Dannible & McKee announces a series of promotions

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SYRACUSE — Dannible & McKee, LLP, a certified public accounting and consulting firm, recently announced the promotion of a group of professional staff members, including those who work from its Syracuse office. The local promotions included the following individuals. Sean R. Conners, CPA, has been promoted to tax senior manager in the firm’s Syracuse office. […]

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The local promotions included the following individuals.

Sean R. Conners, CPA, has been promoted to tax senior manager in the firm’s Syracuse office. He started with Dannible & McKee in 2016 as an intern in the tax department and was hired as a full-time staff member in 2017. Conners is responsible for the preparation and review of personal and corporate tax returns, individual and corporate tax planning and multi-state taxation. He earned his bachelor’s degree and MBA in accounting from Le Moyne College in 2016.

Angela Janack, CPA, has been promoted to audit senior manager in Syracuse. She joined the firm in 2014 and provides audit and consulting services to a variety of clients with a concentration in nonprofit accounting. Janack graduated from SUNY Oswego, where she concurrently earned a bachelor’s degree with a dual major in accounting and business administration, a minor in economics, and an MBA degree in accounting.

Anthony Pokrentowski, CPA, has been promoted to tax senior manager. He joined Dannible & McKee in 2018 after graduating from the College of Saint Rose with a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in accounting. Pokrentowski is responsible for the preparation and review of individual, trust, partnership, S corporation and C corporation tax returns, as well as tax closings and year-end tax planning for clients. He is a certified public accountant in New York and works at the Syracuse office.

Abby K. Sweers, CPA, has been promoted to tax senior manager. She joined the firm in 2019 after interning for two years. Sweers graduated with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and MBA from Le Moyne College in 2018. She is responsible for the preparation and review of various individual and corporate tax engagements, including tax planning and compliance. Sweers is a certified public accountant in New York and works in Dannible’s Rochester and Syracuse offices.

Alexis M. Layo has been promoted to tax director. She joined Dannible & McKee in 2013 and oversees various individual and corporate tax engagements, including tax closings, tax planning, and compliance. Layo specializes in the architectural/engineering and health-care industries, along with high-net-worth individuals, and she is a QuickBooks ProAdvisor. She graduated from Niagara University with a bachelor’s degree in accounting in 2011 and from Le Moyne College with an MBA in 2012. Layo works at the firm’s Syracuse office.

Frank Merkel has been promoted to director of IT. He has been with Dannible & McKee since 2008 and is responsible for managing the IT department and is directly responsible for maintaining software updates and running programs to ensure the security of the firm’s network. He earned his associate degree in computer science from California State University, an associate of occupational science degree in computer management from Community College of the Air Force and is a Microsoft-certified systems engineer. Merkel served in the United States Air Force. He works at Dannible’s Syracuse office.

iSchool professor wins NSF grant to study wireless communications

Education & Training, Subscriber Only, Technology

SYRACUSE — A professor in Syracuse University’s School of Information Studies (iSchool) will use a federal award to study radio frequency (RF) spectrum management for the next era of wireless-communication services. The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded nearly $250,000 out of a total of $800,000 under a three-year research grant for the effort,

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The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded nearly $250,000 out of a total of $800,000 under a three-year research grant for the effort, Syracuse said in its announcement.

Carlos Enrique Caicedo Bastidas is an associate professor at the iSchool and director of the Center for Emerging Network Technologies (CENT). He is serving as the principal investigator on the research grant, “Collaborative Research: New Spectrum: Track 1: Distributed Data-Driven Spectrum Management Architecture for the Next Era of Wireless.”

Bastidas is collaborating with colleagues at Rutgers University to research new RF spectrum-management methods that can impact or enable spectrum sharing between cellular operators; coexistence of different wireless devices; and interference management for passive wireless devices, such as those used for weather forecasting and radio astronomy.

“I’m very happy to have received this grant,” Bastidas said in the announcement. “For several years, my collaborators from Rutgers and I have been discussing and maturing ideas for how distributed spectrum management should be implemented.”

As part of their research, the team will complete a multi-stage evaluation methodology that starts with architectural design of D3SM (distributed data-driven spectrum management). Their studies are expected to lead to an experimentally validated set of protocols and algorithms for distributed and partially centralized RF spectrum management methods.

Wireless-communication services and associated applications rely on the use of radio-frequency spectrum resources for their operation. Due to the rapid growth in the use of these services, spectrum-management agencies and wireless-service providers need to migrate from current spectrum use practices to more dynamic spectrum assignment and sharing mechanisms, Syracuse University said.

“This grant gives us the opportunity to finally develop the protocols and algorithms that realize our vision under a data and information-centric approach for distributed and hierarchical spectrum management,” Bastidas said. “It’s applicable in a wide range of scenarios where devices with heterogeneous radio frequency operation characteristics need to co-exist and/or share RF spectrum resources. Such scenarios will become more common as 5G evolves into 6G and beyond.”

First robotic hip-replacement surgery performed at Wynn Hospital

Health Care, Mohawk Valley, Technology

UTICA — Orthopedic surgeon Prashant Deshmane, MD, recently performed the first Mako SmartRobotics Total Hip procedure at Mohawk Valley Health System’s (MVHS) Wynn Hospital in

Surviving a cybersecurity breach

Law, Accounting & Taxes, Mohawk Valley, Subscriber Only, Technology

Lessons from an area company UTICA — The day started out like any other workday, except the anonymous local company’s phone system and servers were down. When rebooting the server didn’t solve things, officials at the business (which we’ll call Company A) knew something was wrong. “Then I called our IT guys,” an official at

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Lessons from an area company

UTICA — The day started out like any other workday, except the anonymous local company’s phone system and servers were down. When rebooting the server didn’t solve things, officials at the business (which we’ll call Company A) knew something was wrong.

“Then I called our IT guys,” an official at Company A said.

The day turned out to be anything other than normal. Company A had experienced a cyber breach, and it started a reaction and recovery process that has lasted months.

At Company A’s request, CNYBJ is not disclosing the real name of the business, the official, and the industry the firm serves. Company A wanted to stay private so that it can more freely share its cyberattack experience for other businesses to learn from, while protecting itself and clients impacted by the breach.

“We felt we had all the things we needed to have,” the Company A official says. “It turns out we didn’t.”

Like everyone else, he and his employees have seen the increasing notices from large companies like Prudential and Ticketmaster about cyber breaches, but never thought it would happen to them.

“You think you’re small-town potatoes,” he says. “You’re not really a huge piece of the internet puzzle, so why would they come after us?”

Expert advice

The reality is that cybercrime is a multi-tiered industry, often led by organized crime or even foreign states, says Dan Kalil, chief commercial officer at Assured Information Security (AIS) in Rome.

“Every business regardless of size and industry is a target,” he says. Kalil was not speaking about Company A’s situation in particular, just business cybersecurity in general.

That means every business should be taking steps to protect themselves, their information, and their clients, he adds.

“You should take the basic steps to understand what your threat space looks like,” Kalil says. That means doing a little research to learn what businesses in your industry have been breached and how.

For most businesses, it also means working with a third-party company for cybersecurity. The key there, Kalil says, is finding a firm that understands the industry your company operates in and will work to design and manage a system that meets the needs of your business.

That system should include technology, policy, and training. That training for employees is critical, he adds. “A lot of it still comes down to the human element,” says Kalil. “At the end of the day, these exploits occur because people are tricked.”

Small businesses can look to the Federal Trade Commission for information on how to get started, Kalil says.

Company A lessons

Even months later, Company A is unsure exactly how the breach happened, the official says. It has signed up for additional cyber protections including end-point monitoring to help prevent future breaches, he adds.

The company did not experience business interruption due to the breach because its data is regularly backed up, but the breach has created a lot of additional work and expense.

Company A has worked with its regular IT provider, attorneys, and forensic IT specialists, some of which charge more than $400 an hour, since the breach to determine what data was taken and which of its clients were impacted.

The financial impact is yet to be determined, the official says. “The total overall cost could very well be exceptional.”

Company A is also preparing to notify those clients that were affected, the official says. “…It’s almost expected you will offer credit monitoring to them.” That will carry its own expense depending on how many people sign up for monitoring.

After going through this experience, the official has advice for other businesses.

“The first thing is to make sure you’re up to date with your IT provider and asking them for all the services they recommend,” he says. “The other would be strongly consider cyber insurance. Three, be aware of all the little things going on in the network.”

Utica cybersecurity firm Anjolen moves to new location

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Mohawk Valley, Small Business, Subscriber Only, Technology

UTICA — After years of steady growth, the cybersecurity business Anjolen, Inc. will formally celebrate its new larger office on Court Street with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Oct. 10. The company got its start at Utica University in the Northeast Cyber Forensics Center, where Anjolen founder and president Anthony Martino serves as director. Anjolen operated

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UTICA — After years of steady growth, the cybersecurity business Anjolen, Inc. will formally celebrate its new larger office on Court Street with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Oct. 10.

The company got its start at Utica University in the Northeast Cyber Forensics Center, where Anjolen founder and president Anthony Martino serves as director.

Anjolen operated at the college until the pandemic hit, says Michelle Tuttle, VP of client relations and business development. With the pandemic-related closures, it became apparent the business needed its own space, and it moved to 287 Genesee St.

While that space was adequate, it wasn’t a client-facing space, which is something the company really wanted, Tuttle says.

Anjolen found that space at 502 Court St. in the Mill Square Professional Offices, where the company has a fourth-floor suite.

The modern and new space more closely aligns with Anjolen’s image and brand, Tuttle says. On top of that, since the space was completely remodeled, the company got to put its stamp on the space with the company colors.

“It really does a good job creating a workspace that makes us feel more inspired,” she says. And since it’s more than twice the size of the old office, it has plenty of room for new advanced technology and for Anjolen’s 25 employees to work on site if they choose. The company still uses a hybrid model.

Most importantly, with a large conference room, it’s a space the company can bring clients to for meetings, trainings, and seminars,

Anjolen works with clients across the country as well as Canada, with businesses ranging in size from just 5 employees to more than 175,000 employees.

The company is a bit unique in the cyber field as it does not sell any hardware or software products, Tuttle says. “We can recommend products, but we don’t have any skin in the game.”

What Anjolen does provide is a range of penetration testing and vulnerability-assessment services. The company also provides virtual chief information security officer services to businesses as well as social engineering, policy development, and digital forensics services.

One of its newest services is artificial-intelligence testing, “because there’s a demand for that,” Tuttle notes. Anjolen also provides training and can help clients make sure they are compliant with requirements in their industry.

“We try to help people understand the best cyber protection is a layered approach,” Tuttle says.

For businesses that are breached, Anjolen also provides incident response to help contain the breach, find the cause, and help the business get back up and running.

“We are very client centric,” Tuttle says. That focused approach on giving clients the best return on their investment has helped the company more than triple in size since its start.

That growth will continue this year, with projected increases to both revenue and employment, Tuttle adds. Anjolen expects to add two to three employees before the year is over.

“We just work really hard to make sure we provide the best possible service to our clients,” she says.

Anjolen will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Greater Utica Chamber of Commerce at its new 502 Court St. office at 7 p.m. on Oct. 10.

USDOL updates cybersecurity guidance for retirement plans

Employee Benefits & Human Resources, Subscriber Only, Technology

The U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) on Sept. 6 updated current cybersecurity guidance, confirming that it applies to all types of plans governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), including health and welfare plans, and all employee retirement-benefit plans. The new compliance assistance release issued by the department’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA)

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The new compliance assistance release issued by the department’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) provides best practices in cybersecurity for plan sponsors, plan fiduciaries, recordkeepers and plan participants. The release updates EBSA’s 2021 guidance.

It includes tips for hiring a service provider and helps plan sponsors and fiduciaries select a service provider with “strong” cybersecurity practices and monitor their activities, as ERISA requires.

The release also includes cybersecurity program best practices and assists plan fiduciaries and recordkeepers in mitigating risks.

It also includes online-security tips and offers plan participants who check their online retirement accounts with rules for reducing the risk of fraud and loss.

“Today’s Compliance Assistance Release provides an important clarification for plan sponsors and fiduciaries, confirming that our guidance on cybersecurity applies to all plans covered by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act,” Lisa Gomez, assistant secretary for employee benefits security, explained in the announcement. “All ERISA covered plans need to implement appropriate best practices to help protect participants and their beneficiaries from cybercrime and emerging threats. These updates remind plan sponsors and fiduciaries of the critical importance of safeguarding job-based benefits and personal information.”

As of June 2024, EBSA estimates ERISA covers 2.8 million health plans, 619,000 other welfare-benefit plans, and 765,000 private pension plans in the U.S. These plans include 153 million workers, retirees, and dependents who participate in private-sector pension and welfare plans with $14 trillion in estimated assets.

Without sufficient protections, digital participant, and assets information may be vulnerable to the internal and external risks of computer-related crimes and losses. Federal regulations require plan fiduciaries to take appropriate precautions to mitigate these risks.

“The Employee Benefits Security Administration believes cybersecurity is a great concern for all employee benefit plans and we continue to investigate potential ERISA violations related to the issue,” Gomez said.

The guidance complements EBSA’s regulations on electronic records and disclosures to plan participants and beneficiaries, USDOL said. These include provisions on ensuring that electronic recordkeeping systems have reasonable controls, adequate records management practices are in place and that electronic disclosure systems include measures calculated to protect personally identifiable information.

SU’s iSchool readies new AI graduate program for 2025

Education & Training, Subscriber Only, Technology

SYRACUSE — Syracuse University’s (SU) School of Information Studies (iSchool) says it plans to launch a new graduate-degree program in artificial intelligence (AI) in the fall semester of 2025. Beginning this fall, students can apply to earn a master’s degree in applied human-centered artificial intelligence, which SU says will prepare them to “leverage advanced generative

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SYRACUSE — Syracuse University’s (SU) School of Information Studies (iSchool) says it plans to launch a new graduate-degree program in artificial intelligence (AI) in the fall semester of 2025.

Beginning this fall, students can apply to earn a master’s degree in applied human-centered artificial intelligence, which SU says will prepare them to “leverage advanced generative AI models ethically and with a human-centered approach.”

“We decided to launch this new AI program to meet the growing demand from industry, where many companies, across diverse industries, need professionals capable of leveraging Generative AI. Furthermore, our students have shown significant interest in gaining expertise in AI, driven by the industry’s evolving requirements and opportunities,” Jeffrey Saltz, iSchool associate professor and program director of the school’s master’s degree in applied human-centered artificial intelligence, said in the school’s announcement.

Syracuse University cites Glassdoor.com as indicating artificial intelligence is the third fastest-growing field in the U.S., and those with expertise in AI command an average salary of $162,000. Popular jobs include GenAI developer, data scientist, AI product manager, and human-AI interaction designer.

The iSchool’s new program will include an emphasis on hands-on projects to showcase students’ practical expertise and knowledge in the field of AI.

Examples of such projects will include creating a customer-service chatbot using large language models (LLMs) that integrate with a company’s existing customer-service system and building a sentiment-analysis agent that analyzes social-media data for brand monitoring, SU said.

Other examples include developing a virtual assistant that schedules meetings and performs other tasks using public Gen AI application programming interface (API); examining the effectiveness and user experience of various human-AI interaction agents; and developing a medical diagnostic tool that assists doctors by analyzing medical images and patient data.

“The iSchool has been a pioneer in AI and data science education, and we were one of the first universities to offer an Applied Data Science program,” Saltz contended. “Recognizing the evolving landscape of technology and the increasing importance of AI, the iSchool saw a critical need to expand its offerings to include advanced AI education.”

SU went on to say that for the past five years, the iSchool has developed numerous courses to support the new AI program. Students can expect a curriculum covering foundational AI concepts, as well as how to apply those concepts within practical applications.

The program will include course titles such as Deep Learning in Practice; Natural Language Processing; Building Human-Centered AI Applications; Responsible AI; and Dynamics of Human-AI Interaction.

“The continuing enhancement of courses helps to ensure that the iSchool’s program is robust and comprehensive and can evolve as the field evolves,” SU contends.

Furthermore, the iSchool’s faculty will continue to research key questions around human-AI interactions and how to incorporate human and AI knowledge into organizations and society in general, per the SU announcement.

TTM to use $30 million federal award for DeWitt expansion project

Manufacturing & Engineering, Construction, Design & Real Estate, Small Business, Subscriber Only, Technology

DeWITT — TTM Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: TTMI) will use a $30 million federal award to boost the expansion project at its site in DeWitt where the firm will manufacture advanced printed circuit boards (PCBs) “that are critical to America’s national security.” The U.S. Department of Defense awarded the funding that comes from the Defense Production

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The U.S. Department of Defense awarded the funding that comes from the Defense Production Act Title III program, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D–N.Y.) announced Oct. 1.

TTM Technologies, Inc., a California–based firm with operations in DeWitt, has chosen the Syracuse suburb for an upcoming high-tech manufacturing facility that will create an estimated 400 jobs. The firm intends to invest up to $130 million to build the new plant, Gov. Kathy Hochul and Sen. Schumer said in announcing the project on Nov. 1, 2023.

Specifically, TTM will use the $30 million to acquire and install advanced-manufacturing equipment and develop prototype designs for its new, more than 200,000-square-foot facility.

The expansion will help TTM significantly increase domestic production of ultra-high density printed circuit boards and bolster supply-chain resilience, which is “in line with the 2024 National Defense Industrial Strategy,” Schumer’s office said.

“We cannot have the printed circuit boards our military and chip industry rely on overwhelmingly made overseas. This $30 million federal investment will ensure the future of this industry, that is vital to America’s national security, is made here in Central NY by the 400 new, good-paying jobs being created by TTM. TTM is the largest printed circuit board producer in the country. Their technology is state-of-the-art, and the DoD’s investment in Central NY-made advanced printed circuit boards will make our supply chains more secure,” Schumer said in the announcement. “With TTM recently breaking ground, this $30 million could not come at a better time to accelerate their growth and meet this pressing national security need.”

He went on to explain that printed circuit board manufacturing is currently “overwhelmingly” based in Asia, and the nation’s military and its semiconductor and broader microelectronics industries “need to onshore” printed circuit board manufacturing to “better protect our national security” and meet increased demand spurred by the CHIPS & Science Law.

“The $30 million announced today will help TTM accelerate its efforts to bring high-tech capabilities back to the U.S., creating a stable supply of secure, American-made, advanced printed circuit board and further positioning Upstate NY as an epicenter in the global microelectronics industry and Central NY and the I-90 Tech Hub as the heart of this growing industry,” Schumer said.

Schumer said American companies, including defense contractors providing critical products for the military, currently have a greater demand for ultra-high density interconnect (UHDI) PCBs than domestic producers can supply. The senator said this presents “national security risks, making it critical that the United States develop the capability to manufacture Ultra-HDI PCBs at-scale as soon as possible.”

TTM’s expanded Central New York facility will be one of the most technologically advanced and largest PCB manufacturing sites in North America, with a highly optimized process to allow for shorter lead times, faster delivery, and a significant increase in domestic capacity for Ultra-HDI PCBs, adding to TTM’s existing Central New York workforce of about 600 employees, per Schumer’s office.

Pathfinder Bancorp to pay Q3 dividend of 10 cents in early November

Banks & Credit Unions, Subscriber Only

OSWEGO — Pathfinder Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: PBHC), the bank holding company of Pathfinder Bank, has declared a cash dividend of 10 cents per share of its common stock. The third-quarter 2024 dividend is payable on Nov. 8 to all shareholders of record on Oct. 18, according to an announcement from James A. Dowd, president and

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NORDTECH consortium to use $27M in federal funds for projects

Small Business, Southern Tier, Subscriber Only, Technology

The Northeast Regional Defense Technology Hub (NORDTECH) will use $27 million in U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) funding for various projects, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D–N.Y.) announced Sept. 18. NORDTECH describes itself as a regional consortium of government labs, defense companies, academic institutions, and technology-manufacturing organizations in New York state and one of

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NORDTECH describes itself as a regional consortium of government labs, defense companies, academic institutions, and technology-manufacturing organizations in New York state and one of eight hubs involved in the U.S. Microelectronics Commons program, per a separate announcement on Sept. 18.

NORDTECH’s five founding members — who comprise the hub’s leadership team and governance committee — include the New York Center for Research, Economic Advancement, Technology, Engineering, and Science (NY CREATES) in Albany; the University at Albany College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering (CNSE); Cornell University; Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI); and IBM, as outlined in the NORDTECH announcement.

The funding will help NORDTECH to boost semiconductor and other technology research & development (R&D) and workforce training at upstate New York universities and research institutions, Schumer’s office noted.

This funding comes from the $2 billion CHIPS for America Defense Fund which Schumer helped establish in his CHIPS & Science Law. His office says the effort helped secure upstate’s spot in competing to become one of the first Microelectronic Commons Hubs last year.

Projects awarded funding

The U.S. Department of Defense selected four of NORDTECH’s projects based in New York that are focused on quantum research and development to receive federal funding.

Quantum Error Correction Qubit

They include the Superconducting Quantum Error Correction Qubit, which was awarded more than $8.5 million. NY CREATES is the lead research institution, and Cornell University, Syracuse University, New York University, and the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) are among the partner research institutions.

NY CREATES and partners in academia, industry, and government will co-develop technologies necessary to demonstrate scalable quantum-error correction, using new materials, innovative quantum circuits, and qubit control schemes.

Those involved will explore innovative processes that expand the limits of qubit performance at the academic labs, with a view to “hasten the lab-to-fab transition.” The Cornell Nanofabrication Facility will offer vetted processes on dedicated 100mm tools that researchers can utilize.

The team will deliver a superconducting process design kit (PDK), leveraging the tightly controlled fabrication processes at the 300mm wafer scale. This project will “democratize access to scalable, high performance qubit fabrication, enabling faster innovation by the broader community,” as described in the Schumer announcement.

NITRIDER

They also include the Nitride RF Next-Generation Technology (NITRIDER) project, which was awarded more than $8.1 million. Cornell University is the lead research institution, and RPI is among the partner research institutions.

High-speed gallium nitride (GaN) high-electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) have “revolutionized” defense radar and communication systems, despite delivering only 1/10th of the radio frequency (RF) output power for which this semiconductor family is capable.

In this project, Cornell University and its team will unleash the dormant 90 percent output power using novel and patented nitride HEMTs and aluminum nitride (AlN) substrates.

While taking these two next-generation nitride RF transistor technologies from lab-to-fab, the NITRIDER program will employ specially constructed workforce-development modules to develop large signal models, new processes, and research design kits (RDKs) for E-Band and C- Band (radio frequencies from 60GHz-90GHz and 2.4GHz-5GHz, respectively) MMICs, or monolithic microwave integrated circuits which perform functions such as power amplification, to improve radar and communication systems.

QUPICS

In addition, more than $8.2 million was awarded to the Quantum Ultra-broadband Photonic Integrated Circuits and Systems (QUPICS) project. AIM Photonics and Cornell University are the lead research institutions, and Cornell, Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), Columbia, and AFRL are among the partner research institutions.

The QUPICS team, led by the American Institute for Manufacturing Integrated Photonics (AIM Photonics) and Cornell University, will develop the first 300mm foundry fabrication platform for quantum technologies which will span from the ultraviolet to the infrared.

QUPICS will specially address the foundry gap for trapped atom/ion and neutral ion quantum technologies incorporating electrical, broadband photonic and electro-optic devices into a single broadly available technology offering.

QUPICS will develop and incorporate passive photonics, active components, and laser sources from the ultraviolet to the infrared geared to the use of quantum technologies. Integrated systems spanning this broad wavelength range are critical for a variety of photonics-heavy quantum systems for commercial and DoD priority applications in quantum sensing, networking, computation and position navigation and timing (PNT).

In later years, QUPICS will open to multi project wafer (MPW) runs and will be actively searching for partners from government laboratories, academia, and businesses.

HQN

The federal government also awarded more than $2.4 million for the heterogeneous quantum networking project. RIT is the lead research institution, and the partner research institutions include AFRL Information Directorate, Yale University, Duke University, AIM Photonics, and NY CREATES.

The Rochester Institute of Technology and partners plan to realize a heterogeneous quantum network (HQN) that connects ion-based qubits with superconducting and photonic-based qubits.

Qubits are quantum bits that relay more information than the binary 1s and 0s of today’s computer chips. Enabling the networking of non-identical qubit types expands the usefulness of remote quantum entanglement, which is currently based on homogeneous qubit types.

With a heterogeneous network, different qubit types can be used for different applications (storage, sensing, and/or processing) while still being interconnected. Such a network would advance the warfighter’s access to position, navigation, timing, communications, and computational information.

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