Vermont Designated a Tech Hub by U.S. Economic Development Administration for Semiconductor Technology Project

(October 24, 2023)

Vermont was designated one of 31 Tech Hubs in across the country by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA).

The program application, submitted on behalf of a consortium of businesses and organizations by the University of Vermont, is focused on building on the strengths of a semiconductor technology called Gallium Nitride at the GlobalFoundries facility and elsewhere in the state

This is the first phase of the new Tech Hubs program, which is an economic development initiative designed to drive regional innovation and job creation by strengthening a region’s capacity to manufacture, commercialize, and deploy technology that will advance American competitiveness. 

Read more here.

GlobalFoundries Awarded $35 Million in Government Funding: Partners with UVM on Semiconductor Lab

(October 2023 – GlobalFoundries, UVM)

GlobalFoundries (GF) has been awarded $35 million in federal funding from the U.S. government to accelerate the manufacturing of GF’s differentiated gallium nitride (GaN) on silicon semiconductors at its facility in Essex Junction, Vermont. This funding brings GF closer to large-scale production of GaN chips, which are unique in their ability to handle high voltages and temperatures.

A partnership between GlobalFoundries and UVM’s College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences has resulted in the opening of the Device Characterization Lab at UVM.

The new lab provides an opportunity for students to receive hands-on experience in preparing for work in the rapidly expanding semiconductor technology field. The facility features a suite of scientific testing and analysis equipment donated by GF, and is the only educational semiconductor lab in the state,

Read more about the GF funding here, and UVM lab here.

Seven Vermont Tech Startups Worth Watching

(October 18, 2023 – Seven Days)

As part of its annual Tech Issue, Seven Days looks at seven promising Vermont startups.

They provide some insights into Verde Technologies, Prime Engineering, Rigorous, Wildlife Imaging Systems, FreshAir Sensor, Fluency and Myti.

As Seven Days notes these are “Vermont companies that want to transform their industries, create high-tech jobs for the 21st century and, in very different ways, improve the world.”

Read more here.

StartUp Rutland Partners with Gener8tor to Launch Accelerator Program

(October 10, ,2023 – Startup Rutland)

StartUp Rutland – a Chamber & Economic Development of Rutland Region (CEDRR) initiative, has partnered with global venture firm and startup accelerator, gener8tor, to launch a new StartUp Rutland Accelerator, focused on early stage tech-enabled startups. StartUp Rutland, a VTTA member, is supported by several stakeholders, including the City of Rutland, Rutland Redevelopment Authority, and MKF Properties.

The newly-launched accelerator is powered by gener8tor’s gBETA program – a free, seven-week, zero-equity accelerator that provides startup founders with concierge coaching and access to a gener8tor’s network of mentors, customers, and investors across the United States.

See more here.

How Three High-Tech Companies Have Found Room to Grow in Vermont

(October 10, 2023 – Vermont Public)

Leaders of some of Vermont's cutting-edge technology manufacturing companies joined an episode of Vermont Edition on Vermont Public to talk about why they've chosen to remain in Vermont and how they've overcome challenges to growth.

Dave Bradbury, president of the Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies, said recruiting in a small state like Vermont does pose a challenge to some growing tech manufacturing companies, but it isn't always their main concern. The availability of specialized manufacturing space is another element that can enable or impede growth.

"Specialized spaces around Vermont's communities I think will give us an advantage and really help us differentiate for the next decades ahead," Bradbury said.

The program featured discussions with leaders of Beta Technologies in South Burlington, Rigorous in Williston, and TenFold Engineering in Springfield.

Read more here.

Beta Technologies Christens Electric Aircraft Production Plant

(October 2, 2023 – Seven Days)

Beta Technologies celebrated the opening of its South Burlington manufacturing center, marking the milestone with praise from politicians and a stylish flyby outside the hangar doors of its

sparkling 188,500-square-foot facility at the Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport.

“What you guys are in,” Clark told the crowd, his voice echoing across the capacious hangar, “is the first [large-] scale production facility for electric aircraft.”

The South Burlington company is at the forefront of a global push to develop commercially viable electric planes that can take off and land vertically — like helicopters — and fly like jets. Though the much-hyped market for such planes remains uncertain, analysts consider Beta one of the nascent industry’s most promising startups. Since its founding in 2017, Beta has raised more than $700 million from investors, received valuations exceeding $1 billion and flown more than 26,000 miles on its prototype, dubbed Alia.

Read more here.

Vermont Manufacturing Collaborative Awarded $1.5M contract with the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining

(September 25, 2023 – VermontBiz)

Vermont Manufacturing Collaborative (VT-MC), hosted by Vermont State University, announced a new $1.5M contract with the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining to establish the New England Defense Supply Chain Enhancement Initiative.

Funded by the Department of Defense, the two-year initiative aims to fortify supply chain resiliency through workforce development and the advancement of cutting-edge manufacturing technologies.

Anchored at the Advanced Manufacturing Center (AMC) on the Vermont State University’s Randolph campus, the initiative will pioneer a pathway for manufacturers, particularly those engaging with the U.S. Department of Defense, to navigate the complex landscape of standards and challenges inherent in military-grade production.

Read more here.