SEMATECH shifting HQ to Albany

May 10, 1007 – International SEMATECH is moving its headquarters from Austin, TX, to its operations located at the U. of Albany, and will launch a significant expansion there, matching $300 million in state investments for facility upgrades.

New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer and other state leaders unveiled details of the plan: A five-year, $300 million commitment from the state to provide new facilities and infrastructure, with matching funds from SEMATECH and another $100 million from SEMATECH members. Also part of the plan, SEMATECH promises to add 450 workers to Albany NanoTech over three years and kick in $25 million in funding spread across five other collegiate R&D centers throughout the state.

An expansion currently underway at Albany NanoTech, slated to be finished by the end of 2008, will increase the size of CNSE’s Albany NanoTech complex by two-thirds to >750,000 sq ft, with a 38% increase in Class 1 cleanroom space to 80,000 sq ft.

“We believe that the establishment of our International SEMATECH headquarters and operations in New York significantly strengthens our competitiveness and ability to provide our member companies with production-worthy technological innovations that meet the requirements of their technical and business roadmaps,” stated Michael Polcari, International SEMATECH president and CEO, in the PR from the state.

New York Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno noted that SEMATECH’s expansion will mean not only several hundred new positions at Albany NanoTech, but “a lot of businesses follow,” pointing out that roughly 120,000 positions clustered around SEMATECH in Austin.

In a separate press release after the New York announcement, SEMATECH downplayed the news a bit, noting that the move essentially upgrades its New York presence to an “anchor partner” with the Albany NanoTech complex, to be filled with 700 researchers and engineers.

Essentially, SEMATECH’s organization will be divided into two geographic locations, focusing on different areas, according to the consortium. Work at Albany’s facilities will focus on advanced lithography, 3D interconnect, metrology, and other advanced technologies, while SEMATECH’s Austin site will work on advanced materials, plus efforts from SEMATECH’s subsidiaries: International SEMATECH Manufacturing Initiative (ISMI), Advanced Materials Research Center (AMRC), and Advanced Technology Development Facility (ATDF).

The Albany Times Union noted that Gov. Spitzer requested a $300 million addition to the budget back in January for “an unspecified computer chip R&D center” but funding wasn’t supported at the time; SEMATECH had been the rumored recipient of the funding.

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