Osceola County News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION
Osceola County Community Outreach/Public Information Office
407-742-0100
pio@osceola.org
www.osceola.org
 
ALBANY, NY, and NEOCITY, FL; October 30, 2017 – A globally recognized leader in technological innovation, research and development is the newest partner of BRIDG, officials announced Monday.
 
As part of the recent Kissimmee/Osceola County Chamber of Commerce mission to Albany, New York, delegates participated in the ceremonial signing of a new partnership between the State University of New York Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly) and BRIDG. The Memorandum of Understanding between BRIDG and The Research Foundation for The State University of New York on behalf of SUNY Poly will further help connect researchers with industry to accelerate the development of emerging technologies.
 
“SUNY Poly is globally recognized as a leader in technology innovation, research and development. Our partnership with their research foundation will accelerate our efforts to diversify Osceola County’s economic environment with high-tech investment and jobs,” said Osceola County Commission Chairman Brandon Arrington.
 
With billions of dollars in high-tech investments, SUNY Poly is known for its university-driven research, featuring two unique locations in Albany and Utica, New York. The MOU sets the stage for SUNY Poly and BRIDG to explore working together to accelerate bringing emerging technologies to market more efficiently as well as sharing design, packaging and business development capabilities.
 
“The agreement with SUNY Poly allows access to a very broad set of capabilities, enabling BRIDG to focus its strategy on areas that add unique value,” said Chester Kennedy, CEO for BRIDG. “Having this partnership also contributes significantly toward the overall ecosphere of innovation in smart sensors technology available at NeoCity and in Albany through solid links to the full supply chain and instant pathways for development-to-commercialization of technologies and applications.”
 
“In addition to SUNY Poly’s focus on providing a hands-on college education to its students, SUNY Poly is proud to work with organizations like BRIDG to advance opportunities that can lead to further research, development, and commercialization of the technologies that increasingly play a role in moving our complex society forward,” said SUNY Poly Interim President Dr. Bahgat Sammakia. “We look forward to exploring these opportunities to leverage SUNY Poly’s unique resources and facilities to work together for our mutual benefit.”
 
SUNY Poly and BRIDG intend to undertake a collaborative program to accelerate commercialization of emerging technologies as well as sharing design, processing, analytical, packaging, and business development capabilities.
 
The goals highlighted include:
 
· Identifying maximum collaborative and complementary programs as well as processes between the sites in New York and Florida. The initial focus will be in the following program areas:

        o   Collaboration on electronics-photonics heterogeneous integration

        o   Collaboration on U.S. Government funding proposals

        o   Joint business development initiatives with U.S. Government contractors.

 
Located in NeoCity—a five hundred-acre technology district in Osceola County, Florida, less than 20 minutes from the Orlando International Airport and within a mile of the Florida Turnpike—BRIDG deploys its unique collaboration model within a 109,000-square-foot state-of-the-art manufacturing facility focused on semiconductor-based processes for smart sensors, photonic technologies, and next-generation integrated devices. The result enables unparalleled innovative breakthroughs for these industry partners, serving government and commercial markets.  
 
The BRIDG facility includes approximately 40,000 square feet of cleanroom laboratory/manufacturing space for use by its industry partners, which is led by visionary stakeholders—Osceola County, the University of Central Florida and the Florida High Tech Corridor Council. Other major BRIDG partners include imec, Harris Corporation, Aurora Semiconductor, Photon-X, University of Florida, University of South Florida, and Florida Institute of Technology, among others.
 
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About BRIDG
BRIDG is an industry-led collaborative partnership for advanced sensors, optics, photonics and other advanced manufacturing devices, focusing on the development of innovative manufacturable processes, materials and equipment for next-generation smart sensors and other future high-tech products. Supported by Osceola County, the University of Central Florida and the Florida High Tech Corridor Council, BRIDG facilitates the connection between innovation and industry, thus “Bridging the Innovation Development Gap” that makes commercialization possible. Headquartered in Osceola County, Florida, BRIDG is the anchor of NeoCity, a 500-acre master-planned intuitive community of innovation, where it operates one of the world's most flexible and adaptable fabs to accommodate partner-funded activities. Learn more at www.GoBRIDG.com.
 
About Osceola County
Osceola County is a fast-growing, dynamic and innovative community. While we honor the history and traditions passed down from our pioneer ranching families, we are focused on a vision to be the center of research and manufacturing innovation for “smart sensors” that will supercharge the regional economy as the leader in what will be a $154 billion industry by 2020. As part of the Orlando Metropolitan Area, we proudly host approximately 7 million annual overnight guests who enjoy easy access to Central Florida’s world-famous theme parks and Osceola County’s unique sights and unmatched hospitality. www.osceola.org
 
About SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly)
SUNY Poly is New York’s globally recognized, high-tech educational ecosystem. SUNY Poly offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in the emerging disciplines of nanoscience and nanoengineering, as well as cutting-edge nanobioscience and nanoeconomics programs at its Albany campus, and undergraduate and graduate degrees in technology, including engineering, cybersecurity, computer science, and the engineering technologies; professional studies, including business, communication, and nursing; and arts and sciences, including natural sciences, mathematics, humanities, and social sciences at its Utica/Rome campus; thriving athletic, recreational, and cultural programs, events, and activities complement the campus experience. As the world’s most advanced, university-driven research enterprise, SUNY Poly boasts billions of dollars in high-tech investments and hundreds of corporate partners since its inception. For information visit www.sunypoly.edu.
 
About the Research Foundation for SUNY
The Research Foundation for The State University of New York (RF) is the largest comprehensive university-connected research foundation in the country. It exists to serve the State University of New York (SUNY) by providing essential services that enable SUNY faculty to focus their efforts on the education of students and the performance of life-changing research across a wide range of disciplines including medicine, engineering, physical sciences, energy, computer science, and social sciences. The RF works with the academic and business leadership of SUNY campuses to support research and discovery through administration of sponsored projects and technology transfer and management of intellectual property for public benefit and economic growth. The RF is a private non-profit education cor­poration.  To learn more about the RF, visit www.rfsuny.org.
 

Media Contacts:
Gloria LeQuang, Marketing and Community Relations Director, BRIDG
407-742-4276; glequang@GoBRIDG.com
 
Mark Pino, Public Relations Officer, Osceola County
407-742-0105; Mark.Pino@osceola.org
 
Steve Ference, Director of University Communications, SUNY Poly
(518) 956-7319; sference@sunypoly.edu