics, Inc. (Endicott, NY).
Binghamton has worked closely with these companies on economically relevant technologies including: electronic packaging and reliability, thermal interface materials, thin chip-on-flex electronic systems-in-package technology, power conversion electronics packaging, biomedical and diagnostic electronics, human performance monitors, sensory systems, thin flexible glass for use in flexible electronics and displays, 2.5D electronic interposers, and functional glass surfaces such as arrays of transparent antennas, touch sensitive surfaces, and energy storage and conversion.
I have been closely involved with Binghamton University as it has worked to advance flexible electronic manufacturing in New York and across the United States. In fact, a decade ago, I assisted in providing federal financial assistance to the University to help launch the Center for Advanced Microelectronic Manufacturing (CAMM) which will act as the lead for the New York Node in this FlexTech Alliance. The CAMM has proven to be tremendously successful and currently includes partnerships with more than a dozen major corporations, including Corning, Dow, Xerox and General Electric. It continues to serve as a model for academic, industry and government partnerships and continues to propel US based innovative technologies. From its inception and at its foundation, the CAMM and Binghamton University have utilized every single investment to advance technologies and commercialize products all for the public good.
As the leading organization of the New York State node of the FlexTech Alliance, Binghamton University and its partners would benefit immensely from the award of a FHE-MII centered in the Southern Tier. It would augment the already explosive growth of the CAMM and high tech manufacturing in the region at companies like Corning Inc. and i3 electronics, and in Capital Region manufacturers like General Electric Global Research. At Binghamton University alone the FHE-MII would create 50 jobs over its first two years, with the potential to create a total of 200 jobs. The ripple effect of this award could mean 500-1000 jobs for New York State over the next 7-10 years as companies like i3 electronics may win contracts to develop this technology, and companies like Lockheed Martin, BAE, Corning, Inc. and GE may win system level contracts to integrate these technologies for both commercial and government use.
If properly supported, this initiative will establish the Binghamton, New York area as the first and the preeminent location for manufacturing flexible hybrid electronics and manufacturing with thin flexible glass technology. So as you can see, New York State, as well as many other areas in the United States, with the proper financial support, stand to make great advances in the field of Flexible Hybrid Electronics Manufacturing—advances that can lead to significant US based jobs.
I sincerely hope that the FlexTech Alliance’s application for funding meets with your approval. Thank you for your consideration, for additional information please do not hesitate to contact me or my staff.
Sincerely,
Charles E. Schumer
United States Senator
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