CNSE added significantly to its partnerships with leaders in the world of semiconductors when Tokyo Electron Ltd. (TEL) announced it would establish a $300 million R&D center at the University of Albany. The announcement was made in November 2002 by New York Gov. George Pataki, Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and TEL's president and CEO Tetsuro Higashi at the ground breaking for the 300mm wafer fab at CNSE's Albany NanoTech complex.

TEL, the second largest manufacturer of computer chip-making tools, and its partners invested $200 million in the project. New York State committed to contribute $100 million over seven years in capital construction, equipment and specialized tools for research. The TEL Technology Center, America facility is the company’s only research and development facility outside of Japan. TEL expects the research center to eventually support 300 researchers.

For more information on TEL, visit their web site at http://www.tel.com.