Two upstate New York–based projects will use $5 million each through the federal Defense Manufacturing Community Support (DMCS) program. The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) had selected the two projects as finalists for funding, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D–N.Y.) announced back on Sept. 8. DoD awarded the funding to the NYS Microelectronics Defense […]
Two upstate New York–based projects will use $5 million each through the federal Defense Manufacturing Community Support (DMCS) program.
The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) had selected the two projects as finalists for funding, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D–N.Y.) announced back on Sept. 8.
DoD awarded the funding to the NYS Microelectronics Defense Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Workforce (Upstate Defense) Consortium project, along with Cornell University’s New York Consortium for Space Technology Innovation and Development (NYCST), Schumer announced Sept. 25.
Specifically, the senator said, “The projects would help train and connect workers to good-paying jobs in microelectronics and aerospace, boost research and innovation in these fields in Upstate NY and strengthen supply chains in high-tech manufacturing vital to our national security.”
“Today, the Department of Defense has confirmed what I have long known: that Upstate NY is on the rise as a world leader in high-tech manufacturing, vital to our national security and economic prosperity,” Schumer said in a news release. “This $10 million will allow these trailblazing projects from the Upstate Defense Consortium and Cornell University Space Technology program to train the next generation for good-paying jobs in communities from Rome to Syracuse to Ithaca, and breathe new life into Upstate NY’s legacy in manufacturing to take us to the next frontier in the technology of the future.”
About the Upstate Defense Consortium
Schumer said that the Upstate Defense Consortium is a partnership between Empire State Development, CenterState CEO, the Griffiss Institute, Syracuse University’s Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF), and FuzeHub.
It is focusing on orienting their workforce-development strategies and programming around the region’s defense firms.
In addition, the consortium will work with a wide variety of industry partners, including Micron Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: MU); TTM Technologies; Lockheed Martin Corp (NYSE: LMN); Saab; JMA Wireless; SRC; AIM Photonics; and the Air Force Research Laboratory Information Directorate in Rome.
The Upstate Defense Consortium will build on Central New York and the Mohawk Valley’s “legacy of leadership” in defense manufacturing, aiming to leverage an “ongoing, once-in-a-generation transformation” in the region’s microelectronics industry to “strengthen” national security innovation and expand defense manufacturing capabilities across the area.
Specifically, the Upstate Defense Consortium will help expand education and workforce-training programs for the microelectronics industry at Syracuse University, Griffiss, and with CenterState CEO, and bolster STEM-focused fellowship, internship, and other education and training programs to connect job seekers with defense manufacturing and major tech companies.
The consortium will also invest in attracting new defense-manufacturing companies to the region with workshops and procurement training to strengthen supply chains across the region needed for the semiconductor industry.
The project will address current and future workforce needs of the “rapidly growing” microelectronics industry, including supporting Micron’s proposed $100 billion memory fab project that is expected to create upwards of 50,000 jobs across upstate New York, and also focuses on expanding access to and participation in the microelectronics industry workers from underrepresented communities.
“Our region has built a legacy of expertise and innovation around the defense and microelectronics industries that is being leveraged for unprecedented growth,” Robert Simpson, president and CEO of CenterState CEO, said in Schumer’s release. “To meet this moment, we must continue to foster innovation, attract new companies to the region, and ensure there is a robust talent pipeline to support this progress. Along with our partners at Empire State Development, the Griffiss Institute, Syracuse University’s (SU) Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF), and FuzeHub, CenterState CEO will scale programs to ensure all growth is accessible and equitable.”
About NYCST
Cornell University’s project, officially submitted to the competition by the New York Consortium for Space Technology Innovation and Development, will address the need for advanced defense space-technology manufacturing and supply-chain capabilities. The aim is collaboration among universities, research institutions, industry experts, and government agencies in New York state.
NYCST will drive innovation and workforce development in the space-technology industry and includes initiatives in workforce development, facility upgrades, research and development (R&D) projects, and support for small businesses.
The expected outcomes include a skilled workforce, enhanced manufacturing capabilities, increased research and development in critical areas, long-term economic growth, job creation, and a “robust” national defense space technology industrial base. The project’s implementation strategy includes several key components, including upgrading space technology facilities at sites central to the region, expanding workforce development, strengthening R&D, small business programs, and more.
“At Cornell Engineering, we are committed to making a difference,” Lynden Archer, the Joseph Silbert Dean of Engineering at Cornell University, said in the Schumer release. “This consortium provides a powerful example of how partnerships between pioneering thinkers and leaders can enhance our impact. We appreciate the work Senator Schumer has done to foster the collaborative spirit throughout New York that makes such an ambitious project possible.”
About DMCS
The DoD’s Defense Manufacturing Community Support program is designed to support long-term community investments that strengthen national security innovation and expand the capabilities of the defense manufacturing industrial ecosystem. The program designates and supports consortiums as defense-manufacturing communities to strengthen the national security industrial base.
To qualify for funding through the DMCS program, communities must demonstrate “best practices in attracting and expanding” defense manufacturing by bringing together key local stakeholders and using long-term planning that integrates targeted public and private investments.