Look next to Broome County for semiconductor investment & innovation - by Stacey Duncan

Broome County, located in the center of the Southern Tier region, has been the home for innovative ideas for generations. We are the birthplace of modern technology such as virtual reality, the flight simulator, and personal computing, and did you know that the patent for the first hybrid-vehicle was developed in Broome? Recent investments by New York State and the federal government through a $63 million award from the Build Back Better Regional Challenge have positioned Broome to become the nation’s premier hub for battery technology research. Simply put, we make things that change the world. Broome and the Southern Tier region is home to supply-chain powerhouses and has one of the highest industry clusters in electornic component manufacturing in the state.

At the gateway to the upstate region, Broome is within a short drive of major investments by Micron and Wolfspeed to the north and Electrovaya to the west. With our history of innovation, leaders in the industry, and strong research base at Binghamton University, Broome’s robust electronics manufacturing industry is ready to support the emerging semiconductor corridor in New York State.

Key employers in Broome and the Southern Tier that support the semiconductor ecosystem include Universal Instruments and Corning Inc. Corning Inc. provides the key components necessary for semiconductor manufacturing, and has been a critical industry supplier for over fifty years. Universal Instruments, with it’s United States operations based out of Broome, is regarded as a global leader in the design and manufacture of precision automation solutions for the semiconductor and electronics manufacturing industry, promoting high-quality and highly efficient production methods. Most recently, Universal Instruments has joined the recently formed American Semiconductor Innovation Coalition (ASIC). Universal Instruments joins 90 other businesses, startups, universities, national labs, and nonprofits to ensure the United States’ and in turn New York and the Southern Tier’s, position as a leader in semiconductor manufacturing.

Continual innovation made by industry leaders and researchers at Binghamton University will drive new developments for the semiconductor ecosystem in New York State. Binghamton administers several nationally recognized programs including the Small Systems Integration and Packaging (S3iP), home to six innovative research centers: the Center for Advanced Microelectronics Manufacturing (CAMM), the Center for Autonomous Solar Power (CASP), the Center for Heterogeneous Integration Research in Packaging (CHIRP), the Center for Energy-Smart Electronic Systems (ES2), the Integrated Electronics Engineering Center (IEEC), and the NorthEast Center for Chemical Energy Storage (NECCES). Binghamton University is also home to the NY node and a founding member of NextFlex, a national flexible hybrid electronics institute which partners with public and private institutions to identify key solutions and advancements in the field. Research conducted at Binghamton University will inform trends in the electronics and semiconductor manufacturing sectors for years to come.

For companies looking to break into the electronic component and semiconductor industries in New York State, look no further than Broome County. At the center of cutting edge research, home to industry leaders, and our strategic location at the entrance to the semiconductor corridor, we can position your investment for success. Balanced by strong a high quality of life for employees and their families, we invite you to join us in Broome County and become part of our ongoing history of innovation.

Stacey Duncan is the executive director of The Agency, and president and CEO of the Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce, Binghamton N.Y.