“Collaboration for Leveraging Energy And
Nanotechnology (CLEAN)”
University at Albany
College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering
PI: Dr. Pradeep Haldar Co PIs: Dr. Alain Kaloyeros
NSF Award 0917899
2 Year Award
Start Date: 1 March 2010
Key Attributes of our
Innovation Ecosystem:
Brief Project Overview:
Questioning & Curiosity:
The College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering
(CNSE) at the University at Albany, State University of New
York, in partnership with Marist College (a graduated PFI
grantee), the businesses that form the New Energy New
York (NENY) coalition, those that are represented by the
Center for Economic Growth (CEG) and several New York
State government organizations (NYSERDA, NYSTAR,
NYSESD) propose the CLEAN program that will include
specific “Nanotech Innovation in Renewable Energy” (NIRE)
efforts to accelerate the integration of nanotechnology in
alternative energy technologies among businesses located
in the Tech Valley Region of upstate New York.
As a university, CNSE is particularly interested in preparing the
workforce with the skills necessary to succeed in today’s
markets.
In order to best understand these needs,
collaboration with industry is required. To best understand the
direction the markets will be moving in, collaboration with
government agencies (policymakers) is imperative. This is the
basis of the CLEAN program.
Risk Taking:
The energy technology market is a particularly risky market to
enter. Companies entering the market take on the high risk for
the chance at a high reward. CLEAN attempts to mitigate
those risks for small and emerging companies through its
business acceleration and market validation/maturation
services. Commercializing a product is a difficult path but the
CLEAN program helps companies find their footing in a
complex market.
Program Activities:
Openness:
Task 1: New Information Exchange
The goal of this activity is to collect, document and
understand issues of interest to regional organizations,
government agencies and private sector companies to
collectively share prioritize and communicate needs and
pursue common platforms for innovation.
Open innovation is often found at CNSE through its unique partnerships. CNSE
is the first college in the world dedicated to education, research, development,
and deployment in the emerging disciplines of nanoscience, nanoengineering,
nanobioscience, and nanoeconomics. With over $5 billion in high-tech
investments, CNSE’s 800,000-square-foot Albany NanoTech Complex attracts
corporate partners from around the world and offers students a one-of-a-kind
academic experience. The UAlbany NanoCollege houses the only fullyintegrated, 300mm wafer, computer chip pilot prototyping and demonstration line
within 80,000 square feet of Class 1 capable cleanrooms. More than 2,500
scientists, researchers, engineers, students, and faculty work on site at CNSE's
Albany NanoTech, from companies including IBM, AMD, GlobalFoundries,
SEMATECH, Applied Materials, Tokyo Electron, ASML, and Vistec Lithography.
Approach:
 Industry Issue Forums
 University and Governmental Agency NanoEnergy
Workshops
Collaboration Across Fields:
The CLEAN program’s focus is to connect industry,
government, and academia to create high growth jobs, policies
to support the businesses creating the jobs, and preparation of
a workforce ready to begin those jobs.
Task 2: Knowledge Transfer
Based on need, CNSE and Marist’s NIRE effort will assist
partner organizations (small, start-ups, mid-size companies
and government agencies) in product deployment or
commercialization through incubation, acceleration, market validation and technology maturation activities.
Approach:
 Business Acceleration
 Market Validation/Technology Maturation
To this end, CNSE is working with the NYS Department of
Labor to conduct a study of all clean/renewable energy
technology companies within the state. The study will identify
current jobs, predict future jobs, and the detail the skill sets
necessary to obtain these positions.
Top Contributions:
Task 3: Innovative Workforce Development
CNSE and Marist College will educate and train a desired
workforce by facilitating the exchange of employees,
researchers, students, and interns between partner
institutions while ensuring diversity by including women and
minorities as well as to disseminate knowledge to the public.
1. Creation of an Energy Innovation Camp for
grades K-12 to spur an early interest in
science and technology.
Approach:
 Workforce Training and Internships
 Dissemination and Outreach
 Energy Innovation Camp
3. Offer workforce development to energy
businesses through hands-on training and
internships in manufacturing.
Partners:
Top Challenges:
• Marist College (prior PFI awardee)
• Core state government organizations:
• New York State Foundation for Science,
Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR)
• New York State Energy Research &
Development Authority (NYSERDA)
• New York State Empire State Development
• Core industry organizations:
• Center for Economic Growth
• New Energy New York (businesses coalition)
PFI
2. Provide knowledge transfer through business
acceleration and market validation activities
with small and medium sized companies.
1. Advertising our services and attracting the
right companies to participate in the
programs.
2. Reaching the target goal of 50% of
minority/underrepresented groups in
attendance at the Energy Innovation Camp.
3. Convincing industrial partners to open up and
share knowledge and detail challenges and
opportunities within their field.
.
Placing Partners in “New
Environments” & “Playgrounds”:
To fully understand the needs of today’s industry and assist
new energy technology companies, iCLEAN, the Incubators for
Collaborating & Leveraging Energy And Nanotechnology, was
designed. The partnership will enhance and expand the
offering of the incubators at CNSE and the Hudson Valley
Center For Innovation while creating a new incubator at the
Saratoga Technology + Energy Park. iCLEAN will serve clean
energy technology start-ups throughout the “Tech Valley”, a 19county region that encompasses the Capital Region, parts of
the North Country, Hudson Valley, and Mohawk Valley.
Leading/Inspiring for Surprising
or Unexpected Results
Through CNSE’s work with the clean energy employment and
skill area assessment with the Department of Labor; its direct
business development work with start ups in the iCLEAN
program; and its information exchange, knowledge transfer,
and workforce development activities with the NSF PFI; our
organization is uniquely positioned to see many perspectives of
the developing energy technology market. CNSE expects to
have a greater clarity/understanding of this area and expects to
detail its findings in the reports and meetings scheduled
through NSF.
National Science Foundation Partnerships For Innovation
Grantee’s Meeting April 25-27, 2010
Arlington, VA
.
.