Utica finally looks ready to become New York state's second major hub of nanotechnology with the announcement of a six-company investment in the city on Thursday.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo was on the campus of the State University of New York's Institute of Technology in Utica to announce a $1.5 billion investment. He predicted 1,000 new jobs would come to the computer chip facility under construction at the school.
"And the industry is just starting," Cuomo said.
The six companies that will expand in Utica are SEMATECH, Advanced Nanotechnology Solutions Inc., Atotech, IBM, Lam Research and Tokyo Electron.
"This announcement continues to build out the high technology ecosystem that’s proven to accelerate innovation," said Daniel Armbrust, president and CEO of SEMATECH.
Advanced Nanotechnology Solutions said it will create a spinoff company to make 3D silicon wafers at the Utica facility.
New York state has spent years and billions of dollars trying to attract and grow the nanotech industry to upstate. It has developed in the Capital Region around SUNY's nanotechnology school and GlobalFoundries.
"There is a totally different feel (in Albany now)," Cuomo said. "And it was this economic juggernaut of nanoscience. And it’s gone so well that there’s now more growth potential and we’re now bringing it to Utica."
The $125 million facility on the campus, paid for by the state, will be expanded to fit the new consortium, known as "Nano Utica." It's scheduled to open in late 2014.