Nanotech Facility to Spin Off On Its Own

The College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering in Albany will become a separate institution within the SUNY system by the 2014-2015 academic year. The establishment of SUNY CNSE will further cement New York’s position as a global center for nanotechnology innovation, high tech industry and research, and educational opportunities.

A resolution passed by the SUNY Board of Trustees endorses Chancellor Nancy Zimpher taking immediate steps to separate CNSE from UAlbany and begin work on a new degree granting structure to include CNSE. The board action follows the unanimous recommendation of the Chancellor’s advisory group on the future of CNSE that was comprised of members of the Board of Trustees, SUNY Administration, UAlbany, CNSE, and the Governor’s Office.

“UAlbany deserves enormous credit for incubating the growth of CNSE into the groundbreaking research and innovation center it has become,” says Chancellor Nancy Zimpher. “Because of CNSE’s success, importance to SUNY and New York State, and its unique statewide economic development mission, this is a natural progression in its evolution. It is also a tremendous opportunity for UAlbany to build on its experience with CNSE and the start of a new era of reinvestment and focus for the campus.”

In 2011, Governor Cuomo announced that New York State entered into agreements providing for investments valued at a total of $4.4 billion from five international companies to create the next generation of computer chip technology at CNSE through the Global 450 Consortium.

CNSE is one of the leading economic drivers in the state and its curriculum and students are on par or superior to any of the top technology institutions in the nation. Currently, CNSE in Albany is home to $14 billion in private sector investment and it has created more than 3,000 jobs in the Capital Region and across Upstate New York. In addition, CNSE has facilities or partnerships in Syracuse, Canandaigua, and Buffalo.

Chancellor Zimpher’s immediate next steps include the establishment of a mutually beneficial Memorandum of Understanding between UAlbany and CNSE, and empanelling an “Implementation Team” of experts from SUNY Administration, the Research Foundation for SUNY, CNSE, and UAlbany to address outstanding issues such as mission, governance, academics, strategic partnerships, innovation, and shared services. CNSE currently maintains considerable autonomy within UAlbany and already has its own administrative structure. CNSE will continue to compensate UAlbany for student housing, general education courses, access to clubs, activities, dining facilities and other amenities.

In the months ahead, additional partnerships will be aligned under the CNSE umbrella, with the ultimate result being the creation of a statewide campus that expands high-tech educational opportunities for students, increases economic development across Upstate, and allows for efficiencies through shared services and consolidations. Importantly, there will be no additional costs to SUNY or New York State taxpayers.

CNSE is dedicated to education, research, development, and deployment in the disciplines of nanoscience, nanoengineering, nanobioscience, and nanoeconomics. CNSE’s footprint spans upstate New York, including its Albany NanoTech Complex, an 800,000 ft2 megaplex with the only fully-integrated, 300mm wafer, computer chip pilot prototyping and demonstration line within 85,000 ft2 of Class 1 capable cleanrooms. An expansion now underway, part of which will house the world's first Global 450mm Consortium, will add nearly 500,000 ft2 of next-generation infrastructure, an additional 50,000 ft2 of Class 1 capable cleanrooms. CNSE’s Smart System Technology and Commercialization Center of Excellence in Rochester offers 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.

NeoPhotonics Boosts Capacity in China

The manufacturer of indium phosphide (InP) based photonic integrated circuits (PICs), has opened a new factory to cope with rising demands. NeoPhotonics will target high volume optical modules in cloud computing, broadband access, and 4G/LTE wireless networks

NeoPhotonics Corporation has made its first shipments of optical transceiver modules out of its new, high capacity factory in Dongguan, Guangdong Province, China.

“This milestone represents our commitment to our customers for production capacity to support their increasing need for high speed optical modules in the accelerating build out of broadband network infrastructure around the world,” says Tim Jenks, Chairman and CEO of NeoPhotonics.

“Rapid growth in cloud computing, video and mobile applications is driving increased demand for optical modules in datacenter, 4G/LTE networks and FTTx deployments, both in established markets as well as emerging regions, such as the BRIC countries,” he continues.

The new factory consists of approximately 80,000 square feet of production space, which includes approximately 50,000 square feet of clean room area. The production lines use state of the art manufacturing equipment for optical sub-assembly (OSA) fabrication and final module assembly and test. Modular work cells are designed to support rapid reconfiguration of production lines, which allows quick reaction to the changing needs in the dynamic market of optical modules for high speed communications worldwide.

The Dongguan factory is the latest addition to the company’s manufacturing capabilities, which include existing facilities in Shenzhen, China, Tokyo, Japan and Silicon Valley, California.

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