This week, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) awarded some $2.8 million from the Minnesota Forward Fund (MFF) to establish a one-of-a-kind academic-industry technology center at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities campus.
The University of Minnesota (UMN) Twin Cities campus, in collaboration with Polar Semiconductor and Honeywell Aerospace, is building a one-of-a-kind academic-industry technology center to support and advance the state's growing microelectronics and semiconductor industry.
The new center will develop quantum spintronic devices focusing on high-tech magnetic sensors and advanced memory storage. The emerging magnetic-based technologies are being adapted for various cutting-edge applications, including biomedical devices, industrial automation, automotive applications, and memory and computing for specialized devices, like those designed for extreme environments like outer space.
The total program cost is $5.7 million. Polar and Honeywell Aerospace will each provide $1.4 million in matching funds for student research, professional development and in-kind cash, as well as equipment usage, process and integration engineer labor and time and assistance designing courses used for training.
Over the next ten years, the center will also provide specialized coursework and hands-on research opportunities for more than 300 people, including undergraduate through Ph.D. students from the University's electrical and computer engineering, materials science, and physics programs, as well as students from local community colleges and other universities.
The center will also offer specialized training in the use and manufacture of spintronic devices for engineers and technicians for Polar Semiconductor, Honeywell Aerospace and other Minnesota microelectronic companies.
