WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Charles Schumer urged the Department of Defense to partner with SUNY Albany’s College for Nanoscale Science and Engineering and Department of Defense contractor, APIC, to bring new chip-fab work to Upstate New York. If the Defense Department chooses to move forward and increase demand for chips from its Fully Laser Integrated Photonics or FLIP program, which is near the production stage, APIC could build a foundry Upstate, as well as a sensor technology integration and packaging operation in Canandaigua.

APIC, a California-based company that manufactures high-tech nanochips for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and U.S. Navy, is seeking a home to produce the next generation of nanotechnology chips using cutting-edge photonics technology. Schumer is pushing the Navy to commit to its Network Enabled by Wavelength Division Multiplexed Highly Integrated Photonics (NEW-HIP) program. If the Navy moves forward and demands these chips, APIC is seeking to build a chip-fab facility at the Electronics Park in Syracuse that is owned and being renovated, with support from the New York State Assembly, by Centerstate CEO. If FLIP is funded, APIC would seek to open an additional chip-fab plant in New York, continue research and development with SUNY-Albany’s College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, and complete sensor technology integration and packaging work at the STC Center in Canandaigua.

“New York is primed and ready to host the next level of chip-fab work, and these projects would bring nanotechnology jobs to each corner of our state,” said Schumer. “APIC is ready to grow jobs across the state, we just need the Defense Department to step up and call on New York. We have CNSE and the best work force in the country, so I’m going to push hard to bring these jobs and this work to the Empire State.”

The Fully Laser Integrated Photonics or FLIP, is near the production stage and, if the Navy commits to using these chips in their aircraft, APIC could build a chip foundry in New York and a sensor technology integration and packaging operation in Canandaigua. Further research and development work would be done in state by both CNSE and APIC. In a letter to Defense Secretary Panetta today, Schumer urged the Secretary to consider bringing these chip manufacturing programs to Upstate New York.