$40M Prize for US Tech Hub Supports Micron Semiconductor Plant

BUFFALO, NY — For some time now, U.S. Senator and New York State Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has been touting the CHIPS and Science Act bill he pushed through Congress.

It’s designed to encourage semiconductor makers to expand their presence and make more of these miniature wonders here in the United States. That will address supply chain concerns during the pandemic, when it was highlighted that there weren’t enough computer chips to power new cars, appliances and other devices.

This is because most suppliers in Asia were then affected by COVID.

There are also lingering national security concerns, as the chips are used in U.S. weapons and military equipment.

2 On Your Side watched part of the senator’s victory lap in the Upstate on Tuesday. The U.S. Department of Commerce officially announced that the joint bid by Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse for a technology hub to support Micron’s plant in suburban Syracuse had been selected for a $40 million award in taxpayer funding.

Schumer proudly told the assembled crowd of politicians, business leaders and education leaders Tuesday: “The I-90 corridor will become America’s semiconductor superhighway.”

This is a new Thruway designation by Senator Schumer. He has re-proclaimed taxpayer-backed federal funding to develop a regional effort in upstate New York to integrate colleges and businesses from the Buffalo, Rochester and of course Syracuse areas to augment Micron’s massive project.

There were still some very proud comments.

Dottie Gallagher, president and CEO of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, helped spearhead the regional effort along with her counterparts in Rochester and Syracuse. “Together, we are better and stronger, and this is proof of that. And upstate matters.”

Schumer once again emphasized: “We all know we lost manufacturing years ago. This award is about ensuring that Buffalo and upstate New York are building America’s future.”

To achieve this, as President Biden announced last April, the United States had to commit $6.1 billion and the State of New York an additional $5 billion to allow Micron to set up in central New York State. Micron is also expanding at its base in Boise, Idaho.

It’s now expected that 20,000 members and possibly more workers from upstate will be trained to work at Micron. CEO Sanjay Mehrotra told CNBC in an April interview that educational institutions are an asset to his company. “The region has — New York State also has a strong academic ecosystem. Junior colleges, SUNY, prestigious institutions as well.”

Schumer echoed this point, emphasizing: “Give these workers with extraordinary skills the knowledge they need to work in all these new industries – the technology industries and the supplier industries.”

An industrial supplier would be Lackawanna-based SoPark Corporation, which makes electronic components. Rupa Shanmugam, SoPark’s CEO, said of his company: “It’s a small company. SoPark. We have a lot of talent and this will help us not only develop talent internally, but also create more jobs for companies like SoPark.”

Schumer says nearly 400 communities across the United States competed for these CHIPS Act awards, and upstate New York, including Buffalo, was one of only 12 to win one. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to have the U.S. Senate majority leader on your team.