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nicolas.mokhoff
This photo op is in large part due to Alain E. Kaloyeros, the positive force ...
chipmonk
Politicins want votes, Corporations want freebies. Every now and then the ...
Obama highlights manufacturing in NY semifab visit
Nicolas Mokhoff
5/7/2012 9:55 AM EDT
MANHASSET, NY -- President Barack Obama is visiting the NanoTech Complex at the State University of New York in Albany tomorrow, Tuesday, May 8 to show he is behind the goal for advanced manufacturing in the U.S. economy.
The College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering in Albany together with its collaborating partners including Globalfoundries is hosting Obama to shed light on investments in new advanced manufacturing jobs in the hi-tech New York State complex.
The visit, originally planned to be held at Globalfoundries’ Fab 8, was moved to CNSE NanoTech Complex at the State University of New York in Albany for logistical reasons, according to the White House.
President Obama’s visit will highlight what has been labeled as New York’s “Tech Valley”, a major hub for the global technology industry, attracting companies like Globalfoundries, as well as their suppliers, and smaller start-up companies. Research consortia Sematech, Rensselear Polytechnic Institute, and CNSE at the University of Albany are all academic and research feeding arteries to the region.
Tech Valley consists of a 19-county region of eastern New York State that spans from just south of Montreal to just north of New York City.
“The President’s visit highlights the success of this region to create new public-private economic development initiatives,” said Ajit Manocha, CEO, Globalfoundries, in a statement. “On behalf of our more than 12,000 employees worldwide, and our more than 1,500 employees in New York, I thank President Obama and leaders in this region for recognizing the impact our investments are making to create new jobs and develop upstate New York as a premier hub for the global economy.
Fab 8 is semiconductor fab consisting of almost two million square feet with an estimated capital budget of approximately $6.9 billion. It is expected to ramp to volume production in late 2012 with an eventual production capacity of approximately 60,000 wafers per month.
Over the past decade billions of dollars of public and private investment have been poured into Tech Valley to form a technology cluster with more than 200 high-tech companies, including many of the companies, such as Air Liquide, Applied Materials, ASML, KLA-Tencor, M+W Group, Matheson Tri-Gas, and Tokyo Electron Limited.
Since breaking ground on Fab 8 in 2009, Globalfoundries said it has created more than 1,300 new direct jobs with the project, with a workforce drawn from local talent in the region as well as experienced professionals from across the United States and more than 25 countries.
In addition, the project has created an additional 4,300 construction related jobs, according to Globalfoundries.
Tech Valley’s burgeoning semiconductor “ecosystem” is one of several around the U.S. and is an overall trend of binging back manufacturing to America.
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RGRU
5/7/2012 12:20 PM EDT
What a complete non sequitur of an article. Obama and the NY fab are completed unrelated topics except for the fact he is visiting the complex campaigning.
Why would you cover Obama's campaign in a publication that is supposed to be dedicated to EE?
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walken1
5/7/2012 2:34 PM EDT
Because when national politics intersect with semiconductor manufacturing, it is relevant to EE - regardless of who the political subject is.
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Frank Eory
5/7/2012 7:11 PM EDT
Indeed. It would be irresponsible of EE Times to NOT report on the fact that the President of the United States is visiting a technology center and is being hosted by a major semiconductor foundry.
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goafrit
5/8/2012 9:56 AM EDT
I think this is news. This is what we expect to read from EETIMES because Techcrunh, Mashable will not report because it is not web or apps. I do not see anything wrong in this report. This is America and we need to take politics out of this.
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Frank Tu
5/7/2012 5:11 PM EDT
No, first guy is right. Just political photoOP. Bad for EETimes coverage. Someone remind me again what great things have come out of this mythical "Valley" in NY? And what happened to that stupid "Alley" they had? IBM has been somewhere up there forever. Yes, good. But. I'm guessing there have been lots of construction jobs pouring concrete for buildings and maybe a fab or two. Where's the Hi Tech? Those AMATs, KLAs, and Tokyo Electrons will move their storefronts if there's not real long-term business. How many other cities has this happened in? This is just politicians spending our money, and now posing for the picture.
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goofy17
5/7/2012 7:01 PM EDT
Last time I checked IBM was paying the lion share of the Nano-Complex, billions of $$. But IBM is not mentioned with a single word, hmmm...
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goafrit
5/8/2012 9:57 AM EDT
Where is your link? Maybe you can link us where IBM has claimed they are investing in this.
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nicolas.mokhoff
5/8/2012 10:57 AM EDT
I believe both both IBM and Intel are interested in developing their spots in New York's Tech Valley. see: http://www.eetimes.com/electronics-news/4228366/Intel--IBM--others-to-pump--4-4B-into-NY-chip-R-D
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ChipBuilder
5/7/2012 8:56 PM EDT
The way you show that you are behind an industry is to cut corporate taxes, reduce regulations, cut the stanglehold of unions and open up work visas, not take a picture; thats just politics, thus the negative feedback on the article.
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nicolas.mokhoff
5/8/2012 8:42 AM EDT
I'm afraid that politics will always play a role in our industry. We may not like the players nor their policies but we can't ignore their role. Hence the coverage. Research in semiconductor technologies and processes cannot be done in a vacuum, and must have be cooperative. For that to succeed government, industry and academia must work together, as they have always done from the industrial days to today. A debate among two presidential candidates on government industrial policies is in order.
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goafrit
5/8/2012 9:59 AM EDT
Hope this one will work for Obama and America. People need these jobs to be here in America. By funding this type of ventures, we can expect America to be back.
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cobra 15
5/8/2012 11:49 AM EDT
Look, this was a photo op. This facility was built several years ago by IBM and is driven by the Semiconductor Industry's forward-thinking. Newer additions are built as technology requires.
In fact, before moving into my newer role, I did materials R&D at this facility 2002-2006. When I first entered the facility, a high-level IBM'r gave an overview of the facility. His first point of pride was that IBM largely funded this facility. Additionally, other companies could participate by providing new/developmental equipment or materials, OR they could provide financing. During my last project in '06, a newer facility was being built to accomodate EUV and newer technologies.
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chipmonk
5/8/2012 12:21 PM EDT
Politicins want votes, Corporations want freebies. Every now and then the Taxpayers luck out as it happened at Silicon Valley.
The major reason behind the growth of Silicon Valley is that enough smart / aggressive people out of Stanford etc. wanted to live there no matter what. Sematech was created in Austin TX by none other than Reagan / Bush I using Tax money under cover of taking on the Japanese who were the threat 25 years ago. But it failed to deliver because Austin may be quirky & even nice but its surrounded by Texas with its poisonous politics that keeps out the free - thinking.
NY state has probably so far coughed up 2+ billions of taxpayer dollars for GloFo but just look at their line-up, technical leaders hired from the failed Semi co.s in Austin who could not keep up with Intel!
The semiconductor industry is no place for also rans.
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nicolas.mokhoff
5/8/2012 12:45 PM EDT
This photo op is in large part due to Alain E. Kaloyeros, the positive force behind CNSE and the Albany complex. He has the unique perspective of an engineering mind, the needed credentials to work with all the right people and the saviiness of a high-tech promoter. Rebuilding America starts at the top and Kaloyeros,--Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer at CNSE -- knows that. This profile is somewhat dated by still relevant: http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/26/nyregion/public-lives-behind-a-research-center-a-geek-with-great-cars.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm
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