MARCY, N.Y. — Construction remains on schedule for Cree Inc.’s Mohawk Valley Fab at the Marcy Nanocenter on the SUNY Polytechnic Institute campus near Utica.
Durham, North Carolina–based Cree expects production to begin there in 2022.
That’s according to the office of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, which announced details of an Oct. 29 beam signing and “topping off” ceremony acknowledging “the placement of the final steel beam atop the new fab.”
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The event “symbolizes a major construction milestone” for the project, Cuomo’s office said.
The Mohawk Valley Fab is described as the “world’s largest silicon carbide device manufacturing facility.” The upcoming facility is Cree/Wolfspeed’s brand new, “state-of-the-art, automotive-qualified and 200mm-capable” power and radio frequency wafer-fabrication facility.
“All involved in this project should be proud of where we are today — from Cree/Wolfspeed employees, to our vendors, New York State, generous community partners and the residents who have welcomed us into this amazing community,” Gregg Lowe, CEO of Cree, said. “Silicon carbide is at the forefront of green technologies — including electric vehicles, renewable energy, and energy storage — that will greatly reduce greenhouse gases. The technology that will be created at this fab — right here in your backyard — will power our customers to build a brighter future that is sustainable for all.”
Eric Gertler, acting commissioner, president, and CEO of Empire State Development, along with executive members from Cree/Wolfspeed and Oneida County officials participated in the ceremony, per Cuomo’s office.
Cree’s investment
Cree/Wolfspeed has committed to investing at least $1 billion through the construction of the fab, creating more than 600 new jobs within eight years, and will provide internships and research opportunities for SUNY students. SUNY has also committed to match up to $5 million in semiconductor-related research funding from Cree/Wolfspeed for the SUNY system.
New York State is providing $500 million in performance-based, capital grants from Empire State Development to reimburse a portion of Cree/Wolfspeed’s costs of construction and fitting out the new facility and acquiring and installing machinery and equipment, as well as $1 million in Excelsior Jobs tax credits, per Cuomo’s office.
The company has 40 full-time employees in New York and had 24 interns this past summer from local universities throughout the state. Cree also has multiple job openings listed for the fab, which include engineering and technician-related positions. Additionally, Cree announced in July that it will establish the “Cree/Wolfspeed Scholarship” program and endowed chairs as part of its ongoing, long-term commitment to the Mohawk Valley to help expand the local economy and develop a pipeline of high-tech professionals.
The program is designed to educate the “next-generation, high-tech workforce by increasing student opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and graduation rates, as well as by providing access to funds to assist students in advancing their education.
