Cornell, tomPhyzx LLC among Microelectronics Innovation Challenge winners

ITHACA, N.Y. — Those winning grant money in the New York State Microelectronics Innovation Challenge included Cornell University working in partnership with a company located in Yates County. The project involving Cornell Center for Materials Research (CCMR) Corporate Partnership & Innovation (OVPRI) and tomPhyzx LLC in Dundee was awarded $60,000 from the Jeff Lawrence Innovation Fund. Albany–based FuzeHub, the statewide New York Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) center, in partnership with the Northeast Regional Defense Technology Hub (NORDTECH) announced the winners on Feb. 24. NORDTECH is a New York State–based consortium of government labs, defense companies, academics institutions, and technology research and development and manufacturing organizations. The grant funding will support advancements that enhance national defense through developments in the microelectronics industry. FuzeHub and NORDTECH awarded funding to a total of three projects. The additional recipients had ties to New York City; Newburgh in Orange County; and Milton in Saratoga County. FuzeHub and NORDTECH received numerous applications for the funding initiative, which launched in November. They challenged New York’s innovators to advance the state’s manufacturing capabilities within the microelectronics industry, either through advancing innovative technologies, or strengthening the microelectronics supply chain within New York. “As a result of NORDTECH’s collaboration with FuzeHub, we are excited that the announced awardees will be able to drive advances in microelectronics-related innovations, which can simultaneously strengthen U.S. defense capabilities,” said Nicholas Fahrenkopf, NORDTECH technical director, said in the FuzeHub announcement. “We are proud to enable strategic microelectronics applications through this Jeff Lawrence Innovation Fund opportunity and with our Microelectronics Challenge partners as this initiative works to strengthen the local and regional supply chain along with U.S. technological leadership.”

The Cornell/ tomPhyzx project

The Cornell/ tomPhyzx project aims to improve the precision and efficiency of light detectors used in air-sanitization systems, enhancing the control of UV-C systems that purify air in hospitals, schools, and military environments. The innovation focuses on creating a ball-shaped visual detector that measures ultraviolet light from all directions with “exceptional accuracy,” per the announcement. Because of its substantially smaller design, this device is “better suited than current alternatives” for applications in microelectronics. “The Jeff Lawrence Innovation Fund was established to support forward-thinking projects that drive technology development and commercialization throughout New York State,” Patty Rechberger, who manages the innovation fund, said. “By awarding these grants, we’re helping to accelerate innovation, which will have a lasting impact on the state’s manufacturing landscape and national defense capabilities. We’re excited to see the continued growth and success of these projects.”

About the Jeff Lawrence Innovation Fund

The Jeff Lawrence Innovation Fund — which serves as the source of funding for this Innovation Challenge — supports a set of activities designed to spur technology development and commercialization across New York state. Launched in December 2016, the fund is named for the late Jeff Lawrence, who is described as a “champion” of the New York manufacturing and entrepreneurial communities. Lawrence served as executive VP and MEP Center director at the Center for Economic Growth, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) affiliate in the Capital Region. He directed programs of direct assistance to manufacturers and technology companies to increase their competitiveness. Each year, the Innovation Fund provides more than $1 million in direct assistance to the manufacturing, research and development, technology, and entrepreneurial ecosystems. To date, the fund has awarded more than $10 million in funding to support collaborative projects across the state. The Innovation Challenge is made possible through funding and support from Empire State Development’s Division of Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR) and the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD).