March 15, 2008 — Governor Edward G. Rendell’s drive to make Pennsylvania home to groundbreaking technological innovation will continue with $10 million in state investments in six projects.

In a recent news conference at Carnegie Mellon University, Governor Rendell said investments in research and commercialization of nanotechnology projects will stimulate economic development and boost the creation of jobs.

“Across the world, the competition to find the next great scientific advancement continues to grow,” Governor Rendell said. “As a competitor in the global marketplace, it is Pennsylvania’s responsibility to give our universities, companies and partners the best opportunities to be on the forefront of these advancements.”

The Ben Franklin Technology Development Authority approved six projects through the Pennsylvania Initiative for Nanotechnology.

The projects include the following:

• Lehigh University will receive $500,000 for the Lehigh Nanophotonics Technologies for research and transitional technology development for use in green energy nanophotonics, biomedical nanophotonics, and silicon nanophotonics:
  
• Lehigh will also receive $900,000 for the PA Materials Research Science and Engineering Center , which will focus on economic development, research, and education in advanced materials synthesis, nanocharacterization, Interfacial Kinetic Engineering, and Mesoscale Interface Mapping;
  
• Penn State University was allocated $2.5 million for the Penn State Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology Research and Commercialization Program;
  
• Penn State will also receive $1.4 million for the Pennsylvania Nanotechnology Manufacturing Technology Partnership for educational improvements, development of new tools and educators, student recruitment, and industry outreach;
  
• The Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeast Pennsylvania will receive $3.5 million for the Nanotechnology Institute (NTI). In conjunction with regional universities like Drexel University and the University of Pennsylvania, the funds will be used to accelerate nanotechnology commercialization and company formation; and
  
• The Pennsylvania NanoMaterials Commercialization Center will receive $1 million to expand the center’s existing commercialization project activities.