For Immediate Release: April 19, 2017

Contact:
Laura Magee (ESD) | laura.magee@esd.ny.gov | (716) 846-8239 | (800) 260-7313
ESD Press Office | PressOffice@esd.ny.gov | (800) 260-7313
Steve Ference (AIM) | sference@sunypoly.edu | 518-956-7319

AIM Photonics Announces IP Licensing Agreement with IBM; Welcomes IBM as newest Consortium Member

IBM Joins Initiative to Enable Advanced Packaging Designs and Manufacturing of Photonic Integrated Circuits (PIC)

Today’s Announcement Builds On Progress Of Finger Lakes Forward, The Region’s Award-Winning Strategic Plan To Generate Robust Economic Growth And Community Development

ROCHESTER, NY, and ALBANY, NY – AIM Photonics, The American Institute for Manufacturing Integrated Photonics, an institute of Manufacturing USA, today announced a patent and intellectual property licensing agreement with IBM (NYSE: IBM) and confirmed IBM has joined its photonics consortium. AIM Photonics views this as another significant step in the advancement of the silicon photonics industry in upstate New York. AIM Photonics is part of the overall Finger Lakes Forward revitalization effort—the region’s strategic plan for economic growth, which places an emphasis on the industry cluster of optics, photonics and imaging to realize the region’s full potential and act as a core driver of jobs and output growth.

The collaboration between IBM and AIM Photonics is expected to provide a path for the development of new technologies and products that will further solidify the consortium’s position in the integrated photonics manufacturing ecosystem.

Additionally, the intellectual property licensing agreement with IBM will help AIM Photonics establish standard processes in the development of silicon photonics assemblies, such as couplings for communication signals and light sources. Industry and academic AIM Photonics members will access these technologies through a process design kit (PDK) and prototype development at the Rochester Test Assembly and Packaging (TAP) facility and the 300mm chip facility at SUNY Poly’s Albany campus.

One of AIM Photonics’ primary goals is to make Rochester a technology hub for silicon photonics manufacturing and packaging, generating both growth and job opportunities for the city of Rochester, Monroe County, and the State as a whole.

“Adding IBM as a member of AIM Photonics not only significantly strengthens this outstanding institute, but highlights the momentum the Finger Lakes region is experiencing in the high tech sector,” said John Maggiore, New York State photonics board of officers chairman. “This announcement further validates the importance of this institute and the goals it has set out to achieve.”

Through its membership, IBM will contribute to the development of AIM Photonics’ advanced integrated silicon photonics technology, packaging services, and other future offerings to make advanced technology available to AIM Photonics members and the wider technical community. IBM, together with the other industry partners and the affiliated universities, will play a significant role to direct advanced research activities of AIM Photonics towards new products.

“Today’s announcement furthers New York State’s global leadership in developing next-generation integrated silicon photonics technologies,” said Dr. Michael Liehr, AIM Photonics CEO and SUNY Poly Executive Vice President of Innovation and Technology and Vice President of Research. “Working side by side with IBM photonic PIC and packaging experts is a significant milestone for AIM Photonics as we continue to advance our capabilities and prepare the TAP facility.”

IBM recently provided a presentation at an AIM Photonics Technology summit during The Optical Networking and Communication Conference & Exhibition (OFC) in Los Angeles, California. Dr. Wilfried Haensch discussed “Advanced optical packaging for Integrated Silicon Photonics” to a packed room of over 100 conference attendees.

Pictures are available for use in publication, courtesy of SUNY Poly. To download, please visit the following website and click on the icon in the upper right hand corner; captions are provided under the “info” icon: https://goo.gl/photos/aVBBdvSQV2286U6H9

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About AIM Photonics
AIM Photonics is one of nine Manufacturing Innovation Institutes, an industry-driven public-private partnership that focuses the nation’s premiere capabilities and expertise to capture critical global manufacturing leadership in a technology that is both essential to national security and positioned to provide a compelling return-on-investment to the U.S. economy. For more information about AIM Photonics, visit http://www.aimphotonics.com/.

Accelerating Finger Lakes Forward
Today’s announcement complements “Finger Lakes Forward,” the region’s comprehensive blueprint to generate robust economic growth and community development. The State has already invested more than $3.4 billion in the region since 2012 to lay the groundwork for the plan – investing in key industries including photonics, agriculture and food production, and advanced manufacturing. Today, unemployment is down to the lowest levels since before the Great Recession; personal and corporate income taxes are down; and businesses are choosing places like Rochester, Batavia, and Canandaigua as a destination to grow and invest in.

Now, the region is accelerating Finger Lakes Forward with a $500 million State investment through the Upstate Revitalization Initiative, announced by Governor Cuomo in December 2015. The State’s $500 million investment will incentivize private business to invest well over $2.5 billion – and the region’s plan, as submitted, projects up to 8,200 new jobs. More information is available here.