NEW YORK, NY — Gov. George Pataki recently kicked off a $1 billion high-tech initiative to fund advanced university research and development and economic outreach.

As a result, ground will be broken early this year at the University of Albany for a state-of-the-art microchip prototyping laboratory capable of processing 300mm wafers. The facility will be known as the Center of Excellence in Nanoelectronics at Albany.

Leading semiconductor industry companies have already expressed interest in collaborating with the university to find cost-effective solutions to key scientific and 300 mm manufacturing problems, and to train a skilled workforce.

The center will be led by IBM Corp., in collaboration with the University of Albany and will help meet the workforce training needs of IBM’s $2.5 billion 300mm fab in East Fishkill.

Also under the initiative, $27.5 million is being invested to support construction of a 300mm computer wafer pilot prototyping facility at SUNY Albany’s Center for Environmental Services and Technology Management and $5 million is being invested annually to support the joint SUNY and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ‘Focus Center New York’ semiconductor research program.