Draper Laboratory establishes BioMEMs and MCM centers in Tampa Bay

July 29, 2008 — The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, a non-profit, research and development lab, is establishing a BioMEMS R&D Center at the University of South Florida in Tampa, and a Multi Chip Module (MCM) Center in St. Petersburg.

The BioMEMS R&D Center will work in partnership with USF and its medical school for the application of MEMS technologies to medical and biological problems.
The Multi Chip Module (MCM) pilot facility in St. Petersburg will allow Draper to meet demand from government customers for complex, technologically advanced systems in small packages. Multi chip modules are specialized electronic packages where multiple integrated circuits, semiconductor dies and other components work together. Through this integration, MCMs dramatically reduce the size and weight of complex electronic systems.

“We’re thrilled at the opportunity to work with the people of the University of South Florida to develop BioMEMS-based solutions for critical problems in healthcare,” said Dale Larson, Draper’s director of biomedical engineering.

“These centers will provide an excellent opportunity for Draper Laboratory to further its work in developing technology solutions to some of the nation’s most critical problems in healthcare, security, and energy,” adds Draper president & CEO James D. Shields.
Between the two facilities, Draper will create 165 new high wage jobs. Furthering the educational aspect of its mission, Draper will sponsor two Draper Lab Fellows (DLFs) at USF each year, paying for their graduate education and co-advising their thesis research.

The USF relationship will extend Draper’s practice of partnering with academic institutions and medical research organizations. Draper is a founding member of the Center for Integration of Medicine and Innovative Technology (CIMIT), joining organizations such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and many others.

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