Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox.
Subscribe to our newsletter here.

The United States Department of Defense is awarding $30 million to Northeast Regional Defense Technology Hub, a New York state-based microtechnology development consortium, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced in a Wednesday morning press release.

Four NORDTECH projects — led by nanotech company NY CREATES, Rochester Institute of Technology, Cornell University and circuit manufacturer AIM Photonics — will receive the award, Schumer said in the release. These groups will partner with several other institutions, including Syracuse University, to conduct defense-related microtechnology research.

The DOD apportioned the funds using the federal CHIPS and Science Act’s $2 billion CHIPS for America Defense Fund. NY CREATES’ project, of which SU is a partner, received around $8.5 million in funding to develop new quantum computing technology, according to the release. Research areas include semiconductor manufacturing and radar communication improvements, among others.

The CHIPS Act, signed into law in August 2022, invested billions of dollars into the United States semiconductor manufacturing industry. Schumer was involved in developing the legislation.

NORDTECH was named one of the DOD’s eight regional “Microelectronic Commons” hubs in September 2023, winning $40 million in CHIPS funding. The investment into the consortium was one of the first major CHIPS awards.

Today, the collective consists of over 150 members, including defense industrial bases, military labs, industry partners, non-profit organizations and academic institutions, according to its website. Along with SU, many NORDTECH affiliates, such as Micron Technology and Lockheed Martin, have presences in central New York.

The additional NORDTECH hub funding comes amid increased investments into the semiconductor manufacturing industry throughout the region. After Micron first announced plans to invest $100 billion to build a semiconductor fabrication facility in Clay, state officials and institutions have funded workforce development projects ahead of its arrival.

On April 18, the federal government awarded the Micron project an additional $6.1 billion in CHIPS grant funding. A week later, President Joe Biden visited Syracuse to discuss the investment.

SU has also pushed additional funds into STEM programs ahead of Micron’s arrival as part of an “academic partnership” with the company. In May, the university announced it would construct a $20 million Center for Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing, a research and teaching facility, within its existing Center for Science and Technology.

Published on September 19, 2024 at 12:51 am

Contact Julia: jmboehni@syr.edu