Both the economy and the environment will benefit from a recent $3 million grant for a new project at the Syracuse Center of Excellence.

Central New York Regional Economic Development Council announced Tuesday a new incentive proposal signed by Syracuse University to fund the New York Energy Regional Innovation Cluster project.

The funding will be awarded to the COE, whose mission is to fuse environment, energy, technology and productivity together in urban environments like Syracuse, according to its website.

The proposal is funded by a grant from New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Regional Council initiative, which aims to develop emerging technologies and strengthen the local economy with the help of regional anchors, according to the governor’s website.

The newly provided funds will allow the center to design and install research development labs that focus on biofuels, combined heat and power systems, smart grid applications and wind power generation, according to an April 24 Regional Economic Development Council news release.

‘This is a terrific opportunity to strengthen our facilities,’ said Ed Bogucz, executive director of the COE. ‘The labs will conduct research on topics that are important for our mission.’

Established in 2002, the COE has secured more than $100 million in funding from state and federal sources for projects, Bogucz said. The labs were always part of the design.
But after building the $41 million signature headquarters facility located on East Washington Street, there was not enough funding to complete the labs, he said.

‘We’ve been envisioning these labs for several years,’ said Bogucz. ‘This funding will allow us to finish that vision.’

The new labs will be designed with specific faculty members of SU and the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry in mind, he said. The newly hired teachers in engineering and computer science can use these labs to conduct their research on the environment and energy.

‘This will be a shared space for both students and faculty from both institutions,’ Bogucz said.

The potential research will help the Syracuse community because the faculty and students will focus on relevant problems to local businesses, Bogucz said.

Fulton Cos., for example, is interested in making more efficient boilers that burn fuels from biomass sources or biofuels. Other labs are designed to develop new waste processing methods and transform woodchips into fuel.

‘These labs can make innovations that could help the region,’ Bogucz said. ‘Our job is to connect universities to companies to develop new products.’

New educational opportunities will also be available, Bogucz said. This collaboration between SU, ESF and the COE is an example of Chancellor Nancy Cantor’s Scholarship in Action vision, as it involves local research that has a practical application, Bogucz said.

‘New York State’s $3 million investment is leveraging the Syracuse Center of Excellence’s proven track record of successfully connecting cross-sector partners to generate world-class innovation, and spur job creation,’ Cantor said in the release.

Construction on some of the labs should begin by the beginning of June, and the center is currently in the process of selecting contractors, Bogucz said.

‘These labs are really central to what we are meant to do,’ Bogucz said. ‘This is a dream come true.’

jbundy@syr.edu

Published on April 29, 2012 at 12:00 pm

Contact Jen: jbundy@syr.edu