Brief Project Overview: 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. Top Contributions: 1.Creation of an Energy Innovation Camp for grades K-12 to spur an early interest in science and technology. 2.Provide knowledge transfer through business acceleration and market validation activities with small and medium sized companies. 3.Offer workforce development to energy businesses through hands-on training and internships in manufacturing. “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 Year Award Start Date: 1 March 2010 Top Challenges: 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. Program Activities: Partners: Key Attributes of our Innovation Ecosystem: Questioning & Curiosity: 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: Openness: Collaboration Across Fields: Placing Partners in “New Environments” & “Playgrounds”: Leading/Inspiring for Surprising or Unexpected Results National Science Foundation Partnerships For Innovation Grantee’s Meeting April 25-27, 2010 Arlington, VA.. PFI 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. Approach:  Industry Issue Forums  University and Governmental Agency NanoEnergy Workshops 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. 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) 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. Approach:  Workforce Training and Internships  Dissemination and Outreach  Energy Innovation Camp 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. 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. 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 19- county region that encompasses the Capital Region, parts of the North Country, Hudson Valley, and Mohawk Valley. 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 fully- integrated, 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. 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. 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. commercialization through incubation, acceleration, market validation and technology maturation activities. Approach:  Business Acceleration  Market Validation/Technology Maturation