FuzeHub announces this year’s first round of manufacturing-grant recipients

ALBANY, N.Y. — Businesses in Auburn, Ithaca, and Rome are among the 10 recipients of $50,000 manufacturing grants that FuzeHub recently announced.

FuzeHub, an Albany–based nonprofit, works at helping small and mid-sized manufacturing companies in New York state. FuzeHub is the statewide New York Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program center, supported by Empire State Development’s Division of Science, Technology & Innovation.

The funding for the grants comes from its Jeff Lawrence Innovation Fund. The Innovation Fund, consisting of more than $1 million annually, supports a set of activities designed to spur technology development and commercialization across New York state.

“We are happy to see a focus on sustainability, as well as the desire to solve some very pressing problems. From agriculture to medical issues to industry 4.0, this is such a well-rounded list of projects” Elena Garuc, executive director at FuzeHub, said. “Since the pandemic, we have seen an increase in partnerships amongst organizations in different regions, and this opens a new set of opportunities for collaboration. That is exactly what these grants were made for.”

Regional recipients

Cornell University, Center for Life Science Ventures/ Agrynex, Inc.     

Agrynex, an AgTech start-up company, is collaborating with the Center for Life Science Ventures at Cornell University to scale up and improve the manufacturing process for a new and effective naturally derived foliar pesticide to control plant diseases.

TDO/ Taro Manufacturing Company, Inc.  

Taro Manufacturing of Auburn will be creating a new paradigm shift in manufacturing by developing sustainable Portable Manufacturing Pods (PMPs) that can provide significant reductions in costs, energy, and carbon footprints for manufacturing. Taro is working with TDO (Train Develop Optimize), a consulting and training organization based in the town of Salina.

Mohawk Valley EDGE/ ANDRO Computational Solutions, LLC   

ANDRO Computational Solutions, LLC of Rome, in collaboration with Mohawk Valley EDGE, its nonprofit economic-development partner, to introduce SecondNet, a new concept in intelligent, coordinated emergency management for rapid alert/response to mitigate active threats in schools and other public spaces.

 The Research Foundation for the State University of New York, College of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics/ JelikaLite Corp.   

SUNY Upstate Medical University will conduct a placebo-controlled clinical trial with 40 autistic children (ages 2 to 10). The study will measure the impact of novel technology  — transcranial photobiomodulation — on the behavior, communication and social skills of participants.

Transcranial Photobiomodulation means shining near-infra-red light through the skull, using a wearable device with embedded LEDs (light-emitting diodes).

The treatment is non-invasive and has no known side effects. The study will use Cognilium wearable device, developed by New York City–based JelikaLite Corp, to deliver the treatment.

In 2021, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration Cognilium was awarded FDA breakthrough device designation.

About the grants

As part of the fund, FuzeHub offers manufacturing grants to New York State nonprofit organizations, including colleges and universities, that propose innovative projects in partnership with a small to medium-sized manufacturer based in New York state.

Project categories cover adoption of new technology to enhance a process and/or product, prototype development, design for manufacturing, proof-of-concept manufacturing, certain equipment purchases, manufacturing scale-up, and other projects to advance manufacturing capabilities.

The Jeff Lawrence Innovation Fund, which has more than $1 million annually, supports a set of activities designed to spur technology development and commercialization across New York. FuzeHub is administering this fund as part of its role as the Empire State Development designated statewide MEP center.

The late Jeff Lawrence served as executive VP and MEP center director at the Center for Economic Growth, the MEP affiliate in the Capital Region.