PowerAmerica Names CTO
PowerAmerica would like to extend a warm welcome to our new CTO, Victor Veliadis. Please read here to learn more about our CTO and how he will be helping advance wide bandgap semiconductor technology.
Innovation Institutes Are Revitalizing America’s Manufacturing Sector
Summary:
President Obama’s National Network for Manufacturing Innovation is already transforming Made-in-America manufacturing.
Seizing an opportunity to revitalize American manufacturing
When President Obama took office, many had been arguing for years that U.S. manufacturing was facing an inexorable decline, that production in the U.S. was no longer competitive globally, and that the closure of factories all around the country was a part of the natural transition to an information economy. President Obama never accepted those arguments, having long understood that a country’s ability to make things is inextricably linked to a country’s ability to innovate. The President’s commitment began with rescuing the auto industry from the brink of collapse and saving more than 1 million American jobs, but it did not end there.
As the country emerged from recession and the auto industry began to get back on its feet, the President recognized that if we were going to seize the opportunity to revitalize our manufacturing sector, the entire country would need to come together and invest in public-private partnerships that leverage our uniquely American strengths. That’s why in 2012 he launched the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation, to help reinvent and reinvigorate U.S. manufacturing and keep us on the cutting-edge of competitiveness for the next generation of manufacturing jobs and investment.
Introducing the Revolutionary Fibers and Textiles Manufacturing Institute
Federal investments of over $600 million in the institutes have had a catalytic impact, attracting more than $1.2 billion in private sector resources for collaborative, precompetitive research and development to transition groundbreaking manufacturing technologies out of the lab and into production.
Today, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced the latest manufacturing hub, headquartered in Cambridge, MA. The Revolutionary Fibers and Textiles Manufacturing Institute will be focused on U.S. leadership in manufacturing innovative fabrics and textiles with novel properties–ranging from being incredibly lightweight and flame resistant, to having exceptional strength and containing electronic sensors. With wide-ranging applications, these technical textiles can forge protective gear for firefighters impervious to the hottest flames, replicate the sensing capabilities of a smart watch into a lightweight fabric, or detect when a wounded soldier needs to be treated with an antimicrobial compression bandage.
With today’s announcement, the Administration has now awarded eight manufacturing innovation institutes, having partnered with a total of over 800 manufacturers, universities, and non-profits to strengthen U.S. competitiveness for manufacturing jobs and investment. Federal investments of over $600 million in the institutes have had a catalytic impact, attracting more than $1.2 billion in private sector resources for collaborative, precompetitive research and development to transition groundbreaking manufacturing technologies out of the lab and into production. And while still in its early stages, the network of manufacturing hubs is having a real impact around the country.
From Texas to New York, textiles manufacturing is making a comeback
Lloyd Whetzel, CEO of X-FAB’s semiconductor foundry in Lubbock, Texas, knows firsthand that for the U.S. to stay competitive for manufacturing jobs and investment we have to innovate ahead of the curve. Through X-FAB’s partnership with Power America, the power electronics manufacturing innovation institute headquartered in North Carolina, the Texas facility was able to accelerate the development of new semiconductor technology it needed in order to pursue new lines of business that could keep the facility open and protect more than 400 jobs. As Lloyd says:
“X-FAB Texas is a commercial entity and the PowerAmerica Institute is the first federally-funded program in which we have participated. This program has been an outstanding success. It allows this facility to pivot to a new, emerging market and not only retain the jobs we have in place, but provide the foundation for employment expansion as business grows.”
The manufacturing institutes are helping accelerate a similar tale of reinvention and revival in Rochester, NY. Last month, AIM Photonics, the Rochester-based photonics manufacturing innovation institute, helped attract new production to the area. Leveraging the capabilities of the manufacturing institute, two companies announced they are bringing over $1.4 billion of new investment and over 800 manufacturing jobs to the Rochester region opening up new factories on the same grounds where Kodak once operated, showing once again that these institutes can help nurture a broader economic revival.
Textiles manufacturing, once the poster child for job-loss and offshoring, is now making a comeback.
Today’s announcement is adding new innovation and new hope to an industry that some thought would not be able to persist in America. Textiles manufacturing, once the poster child for job-loss and offshoring, is now making a comeback. Fueled by revolutionary new technologies, the American textile industry is adding jobs for the first time in decades, has increased shipments by 14 percent since 2009, and has grown exports by 39 percent since 2009. Today’s new manufacturing institute will invest over $300 million of public-private investment to further accelerate this recovery and strengthen U.S. leadership in novel textiles.
900,000 new manufacturing jobs and counting
Thanks to the resilience of American businesses and our innovative strengths as a country, U.S. manufacturing is experiencing its longest period of job growth in decades, adding nearly 900,000 new manufacturing jobs and counting. With eight manufacturing innovation institutes and counting, the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation is helping ensure U.S. manufacturing keeps up its winning streak.
Dr. Baliga Wins Another Award!
NC State Professor & PowerAmerica Principle Investigator wins The Prose Award first place prize in the Engineering & Technology category
The PROSE Awards were announced February 4th at the annual conference of the Association of American Publisher’s Professional and Scholarly Publishing Division in Washington, DC. PROSE honors the best in professional and scholarly publishing, as judged by peer publishers, librarians, academics and medical professionals.
The competition was “fierce” this year, according to AAP, with the competition attracting a record 551 entries of books, reference works, journals and electronic products in more than 54 categories.
Dr. Jay Baliga‘s book “The IGBT Device: Physics, Design and Applications of the Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor” won the first place prize in the Engineering & Technology category.
Another PowerAmerica Member takes bold steps into the future world of Power Electronics
Another PowerAmerica Member takes bold steps into the future world of Power Electronics. Cree, a leader in silicon carbide (SiC) power products and gallium nitride (GaN) radio frequency (RF) devices, announced that Wolfspeed is the new name for the Power and RF division of Cree. The company announced it would separate the business into a standalone company.
Founded upon the mission to liberate power and wireless systems from the limitations of silicon, Wolfspeed enters the marketplace as a well-established, entrepreneurial growth company with a focused team, a profitable business and more than 28 years of industry-leading wide bandgap semiconductor technology and experience.
The new name combines important elements of Cree’s culture and expertise and allows the Power and RF division to build brand equity while operating as a separate business. As a Cree Company, Wolfspeed will leverage Cree’s industry-leading brand, global footprint, scale and expertise to ensure a smooth transition for customers.
Wolfspeed is providing a first look at the new company’s name, brand identity and purpose in advance of an IPO, which is planned to execute during fiscal year 2016,” said Frank Plastina, chief executive officer, Wolfspeed. “We’re building something new on the firm foundation that is Cree,” Plastina added, “and we want to share our vision, plans and enthusiasm with all of our stakeholders as we move seamlessly through the transition.”
As the only player in the industry with a fully commercialized, broad portfolio of the most field-tested SiC and GaN power and wireless technologies and products on the market, Wolfspeed™ will power its customers’ innovations, enabling higher power density, higher switching frequencies and reduced system size and weight. These advantages lead to smaller systems, lower system costs and improved performance, and will ultimately lead to more powerful applications in the transportation, industrial and electronics, energy, and communications markets, helping Wolfspeed achieve its vision of becoming the world’s leading wide bandgap semiconductor electronics company.
Dr. Baliga Wins 2015 Global Energy Prize
NC State Professor & PowerAmerica Principle Investigator Jay Baliga, lauded by Scientific American as one of the heroes of the semiconductor revolution, scored another scientific honor this year. The professor was awakened at 4:30 in the morning on April 23with news from Moscow that he is a 2015 winner of the Global Energy Prize, an annual award presented at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in June. Dr. Baliga continues his world-changing research with PowerAmerica to accelerate the deployment of the next generation of power electronics across our economy using a traditional silicon foundry.
Repurposing Silicon Foundry
PowerAmerica is repurposing a former six-inch silicon foundry to manufacture wide bandgap power electronics devices. Establishing a PowerAmerica process based on university research is critical to lowering the entry barrier in this highly specialized field. Today Xfab is running devices in its foundry from four other PowerAmerica members in its facilities. These companies are collaborating to create new opportunities for business. Much work remains before us, but the ground work has inspired participation in this new venture from within and outside of the Institute.
Building a Pipeline of Future Power Engineers
The success of the National Manufacturing Institutes depends on manufacturing becoming a highly desirable job for the workforce of the future. PowerAmerica started that process its first year by engaging 225 freshman engineering students at North Carolina State University in their introduction to engineering course to the next generation of Power Electronics. Building a pipeline of talent excited about future manufacturing sets in motion our pathway to tomorrow. The demands for power includes all disciplines of engineering and matches the interests of young people in building a sustainable future through renewable and efficient energy sources.
PowerAmerica Partners with Lockheed Martin: U.S manufacturer will assist institute in developing power-efficient microelectronic devices.
PowerAmerica, the Next Generation Power Electronics Manufacturing Innovation Institute, and Lockheed Martin are partnering to develop a new generation of power-efficient microelectronic devices that will reduce energy loss across the power grid and enhance the performance of future aerospace systems.
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