Cornell, tomPhyzx LLC among Microelectronics Innovation Challenge winners

Get our email updates

Stay up-to-date on the companies, people and issues that impact businesses in Syracuse, Central New York and beyond.

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 […]

Already an Subcriber? Log in

Get Instant Access to This Article

Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

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).

Arizona semiconductor firm buys former NexGen building in DeWitt, plans 80 new jobs

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Employee Benefits & Human Resources, Energy, Environment & Sustainability, Featured, Law, Accounting & Taxes, Manufacturing & Engineering, New York News, Technology

DeWITT, N.Y. — Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC (NASDAQ: ON), which does business as onsemi, has purchased the former NexGen fab facility in DeWitt and plans

McHugh Furnishings acquires Buffalo-area company with a Syracuse-area office

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Education & Training, Employee Benefits & Human Resources, Health Care, New York News, Small Business, Subscriber Only

A Long Island–based specialty furnishings company says it has acquired a Buffalo–area firm that has a Syracuse–area office. McHugh Furnishings, which is headquartered in Uniondale, on Wednesday announced its acquisition of Professional Furnishings & Equipment (PFE), which is based in the Buffalo area and operates an office in the Mattydale area of the town of

Already an Subcriber? Log in

Get Instant Access to This Article

Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

Broome County opens applications for Small Community Fund grants

Southern Tier, Construction, Design & Real Estate, Energy, Environment & Sustainability, Featured, Law, Accounting & Taxes, Manufacturing & Engineering, New York News, Nonprofits, Sports, Entertainment & Tourism

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — Broome County is now accepting applications for the 8th round of its Small Community Fund grant program, which has $650,000 this year

Bond elects environmental and energy attorney as member

Energy, Environment & Sustainability, Law, Accounting & Taxes, Subscriber Only

SYRACUSE — Bond, Schoeneck & King PLLC, a Syracuse–based law firm, recently announced that 11 of its attorneys have been elected members (partners) of the firm, effective at the start of this year. One of those new members is Sarah K. Spencer, who is part of Bond’s environmental and energy law practice. Spencer, who is

Already an Subcriber? Log in

Get Instant Access to This Article

Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

FLLT land acquisition in Cayuga County to help protect Skaneateles Lake

Energy, Environment & Sustainability, Subscriber Only

SEMPRONIUS — It’s a land acquisition that the Finger Lakes Land Trust (FLLT) says will help protect Skaneateles Lake. The FLLT says it has purchased 218 acres adjacent to Bear Swamp State Forest in the town of Sempronius in Cayuga County. The property includes wetlands, upland forests, and 1,755 feet of frontage on Bear Swamp

Already an Subcriber? Log in

Get Instant Access to This Article

Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

SEMPRONIUS — It’s a land acquisition that the Finger Lakes Land Trust (FLLT) says will help protect Skaneateles Lake.

The FLLT says it has purchased 218 acres adjacent to Bear Swamp State Forest in the town of Sempronius in Cayuga County.

The property includes wetlands, upland forests, and 1,755 feet of frontage on Bear Swamp Creek, the largest tributary to Skaneateles Lake, the unfiltered drinking-water supply for the City of Syracuse, per the Feb. 18 announcement from Ithaca–based FLLT.

The FLLT says it intends to transfer a portion of the newly acquired property — about 141 acres — to New York State as an addition to Bear Swamp State Forest. The property will connect the eastern portion of the forest with 102 acres that FLLT acquired in 2021. The combined property will also join the state’s land holdings in this area.

The remaining 77 acres are primarily agricultural land and will be conserved using a perpetual conservation easement and sold to a private buyer subject to the terms of the easement. The FLLT says it will use proceeds from the sale to replenish its Opportunity Fund, the organization’s dedicated account created to make “time-sensitive” acquisitions possible.

Protection of these properties will safeguard water quality in Skaneateles Lake, protect wildlife habitat, and provide additional recreational opportunities, the FLLT contends. The land purchase also represents the ninth conservation project in the vicinity of Bear Swamp, which is identified as a priority project within New York State’s Open Space Plan, the FLLT adds.

It is also part of an Audubon-designated Important Bird Area and features “extensive pristine wetlands and rare flora.” Other protected lands in the area include Carpenter Falls State Unique Area and the FLLT’s Bahar Nature Preserve, the organization noted.

Conservation easements are voluntary legal agreements that permanently limit future land use to protect the land’s conservation value. Lands subject to conservation easements remain in private ownership, on local tax rolls, and available for traditional uses such as farming and hunting, the FLLT said.

About Finger Lakes Land Trust

The FLLT focuses on protecting critical habitat for fish and wildlife, conserving lands that are important for water quality, connecting existing conservation lands, and keeping prime farmland in agriculture. The organization also provides programs to educate local governments, landowners, and residents about conservation and the region’s unique natural resources.

By working cooperatively with landowners and local communities, the Finger Lakes Land Trust says it has protected more than 34,000 acres of the region’s undeveloped lakeshore, rugged gorges, rolling forest, and scenic farmland. The FLLT owns and manages a network of more than 45 nature preserves that are open to the public and holds perpetual conservation easements on 200 properties that remain in private ownership.

NYS Green Building Conference coming to Syracuse in late March

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Energy, Environment & Sustainability, Subscriber Only

SYRACUSE — The 23rd annual New York State Green Building Conference will include a series of presentations by top green-building researchers, educators, and practitioners. The event is set for March 27-28 at the Marriott Syracuse Downtown, says Syracuse University’s Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems (SyracuseCoE). The conference aims to bring together leading

Already an Subcriber? Log in

Get Instant Access to This Article

Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

Upstate N.Y. Energy Storage Engine COO begins position

Energy, Environment & Sustainability, Subscriber Only

VESTAL — The Upstate New York Energy Storage Engine, led by Binghamton University, in January appointed Heidi Grenek as its chief operating officer (COO). She is responsible for leading the Engine’s operational strategy — overseeing day-to-day operations, financial planning, and budgeting; providing compliance and regulatory oversight; and developing and implementing strategies to drive overall programmatic

Already an Subcriber? Log in

Get Instant Access to This Article

Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

VESTAL — The Upstate New York Energy Storage Engine, led by Binghamton University, in January appointed Heidi Grenek as its chief operating officer (COO).

She is responsible for leading the Engine’s operational strategy — overseeing day-to-day operations, financial planning, and budgeting; providing compliance and regulatory oversight; and developing and implementing strategies to drive overall programmatic success.

“We are thrilled to welcome Heidi to our team,” Meera Sampath, CEO of the Engine, said in a release. “Heidi brings a wealth of experience and expertise, refined through her many senior leadership roles in the tech industry. Her strategic planning abilities, business acumen and hands-on operational management experience will be invaluable assets as the Engine accelerates its efforts to drive impact at scale and speed.”

Grenek has worked for many years in large organizations at the intersection of technology and business. She most recently served as chief operating officer for Pure Lithium Corporation, a startup focused on lithium metal extraction and battery innovation. Prior to Pure Lithium, Grenek led high-stakes corporate initiatives at Corning, including comprehensive transformation of lithium supply chain operations through revamped forecasting processes, supplier diversification and partnerships, and material recycling, to generate savings and secure supply, per the release. She began her career at Xerox Corporation, where she had progressive leadership and entrepreneurial roles, including as director of business development and strategy for the Palo Alto Research Center (PARC).

“The Upstate New York Energy Storage Engine’s work is vital for both New York’s economic growth and the future of battery storage and power management,” said Grenek. “Battery technology sits at the intersection of our nation’s energy security and industrial innovation. This is an unparalleled opportunity to strengthen the region’s economy while advancing critical energy solutions for our country.”

Grenek holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from Cornell University and an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management, as well as certifications in artificial intelligence for business applications from MIT and the University of Chicago.

The Upstate New York Energy Storage Engine, led by Binghamton University, is a National Science Foundation-funded, place-based innovation program. The coalition of more than 40 academic, industry, nonprofit, state, and community organizations includes Cornell University, Rochester Institute of Technology, Syracuse University, LAUNCH-NY, and NY-BEST as core partners. The Engine advances next-gen battery technology development and manufacturing. Its vision is to transform upstate New York into America’s Battery Capital.

ESF professors lead initiative that wins $5 million NSF grant

Education & Training, Energy, Environment & Sustainability, Subscriber Only

SYRACUSE — Two professors at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) are leading an international initiative to develop sustainable bioproducts from waste biomass. The National Science Foundation (NSF) is supporting the work with a $5 million grant to the Global Center for Sustainable Bioproducts (GCSB), an international research hub dedicated to developing

Already an Subcriber? Log in

Get Instant Access to This Article

Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

SYRACUSE — Two professors at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) are leading an international initiative to develop sustainable bioproducts from waste biomass.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is supporting the work with a $5 million grant to the Global Center for Sustainable Bioproducts (GCSB), an international research hub dedicated to developing sustainable bio-based solutions for environmental and economic challenges, per ESF’s Feb. 19 announcement.

Chang Geun Yoo, with ESF’s department of chemical engineering, and Gyu Leem, with ESF’s department of chemistry, are at the helm of the NSF Global Centers program that brings together experts from Canada, Finland, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the U.S. Their goal is to create eco-friendly and economically viable alternatives to traditional plastics and composites, ESF said.

“Dr. Yoo and Dr. Leem’s groundbreaking work is crucial for developing sustainable solutions that can transform industries and protect our environment,” ESF President Joanie Mahoney, said in the school’s announcement. “Their leadership in this international initiative highlights ESF’s commitment to innovative research with real-world impact.”

GCSB’s research focuses on four main areas. They include sustainable bio-utilization, or transforming abundant biomass into valuable materials; ensuring processes help mitigate climate change; designing eco-friendly products that are also market-viable; and improving technologies for efficient bioproducts production.

The team involved is focused on polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), a biodegradable bio-based plastic from agricultural residues. By combining PHA with bio-fillers such as nanocellulose and nanolignin, they aim to develop materials for 3D and 4D printing. They will also work to ensure these new materials are environmentally friendly and cost-effective. ESF will lead the research and educational programs with a $1.45 million grant, the SUNY school said.

“By integrating cutting-edge science with industry applications, we’re building a sustainable future,” Yoo said in the ESF announcement.

Leem also adding, “This research bridges the gap between science and real-world solutions.”

The NSF award highlights the foundation’s support for “impactful global research.” With backing from international agencies, GCSB’s work aims to “make a lasting impact on global sustainability.”

Partnering institutions include the University of Tennessee, University of Iowa, Howard University, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, University of Alberta, University of British Columbia, University of Surrey, University of Strathclyde, Åbo Akademi University, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, and Hanyang University.

OPINION: Is Trump Inheriting Biden’s Recession?

Opinion, Subscriber Only

Don’t look now, but the Atlanta Federal Reserve’s GPDNow estimate (www.atlantafed.org/cqer/research/gdpnow) for the first quarter of 2025 shows the U.S. economy potentially contracting [by up to nearly 3 percent] annualized. Coupled with initial jobless claims peaking up to 242,000 [as reported on Feb. 27], a good question to ask is whether President Donald Trump inherited

Already an Subcriber? Log in

Get Instant Access to This Article

Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

It wouldn’t be the first time an incoming president had to deal with either an ongoing recession or a new one in their first years of office. Just ask Richard Nixon (1969), Ronald Reagan (1981), George W. Bush (2001), and Barack Obama (2009) who all had recessions their first years in office.

Politically, the good news is each one of those administrations went on to get reelected relatively easily in 1972, 1984, 2004, and 2012. So, first-year recessions are not politically fatal per se for the White House incumbents.

Midterms are what they are — regardless of the circumstances, there is usually a 90 percent chance of the White House incumbent party losing seats in the House of Representatives during the midterms — and that’s agnostic in terms of recessions.

During and after COVID, slowdowns in global economic production combined with trillions of dollars of monetary and fiscal stimulus heated up inflation to 7.5 percent by January 2022, peaking at 9.1 percent by June 2022. Overall, inflation outpaced earnings for the entire four-year period of Biden, even as the rate of inflation cooled — and it made Biden-Harris a one-term proposition.

During that time, the spread between 10-year and 2-year treasuries inverted and then un-inverted. Usually, the periods of un-inversion are when unemployment tends to rise. Well, since January 2023, that spread has been rising — and so has unemployment by 1.1 million, and so has the unemployment rate, from a low of 3.4 percent in April 2023 to 4 percent in Jan. 2025.

The key point is that these trends have been ongoing for months and years. They didn’t begin yesterday. A recession today, if there is one, will have had many fathers.

The truth is, what goes up must come down. If there is a recession now or soon, then it’s because inflation overheated the economy since 2021, the American people maxed out their credit cards, and demand is finally pulling back. The upside is recessions tend to eat inflation, but the downside is unemployment goes up.

If so, the sooner the better. Rip off the band-aid, but the Trump administration would do well to manage expectations. And that applies to anything, underscoring a communications problem that any White House needs to overcome.

The point is to set goals but also be prepared for setbacks. Nobody said this was going to be easy.

If the economy is softening following the inflation, then that could provide more of an impetus for President Trump’s plans to cut taxes and stimulate long-term growth, for example. And then, to control future inflation, to cut spending and borrowing, and so forth.

The “soft” landing — long sought by Biden and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell — was remotely possible but considering the U.S. was coming off 9.1 inflation in 2022, and perhaps in hindsight, rather fanciful. Nothing is set in stone, naturally, but generally, all an administration can do is hope for the best — and prepare for the worst. Stay tuned.

Robert Romano is the VP of public policy at Americans for Limited Government, a conservative 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization that says it is dedicated to restoring constitutionally limited government, allowing individuals to pursue life, liberty, and happiness.

Get our email updates

Stay up-to-date on the companies, people and issues that impact businesses in Syracuse, Central New York and beyond.

Get our email updates

What's New

Upcoming Events

Project Homecoming Job & Career Fair 2025

Annual Nonprofit Conference 2026

2026 CenterState CEO Economic Forecast Breakfast

CNYBJ Job Board

Get Instant Access to This Article

The Cornell/ tomPhyzx project

About the Jeff Lawrence Innovation Fund

Get Instant Access to This Article

Get Instant Access to This Article

Get Instant Access to This Article

About Finger Lakes Land Trust

Get Instant Access to This Article

Get Instant Access to This Article

Get Instant Access to This Article

Get Instant Access to This Article

Get our email updates