University at Buffalo President Satish Tripathi welcomes $40 million grant announced by US Sen. Chuck Schumer

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In the presence of President of University at Buffalo Satish K. Tripathi and Vice President for Research and Economic Development Venu Govindaraju, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-NY, announced that the Buffalo-Rochester-Syracuse region will receive $40 million for semiconductor manufacturing, research and education.

A press release from UB July 3, 2024, noted that the funding is part of the CHIPS & Science Act passed by Congress in 2022. Eleven other metro areas nationwide were awarded $464 million to support technology hubs, which have mostly been limited to large coastal cities.

“This is a monumental victory for the Buffalo-Rochester-Syracuse region as the first major Tech Hub award in the nation,” Schumer is quoted saying in a release. “America’s semiconductor future runs through the heart of upstate New York along the I-90 corridor.”

Schumer announced the award at the Northland Workforce Training Center in Buffalo.

Tripathi thanked Sen. Schumer, and Rep. Tim Kennedy as well as others. He also noted UB will play a significant role in the endeavor, officially called the NY SMART I-Corridor Tech Hub.

“UB is honored to harness our research and industry partnerships in service of this regional tech hub,” adding that it would “transform our region into a national center for semiconductor manufacturing bolstered by a robust supply chain and workforce,” according to a news report on the UB website.

The UB report said key roles in the effort will also be played by Monroe Community College in Rochester, which will lead an initiative to train thousands of workers for the semiconductor industry, as well as Syracuse University, which will assist small and medium sized companies to commercialize their products.