ChargeUp Battery Startup Accelerator’s four finalists get down to business

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BINGHAMTON — The inaugural ChargeUp Battery Startup Accelerator at the Koffman Southern Tier Incubator in Binghamton has named four finalists that will be busy at work through October. Organizers, who announced the finalists on April 10, are planning a ceremony to conclude the accelerator during what’s called Battery Week, Binghamton University tells CNYBJ in an […]

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BINGHAMTON — The inaugural ChargeUp Battery Startup Accelerator at the Koffman Southern Tier Incubator in Binghamton has named four finalists that will be busy at work through October.

Organizers, who announced the finalists on April 10, are planning a ceremony to conclude the accelerator during what’s called Battery Week, Binghamton University tells CNYBJ in an email.

Binghamton University, the Koffman Southern Tier Incubator, NextCorps, and New Energy New York (NENY) selected the finalists for the accelerator competition.

The initiative is supported by a $4.5 million grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) to “bolster early-stage, deep-tech enterprises and foster place-based economic development,” according to an April 10 Binghamton University announcement.

The finalists are: Ateios Systems of Newberry, Indiana; Standard Potential of New York City; MITO Materials Solutions of Indianapolis, Indiana; and Fermi Energy of Blacksburg, Virginia.

The 2024 ChargeUp program reviewed more than 90 applications from around the world, with four companies selected for the inaugural cohort. They were selected through a “rigorous, competitive” review and pitching process, evaluated by a panel of “top” technical and business experts, per the Binghamton University announcement.

The finalist companies will each receive $25,000, mentorship from technical experts, investment opportunities, and access to facilities and resources. Following the pilot 2024 cohort, the program will scale to include between eight and 10 companies per year.

About ChargeUp

ChargeUp is described as “the nation’s first and only accelerator dedicated to supporting battery and energy storage startups.” It is the latest program launched under NENY to “propel domestic battery-industry innovation, while fostering economic growth in Upstate New York.”

NENY, led by Binghamton University, is building a “comprehensive ecosystem” in upstate New York to promote U.S. national security, supply-chain resiliency, and global competitiveness within the battery industry, “with a strong focus on technology innovation.”

To support its vision, NENY has secured an Economic Development Administration (EDA) Build Back Better Regional Challenge (BBBRC) award, an NSF (National Science Foundation) Regional Innovation Engines grant, and a federal tech-hub designation.

“ChargeUp is a pivotal element of the NENY ecosystem, epitomizing our vision as a federal Battery Tech Hub and an NSF Engine. It exemplifies how targeted support and strategic collaboration under the NENY umbrella can catalyze profound advancements in battery and energy storage technologies,” NENY Engine CEO Per Stromhaug said in the announcement. “Its launch is another step towards making the Southern Tier the epicenter for battery innovation.”

The program — hosted by the Koffman Southern Tier Incubator in Binghamton under the NENY initiative — will have participants involved in a hybrid curriculum focused on investor preparedness, manufacturing readiness, and industry integration, with regular on-location events, modules, and networking in Binghamton.

By fostering connections with regional stakeholders, including research universities, economic-development organizations, manufacturers, and potential clients, ChargeUp seeks to support the client startups in bringing their groundbreaking technologies to the market and establishing strong connections to — and operations in — the Southern Tier.

“I have worked across different innovation ecosystems globally and what sets this program apart is the intentional efforts that have been taken to get inputs from industry specific experts and the investment community in developing this program,” Bandhana Katoch, executive director of the Koffman Southern Tier Incubator, said. “We are excited to launch this program to further support our unique innovation ecosystem, promoting a domestic supply chain for battery and energy storage.”

NextCorps involvement

Binghamton University and its Koffman Southern Tier Incubator have joined forces with Rochester’s NextCorps to launch the six-month accelerator providing key investor and manufacturing-readiness training to leading startups from across the nation.

Drawing on the proven success of NextCorps’ Luminate, renowned as the world’s largest accelerator for startups in optics, photonics, and imaging, ChargeUp is crafted “to emulate a model” in which more than 65 companies have already raised $650 million in funding.

The “strategic alignment with Luminate’s celebrated framework positions ChargeUp for success in the critical battery and energy storage industry,” per the announcement.

“We are continuously growing our NENY partner coalition for maximized regional and national impacts, and the collaboration with NextCorps, especially leveraging the expertise of the Luminate team, is a cornerstone of our strategy to nurture groundbreaking innovations in the battery sector,” Olga Petrova, director of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Partnerships, Binghamton University, said.

About the finalists

Here is a description of the finalists for the ChargeUp Accelerator:

Ateios Systems

Developing innovative electrode- manufacturing techniques to improve and accelerate production of new battery technologies across a range of various markets and applications.

Fermi Energy

Developing new approaches for large-scale production of low-cost, sustainable cathodes for high-energy automobile batteries.

MITO Materials Solutions

Developing and manufacturing innovative functionalized graphene across a wide array of applications.

Standard Potential

Developing new cathode active materials for lithium- and sodium-ion batteries.

Menlo Micro draws closer to fab opening in Tompkins County

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Manufacturing & Engineering, Small Business, Southern Tier, Subscriber Only, Technology

LANSING — A California company is getting closer to opening its first U.S.–based fabrication facility near Ithaca, joining the state’s growing semiconductor industry. Menlo Microsystems, Inc. (Menlo Micro), which announced its New York plans in July 2023, is hard at work getting the former Kionix, Inc. facility ready to produce the company’s Ideal Switch electric

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LANSING — A California company is getting closer to opening its first U.S.–based fabrication facility near Ithaca, joining the state’s growing semiconductor industry.

Menlo Microsystems, Inc. (Menlo Micro), which announced its New York plans in July 2023, is hard at work getting the former Kionix, Inc. facility ready to produce the company’s Ideal Switch electric switch.

It was a process finding just the right location, says Lew Boore, Menlo’s head of government affairs and strategic marketing.

“We have a very simple process that involves two things — glass and gold,” he says. “Two things fabs don’t like.” The materials can be difficult to work with, Boore explains.

Company officials evaluated about 30 fabrication plants across the country before settling on the Kionix site at 36 Thornwood Drive in the town of Lansing in Tompkins County. While its technology was different, everything else about the “Goldilocks fab” was a perfect fit, right down to it being the ideal size to house what Menlo has dubbed its Ideal Fab.

Menlo Micro has invested about $26 million in the facility to date as it prepares to open later this year, Boore says. With 15 people on staff already, the company will invest a total of $50 million into the fab over the next several years and has committed to creating about 100 jobs there.

“We’ve got a very robust workforce-development program we’ve implemented,” Boore says, as the company plans ahead for filling those positions. “We’ve reached out far and wide in New York and many other places.”

The outreach has included numerous colleges such as Tompkins County Community College, Cornell University, and Rochester Institute of Technology — along with organizations such as CenterState CEO and the Vet S.T.E.P. (semiconductor training and experience program) — to find ways to work together to train the future workforce that Menlo Micro and other semiconductor businesses will need.

The company will have a variety of roles available and not all will require an advanced degree, Boore notes. “Where the rubber meets the road is technicians, and you don’t need a degree to be a technician.”

Creating new jobs for the region is exciting, as is bringing a technology that’s a “little out of the mainstream” to the industry, Chris Giovanniello, Menlo Micro co-founder and senior VP of sales and marketing, says.

“We’re really just in the beginning stages of deploying it,” he says of the company’s Ideal Switch.

People don’t think much about switches, he says, and he’s not talking about light switches. He’s talking about traditional mechanical relays and the newer semiconductor relays. These relay switches are in everything, Giovanniello notes, from the circuit panel in your house to your car’s ignition system.

Mechanical relays have been around since Thomas Edison and have drawbacks, he notes. They are big, they are slow, and they don’t last very long.

Semiconductor, or solid state, relays are newer, but also have challenges, according to Giovanniello. They don’t fully conduct electricity, so there is a lot of waste electricity, which generates heat that must be dissipated.

Menlo Micro’s solution to both of these switches is its Ideal Switch, a newer type of mechanical switch. “Our individual relay is the size of a human hair,” he says. The switch is small, fast, and doesn’t generate waste heat. Thousands of the Ideal Switch will fit on a single wafer.

“We’ve been slowly and steadily building up our credibility,” Giovanniello says. Menlo Micro currently offers seven unique products, with many being sold to applications for test and measurement equipment. The company’s products also have use in radiofrequency applications along with aerospace and defense.

“It’s exciting,” Giovanniello says of both the switch and the Ideal Fab. “It’s a lot of work, but it’s exciting.”

Headquartered in Irvine, California, Menlo Micro also operates a research and development office at the Albany NanoTech Complex in Albany.

Binghamton Hope homes provide hope to struggling residents

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Health Care, Small Business, Southern Tier, Subscriber Only

JOHNSON CITY — For more than a year, the Binghamton Hope Foundation has helped make a difference in the lives of women in need by providing a free place for them to live while they recover from substance abuse or other issues. The foundation’s Women’s Hope Home, which opened a little over a year ago,

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The foundation’s Women’s Hope Home, which opened a little over a year ago, has 13 beds available to women to stay as long as they need, says Leigh Stevens, the foundation’s executive director.

“We don’t put a timeline or deadline on recovery,” she says. The residents come out of struggles including addiction, homelessness, sex trafficking, abuse, and other situations, she says. The home provides safe and stable housing so they can focus on recovery while their basic needs are met.

Knowing that they have a roof over their heads, food to eat, and that the utilities will stay on allows residents to turn their focus away from survival and start looking at all the other parts of themselves they abandoned during their difficulties, Stevens says.

Residents of the home must follow a schedule which includes a wake-up time and participate in running the home by preparing meals and keeping it clean. Some residents may leave during the day for various outpatient services. Within the home, educational program services are offered on topics such as recovery and healthy living.

Opportunities to work on church projects are offered, as well as work-experience opportunities. Residents of the home traveled to Kentucky this year to work for a nonprofit associated with the world-famous Kentucky Derby horse race.

What makes the house truly unique, Stevens says, is that each team member has some variety of lived experience, which allows them to really connect with the residents.

“It’s more than just a home,” she notes. Residents are treated like family, even being invited to holiday dinners and receiving gifts. “Let’s really love on you so you can learn to love yourself,” she adds.

Next up, the foundation will reopen its nearby men’s home in July after it completes renovations. Once open, that house will offer seven beds to men in need, following the same faith-based premise as the women’s house.

“It’s just the start of what we want to do,” Stevens says. Right now, the foundation is working on mastering the model with the hope of opening more homes in the future.

“We want to open more of a transitional home for our graduates,” she says. The home would serve people who have completed their program at the men’s or women’s house, but still need some support structure “until they’re ready to get out on their own 100 percent.”

Stevens says she hopes to begin that process next year.

Funding for the homes and all of the Binghamton Hope Foundation’s programs comes from a mix of local, state, and private grants; private donations; fundraising events, such as barbecues, pop-up shops, and concerts; and sponsorship opportunities. The foundation also has an ongoing wish list on Amazon that allows supporters to purchase and donate needed items.

The Hope House programs are completely voluntary, Stevens notes. “It’s more a matter of are you willing to give this a try.”

BAE working with Indiana company on transit project

Manufacturing & Engineering, Small Business, Southern Tier, Subscriber Only, Technology

Also shares expertise with the Binghamton community ENDICOTT — The BAE Systems location in Endicott is collaborating with an Indiana company on the integration and certification of a hybrid engine and drivetrain for the transit market. Besides that work and other projects

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Also shares expertise with the Binghamton community

ENDICOTT — The BAE Systems location in Endicott is collaborating with an Indiana company on the integration and certification of a hybrid engine and drivetrain for the transit market.

Besides that work and other projects the facility is focused on, an engineer with the Endicott location tells CNYBJ that BAE Systems also shares its expertise with organizations in the Binghamton area.

Headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, BAE Systems, Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of United Kingdom–based BAE Systems plc, a global defense, security, and aerospace company.

Project work

BAE Systems and Columbus, Indiana–based Cummins Inc. (NYSE: CMI) say they’ll collaborate on the integration and certification of a B hybrid-compatible diesel engine and hybrid electric drivetrain for the transit market, targeted for launch in 2027.

The hybrid electric product will continue to provide transit agencies with a “proven and cost-effective technology that reduces fuel use and emissions,” per an April 26 announcement from BAE.

In this effort, BAE Systems will supply its electric-drive hardware to interface with the engine and form a full hybrid electric drivetrain, the firm said, as well as provide engineering support and system-integration expertise.

“Hybrid electric systems will remain an important technology for the bus market for years to come,” Rob Dykema, director of North American transit accounts for power and propulsion solutions at BAE Systems, said in the announcement. “BAE Systems and Cummins have enjoyed many years of successful collaboration delivering this proven capability to the market, and this is another step forward as we sustain a range of clean, efficient solutions in transit.”

BAE Systems and Cummins have worked together to develop hybrid electric products for buses since 1994. This newly expanded collaboration “underscores a shared commitment” to offering more emission-reducing options in transit, BAE said.

Hybrid electric buses facilitate workforce development for training on high-voltage systems and do not require investment in extensive charging infrastructure.

In addition, hybrid buses with BAE Systems’ electric-drive systems allow for increased zero-emission capable solutions. This includes proven engine start and stop and geofencing technology, allowing a hybrid bus to automatically switch to full electric-bus mode when entering designated green zones, the company said.

BAE Systems says it has more than 25 years of experience developing and integrating electric power and propulsion systems for buses, boats, and heavy-duty vehicles. The company has more than 16,000 propulsion systems in service on transit buses worldwide, including hybrid electric, battery electric, and hydrogen fuel-cell applications.

Its electric-propulsion technology is developed and serviced at its facilities in Endicott and in the United Kingdom.

Community involvement

Besides its project work for customers, BAE Systems is also no stranger to community involvement in the greater Binghamton area.

Matt Boecke, chief engineer for power systems for aircraft electrification at BAE Systems, says he’s “pretty heavily” involved in activities at Binghamton University regarding the region’s recent designation as a national tech hub for energy storage.

“Helping with capstone projects at Binghamton University,” he says. “Developing … curriculum, so if you look at the trends in the world, and Binghamton being at the center of it in energy storage and power systems … working on setting up curriculums.”

Boecke, who spoke with CNYBJ in a May 9 phone interview, has worked for BAE Systems for about 20 years.

Besides Binghamton University, he’s also provided assistance on similar projects at SUNY Broome Community College to help “develop a pipeline” that would help feed into the local job market and the business initiatives at BAE Systems and the clean and green initiatives happening globally.

“We take that [back] even further into high schools and middle schools,” Boecke says. “We bring high-school kids through [and] show them what we’re doing.”

He also helped set up the battery lab for high-school students at Chenango Forks High School, located north of Binghamton.

When asked if he’s seeing interest from students in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) field, Boecke says, “We are. We do see a fair amount of interest that ties into it.”

EMPEQ works to make energy audits faster to boost retrofits

Energy, Environment & Sustainability, Small Business, Southern Tier, Subscriber Only, Technology

ITHACA — After years of conducting energy-efficiency audits — checking buildings for things like drafty windows and outdated heating and cooling equipment — the founders of EMPEQ felt there had to be a better way than the inefficient pen-and-paper method most auditors used to take notes. And if enough time wasn’t spent on taking notes

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And if enough time wasn’t spent on taking notes and photos on the scene, all that information then needed to be entered into a database to generate an energy model, says Herbert Dwyer, EMPEQ’s CEO.

“There was just a ridiculous amount of time wasted by us collecting all this data,” he says. “This has to change. There has to be a better way.”

About seven years ago, Dwyer, along with Derek LaClair, COO, and Ed Wilson, CSO, joined forces to create EMPEQ, which focuses on energy efficiency and equipment-management technology with instant equipment insights. The company, which operates from the REV: Ithaca Startup Works incubator space, uses technology and artificial intelligence to speed up the energy-audit process.

With EMPEQ, an auditor really doesn’t have to do much more than take pictures while on site with the company’s Fast Site Survey product. By the time the auditor is back in the office, the data is ready for modeling, Dwyer says.

Those models are the blueprints that tell building owners what is needed to improve the building’s energy efficiency, and they are important to help the United States reach its climate goals by the 2050 deadline, LaClair says. Actually, in order for everyone to meet that goal, building retrofits need to happen at a pace three times faster than the current one. That works out to about 7,100 buildings a day.

“Eighty-three percent of buildings are using equipment that is beyond its useful life,” he says. That means more than four out of every five buildings are using old, less efficient equipment.

With already thin operating margins, undertaking an energy audit and building retrofit can seem financially daunting, Dwyer concedes. But the bigger picture is that businesses are already spending that money.

“They’re overspending on their electric bill, their gas bill, their steam bill,” he says. While an audit and retrofit is an investment, it will result in lower utility costs. Additionally, the state has many programs with rebates and other incentives to defray some of those costs.

Starting with just an energy audit at least lets building owners know what equipment they have, and that information can help them leverage the programs that are available, Dwyer explains.

“This is not about just saving the planet and doing the right thing,” he says. “Financially, it makes sense.”

Currently, the U.S. Air Force is EMPEQ’s biggest customer, using the company’s technology to audit its bases.

“We are also partnered with the U.S. Department of Energy,” Dwyer says. The department is using EMPEQ’s technology to audit college campuses.

“We work with utilities as well,” Dwyer says, along with private multinational/multidivisional companies.

EMPEQ was recently included in the SET100 List of 2024, a recognition by the German Energy Agency that highlights the 100 most promising energy startups around the world. The accolade comes just as EMPEQ is getting ready to release Fast Site Survey 3.0, the latest version of its flagship product.

The company is also getting ready to add on more employees. With 14 currently, Dwyer says EMPEQ is looking for people to fill sales, marketing, development/coding, and project manager roles.

“Things are going really well,” Dwyer says. “We finally have a tailwind. We’re looking for the best and the brightest.”

Live on the Waterfront concerts return to Binghamton

Sports, Entertainment & Tourism, Southern Tier, Subscriber Only

Binghamton Chamber Office of Placemaking discusses the events, goals BINGHAMTON — Live on the Waterfront concerts will return to Binghamton in 2024 with events scheduled for the summertime months. That’s according to Jim Reyen, director of placemaking initiatives with the Greater Binghamton

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Binghamton Chamber Office of Placemaking discusses the events, goals

BINGHAMTON — Live on the Waterfront concerts will return to Binghamton in 2024 with events scheduled for the summertime months.

That’s according to Jim Reyen, director of placemaking initiatives with the Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce.

Live on the Waterfront was a concept that was created prior to the launch of the chamber’s Office of Placemaking, says Reyen, who spoke with CNYBJ in a May 9 phone interview.

“The goal was to use a public space, the Peacemaker’s Stage, and to showcase regional talent,” he says. The Peacemaker’s Stage is located at 7 Court St. in Binghamton.

The concept took a hit when the coronavirus pandemic became a concern in the early months of 2020, but Reyen decided to connect with some of his contacts to bring it back.

Live on the Waterfront events returned with two concerts back in September and October, including performances by a hip-hop group from Ithaca and another by a Southern Rock group called “Frostbit Blue” that’s well known in the Binghamton area.

“It was original music created from the region, utilizing the Peacemaker’s Stage, which is a perfect gathering spot right near the river in downtown Binghamton near some of the historical sites,” says Reyen.

He went on to say the accessibility is “wonderful” on the riverwalk, which is now connected to the new 434 Greenway Path, so people can bike, walk, jog, and bring strollers to the Peacemaker’s Stage.

“It’s affordable and accessible and showcases … some of the historical assets of downtown,” he contends.

This year, Live on the Waterfront will continue with a performance on Aug. 24 by “Driftwood,” a group from Binghamton that now performs nationwide. The series will have other shows both before and after “Driftwood,” but Reyen says he’s still finalizing those concerts.

The concerts are usually scheduled between 6 and 9 p.m. or between 5 and 8 p.m., so people can come, listen to music, get some dinner, walk the riverwalk, or do some shopping, he adds.

Leader Day

Besides Live on the Waterfront, Reyen also noted the first annual “Leader Day” with the Binghamton City School District coming up on June 22 at Recreation Park from 1-6 p.m.

The Binghamton Arts & Athletics Community Fund contacted Reyen, who says he’s involved with the Binghamton City School District as a volunteer.

“The idea is to showcase the district and all the different, wonderful arts and athletics activities; also give the younger kids a chance to see what activities are available and determine which ones they want to try,” he says.

It also allows older students to mentor and be leaders and work with coaches and/or alumni. “It’s to teach the older kids how to be leaders … and give the younger kids an opportunity to see what’s available.”

The event will include 11 different stations focused on both arts and athletics that the students can try. Those attending will get a passport, and if they try three different stations, they can take part in the food and music celebration at the end, he says.

“Try to engage them, make sure they participate, and they have a nice, fun reward at the end,” Reyen says. “It’s good for the community because we’re utilizing Rec Park. We’re getting a lot of family members and community members involved, but it’s also giving the kids a chance to really see how wonderful the arts and athletics can be in terms of overall quality of life.”

Pop ups

In the interview, Reyen also discussed the smaller pop-up events that the Office of Placemaking organizes in Binghamton’s public spaces

“We did a Live at LUMA, which was music-related [which involved] three or four groups prior to the LUMA festival,” he says.

Another one was related to the “The Binghamton Better Cities Film Festival” in April 2023, which involved art, music, and food, and films on placemaking. They’re smaller gatherings, but the longer-term goal is to work with the community and teach how to hold similar events.

“And then connect the dots between their ideas, the public spaces, and then some sort of funding vehicles, whether it be foundations or grants, [and] they can take reins and have their [own] pop-ups and activations,” says Reyen.

Office history

The Greater Binghamton Chamber’s Office of Placemaking started in January 2023 after it was first announced a few months earlier in October 2022.

Placemaking involves a hands-on approach to improve areas within a community utilizing physical, cultural, social, and other assets to create opportunities to bring people together, as described in an October 2022 news release. The Greater Binghamton Chamber wants the office and its director to “support existing initiatives and create new activities to make a more attractive and cohesive community.”

Placemaking is an effort to “improve the vibrancy of an area,” Reyen said in the initial announcement about the office. It focuses on public spaces like parks, streets, use of historic spaces, or green spaces and getting the community involved.

The office was also involved in the Greater Binghamton Bridge Run in May

“We wanted to create the Placemaking office to serve as a catalyst for improving public spaces to create opportunities to gather, connect and beautify the Greater Binghamton area,” Stacey Duncan, CEO of the Leadership Alliance, a partnership between the Greater Binghamton Chamber and The Agency, said when the office was announced in October 2022. “We’re looking forward to engaging and inviting the community to become part of the process.”

Broome County looks to revitalize waterfront regions

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From the Susquehanna River to smaller creeks, Broome County is looking to make the best use of the waterways coursing through the county. The Broome County Local Waterfront Revitalization Strategy is the tool the county is crafting to do just that — using funding from the New York State Department of State under the Environmental

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From the Susquehanna River to smaller creeks, Broome County is looking to make the best use of the waterways coursing through the county.

The Broome County Local Waterfront Revitalization Strategy is the tool the county is crafting to do just that — using funding from the New York State Department of State under the Environmental Protection Fund to draft a unified vision for the waterfront. The plan will also address local and regional waterway issues, guide future development, and, perhaps most importantly, promote public-waterfront access across the county to encourage people to get out and enjoy the water.

“Essentially, Broome County is dominated by our rivers,” Broome County Director of Planning Beth Lucas says in an interview. Along with the Susquehanna, the Chenango and Delaware rivers also run through the county. There are also numerous smaller feeder rivers and creeks.

While there is a lot of water, there isn’t that much activity on and around the water, she notes. That’s something she’s hoping to change.

“In our area, there are people who will utilize the river for kayaking … but there’s not really a centralized program that promotes that,” Lucas says. Whether that underutilization is from lack of easy access into the water or even lack of knowledge about the rivers, the county aims to fix that.

As part of the strategy, Broome County will release a river guide on the website: goalloutbroome.com, that is full of information about the various rivers. Signage along the rivers will help to further guide paddlers. The plan also included an assessment of all the waterfront assets in the county, discusses ways to improve the waterfront, and identifies areas that need work.

The county contracted with Colliers Engineering & Design on the revitalization project and has worked closely with local municipalities, the Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce (which is part of The Leadership Alliance), and other stakeholders, Lucas says.

Once the strategy is finalized, organizations, municipalities, and other groups can take the information and apply for funding to complete projects suggested in the strategy.

The effort has taken about two years so far, and Lucas expected to have the strategy finalized by early May. Implementation of the plan will be long term.

The county identified areas that may benefit from having a boat launch, and also created a development and design template so that new boat launches will have a more uniform look and is hoping to encourage a few people to open outfitting businesses.

While many of the projects are focused on the water, there are plenty that are located near, but not on, the water for people who prefer to stay dry.

“There are a lot of trail projects,” Lucas notes.

One project is already being implemented in Endicott, where the one-mile Chugnut Trail along the river is being extended to Grippen Park. The county is also looking at ways it can utilize an old railway for more trails.

In the end, it’s all about reconnecting people to the waterways, Lucas says. “People are just really excited and in favor of it.”

iA opens new pharmacy fulfillment innovation hub

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Health Care, Southern Tier, Subscriber Only, Technology

It’s located at its redesigned national HQ in Binghamton BINGHAMTON — iA, a company that provides an integrated pharmacy fulfillment platform for retail, health system, and government pharmacies, on May 8 hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the newly renovated iA national headquarters in Binghamton. In addition to manufacturing space, the facility includes an innovation

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It’s located at its redesigned national HQ in Binghamton

BINGHAMTON — iA, a company that provides an integrated pharmacy fulfillment platform for retail, health system, and government pharmacies, on May 8 hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the newly renovated iA national headquarters in Binghamton.

In addition to manufacturing space, the facility includes an innovation hub, which it describes as the “first of its kind in the industry,” showcasing an advanced central pharmacy fulfillment technology center and training facility for pharmacy workers.

“We are thrilled to share our newly renovated headquarters and demonstrate our dedication to innovation and community investment,” Tom Utech, CEO of iA, said in the firm’s May 8 announcement. “We’re proud to partner with the city of Binghamton to be a part of their revitalization efforts. This expansion isn’t just about bricks and beams but is a bold declaration of our commitment to our customers and their patients. We are redefining pharmacy automation with our cutting-edge solutions with the ultimate goal of improving patient care.”

iA expanded to Binghamton from Johnson City. The company still maintains manufacturing operations and several other departments at the Johnson City location, but the bulk of operations, including the business offices have relocated to Binghamton, the firm tells CNYBJ in a May 14 email.

“We are excited iA has chosen Binghamton’s First Ward for its newly renovated national headquarters,” Binghamton Mayor Jared M. Kraham said in the iA announcement. “The company’s expansion into the Charles Street Business Park means new activity for the Clinton Street corridor, with 85 employees on site, and more momentum for the First Ward. We are thrilled to see another growing company call Binghamton home.”

Kraham on July 11, 2023, had announced iA would create an innovation hub at the Charles Street Business Park, partially moving operations to the First Ward commercial property.

The company, which has had a location in Johnson City since 1972, recently began searching for a larger space to accommodate growing operations, per the July 2023 City of Binghamton announcement.

“At the heart of the renovation” is a customer innovation and collaboration space, where iA can demonstrate its advanced robotics and enterprise-software offerings to customers, which include major pharmacy retailers, online pharmacies, health care systems and government health care organizations, per the firm’s May 8 announcement.

“Our Innovation Hub will be the driving force behind our continued growth and success,” Utech contended. “This real-life showcase can be used for training, demonstrations, and testing and will bring our solutions to life for our customers and others to experience firsthand.”

iA was founded as Innovation Associates in 1972 in Johnson City. Its founder, Joseph (Harry) Boyer, worked at Singer-Link in Kirkwood prior to starting his own company, the firm tells CNYBJ. Innovation Associates was founded as a research and development firm operating in various industries and started focusing on pharmacy in 1997.

iA opened its global headquarters in Indianapolis in 2021.

Dataflow focused on continued growth

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Small Business, Southern Tier, Subscriber Only, Technology

BINGHAMTON — From adding locations in New York state to picking up customers from other states, Dataflow, Inc. has been growing in recent years and has no plans for that to change. The company got its start in Binghamton in 1958 by Dale Zimmerman, providing microfilm products for its business customers to store data and

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BINGHAMTON — From adding locations in New York state to picking up customers from other states, Dataflow, Inc. has been growing in recent years and has no plans for that to change.

The company got its start in Binghamton in 1958 by Dale Zimmerman, providing microfilm products for its business customers to store data and blueprints. Early contracts with companies like IBM fueled Dataflow, but it had to pivot when IBM left the area.

Turning first to color printing and, later, to the internet, Dataflow has adapted to one that still offers data management, but also provides a host of printing services including branding materials, large-format printing, digital document workflows, and sign fabrication and installation.

“We recently just won a ‘best of’ large format print award,” Dataflow Marketing Manager Clarissa Reyna-Aboytes says.

From 2018-2022, Dataflow acquired four other companies, expanding its reach throughout New York, as well as broadening its product lines. The most-recent acquisition was Prolifiq Sign Studio in Edmeston. That deal gave the company new employees, a location in Edmeston, and new expertise in vehicle wrapping and decals.

Since then, Dataflow has been busy expanding its customer base, Reyna-Aboytes says, and landed Hangry Joe’s Hot Chicken & Wings as one of its newer accounts.

Springfield, Virginia–based Hangry Joe’s has franchise locations in numerous states and uses Dataflow for its signage, as well as other products for franchises, she says.

This is possible through the company’s THiiNK Hub, which allows customers to manage all their design, printing, and branding through one system. That means Hangry Joe’s corporate offices can oversee all the design and branding and deciding what products are included, and then individual franchisees can purchase what they need for their locations, Reyna-Aboytes says.

“It’s a good solution for franchises,” she says. “It’s a great solution for small businesses, too, that want to sell some merchandise.”

“With Hangry Joe’s, we’re really expanding,” Reyna-Aboytes notes, and the company hopes it leads to more companies noticing Dataflow and joining their client list.

The company is also working to improve its online store with the goal of making it more user friendly, Reyna-Aboytes notes. Most of Dataflow’s customers are other businesses, used to putting in a product request and waiting for a quote.

But everyday consumers want to move faster. “In the near future, we do want to focus a little more on that community and consumer audience,” she says.

The changes will make the company more competitive against national online options like VistaPrint, Reyna-Aboytes contends, and give customers the option to work with a local company.

On the business-to-business side, Dataflow can provide a local school district with yard signs honoring all its graduates, she says. It can also offer complementary products on the consumer side.

“We could do a graduation poster for a mom,” she notes. Other products might include family shirts for something like a vacation or family reunion and other smaller “one-off” products.

Dataflow employs between 60 and 70 people with locations including its Binghamton headquarters, Albany, Corning, Edmeston, Elmira, Endicott, Ithaca, Rochester, and Utica. It also has an office in Punta Gorda, Florida.

Dataflow’s Binghamton office is located at 19 S. Washington St.

Binghamton University to buy equipment for nanofabrication lab

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Education & Training, Manufacturing & Engineering, Southern Tier, Subscriber Only, Technology

Receives $1 million federal grant for the effort VESTAL — Binghamton University has plans to purchase advanced-packaging equipment for its nanofabrication laboratory (NLAB). The university will use a federal funding award of $1 million to make the purchase. That money will only cover a portion of the cost, the school tells CNYBJ in a May

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Receives $1 million federal grant for the effort

VESTAL — Binghamton University has plans to purchase advanced-packaging equipment for its nanofabrication laboratory (NLAB).

The university will use a federal funding award of $1 million to make the purchase. That money will only cover a portion of the cost, the school tells CNYBJ in a May 15 email.

The grant seeks to “bolster” workforce training for advanced chip manufacturing in cleanroom environments.

The funding is part of the fiscal year 2024 appropriations bills as a congressionally directed spending request, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D–N.Y.) and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D–N.Y.) announced on April 2.

The federal-government money will help get students the skills they need for “in-demand” careers in the semiconductor industry, “being spurred by Schumer’s CHIPS & Science Law,” the senator’s office said.

“I am proud to deliver this $1 million federal investment to Binghamton University to supercharge the Southern Tier’s semiconductor workforce training with new state-of-the-art equipment that will help replicate real cleanrooms at chip companies,” Schumer said in the announcement. “Together with fantastic institutions like Binghamton University leading the way, we are ensuring the next generation of engineers, scientists, and innovators are trained and work here in Upstate NY.”

The senators said the purchase of new, advanced-packaging equipment will allow electronics with sub-micron circuitry to be fabricated, analyzed, and tested by participants from across industry and academia.

Binghamton University President Harvey Stenger said the project dovetails well with many of the university’s key goals.

“As a premier public university, we focus on education as well as access,” Stenger said in the Schumer announcement. “We also recognize our role and responsibility when it comes to workforce development. Equipping our laboratories with the latest tools gives our students and our industry partners an important advantage. I’m grateful for Senator Schumer’s continued partnership, and I look forward to seeing our cleanroom serve as a learning space for our own undergraduates as well as high school and community college students from the region.”

The equipment will provide students with hands-on training to prepare them for careers in semiconductor manufacturing.

The lab’s participants will be trained in next-generation electronics, including 2.5D and 3D chip packaging, “developing a pipeline of qualified talent” to support the growth of the advanced electronics manufacturing and packaging industry across upstate New York, Schumer’s office said.

Binghamton University estimates 100 people will receive training for jobs in industrial cleanrooms each year through short courses, certificate, and micro-credentialing programs.

Schumer and Gillibrand said this skilled talent pool will be important in helping attract new startups and supply-chain companies now looking at the region, following new major investments by companies like Micron Technology (NASDAQ: MU) that will help build a “thriving regional economy with good-paying jobs for future generations.”

Binghamton University’s S3IP Center of Excellence, which includes the NLAB, currently has more than 120 companies performing research in electronics packaging as well as areas related to materials, failure analysis, and reliability testing. The enhanced equipment will also benefit about 20 faculty members and 60 graduate-student researchers working on projects directly supported by the facility, “with the number expected to grow, Schumer’s office noted.

Efforts to reinvigorate the microelectronics industry in the U.S. rely on a skilled workforce, Bahgat Sammakia, VP for research at Binghamton University and director of the S3IP Center of Excellence, said in the Schumer announcement.

“Experience working with this state-of-the-art equipment in a cleanroom environment will give students a big boost when they enter the job market. And manufacturers in New York State and beyond will be able to recruit talented workers who have relevant expertise that can help their companies grow and thrive,” Sammakia said.

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