About Us > History

The College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) of the University at Albany-SUNY began as a combined vision of government, academia and industry. The common goal was to propel New York State to a leadership position in technology and economic development. Four key drivers comprised the strategy: select an overarching discipline (nanotechnology), invest in state-of-the-art infrastructure, focus on world-class, hands-on education and training incorporating the whole supply chain, and leverage public-private partnerships.

The following is a timeline of major milestones at CNSE:

1988

• July: Governor Mario M. Cuomo recruits Alain Kaloyeros under the SUNY Graduate Research Initiative
• September: National Interconnect Focus Center in Interconnect Technologies is established in partnership with Stanford, Georgia Tech, MIT and RPI

1993

• May: Governor Mario M. Cuomo designates Alain Kaloyeros’ Materials Physics Program as a Center for Advanced Technology

2001

• School of Nanosciences and Nanoengineering at UAlbany is established
• April: $150M Center of Excellence in Nanoelectronics and Nanotechnology (CENN) is announced

2002

• July: $405M International SEMATECH North center is announced
• November: $300M Tokyo Electron Ltd. Technology Center, America (TTCA) is announced
• November: Groundbreaking for $50M NanoFab South Building

2003

• April: Groundbreaking for $175M NanoFab North Building

2004

• January: Creation of the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) of the University at Albany
• December: CNSE awards the world’s first Ph.D. degrees in Nanoscience

2005

• January: CNSE chosen to lead national Center for Advanced Interconnect Science and Technology (CAIST) research program
• April: ASML establishes $400M International Multiphase Program for Lithography Science and Engineering (IMPLSE) research center at CNSE
• May: Announcement of $500M Center for Semiconductor Research
• July: Announcement of $600M International Venture for Nanolithography (INVENT) Program
• September: Announcement of $300M Applied Materials Research Center

2006

• January: Announcement of $435M Institute for Nanoelectronics Discovery and Exploration (INDEX) Program
• May: CNSE ranked nation’s number one college for nanotechnology
• June: AMD announces plan to build computer chip fab in Luther Forest
• October: Vistec Lithography relocates headquarters from Cambridge, England to Watervliet Arsenal, R&D operations to CNSE

2007

• May: International SEMATECH agrees to locate its headquarters at CNSE
• May: CNSE ranked #1 college worldwide for micro- and nanotechnology for second straight year

2008

• February: Prestigious Global Nanoelectronics Research Consortium (NY-CAIST) awarded to CNSE
• April: CNSE and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announce partnership for the New York Center for National Competitiveness in Nanoscale Characterization (NC3)
• July: IBM and New York State announce $1.6B investment in packaging center at CNSE

2009

• March: Opening of $150M NanoFab East Building
• June: UAlbany NanoCollege launches the world’s first comprehensive undergraduate degree program in Nanoscale Science
• July: $226M Computer Chip Hybrid Integration Partnership (CHIP) initiative in Utica, NY between SUNYIT, UAlbany NanoCollege and leading computer chip firms is announced

2010

• February: M+W Group announces relocation of U.S. Headquarters to Watervliet Arsenal from Dallas, Texas
• March: NYSERDA announces $1.5 million award to establish “iCLEAN” Clean Energy Incubator at CNSE 
• September: CNSE leads creation of $250M Nanotechnology Innovation and Commercialization Excelerator (NICE) at Electronics Park in Syracuse, NY
• September: New York State announces $10M initiative to merge Infotonics Technology Center in Canandaigua with CNSE
• October: International SEMATECH Manufacturing Initiative (ISMI) to relocate its headquarters and operations to CNSE, completing move of SEMATECH from Austin, Texas to CNSE
• October: Moser Baer Technologies and CNSE’s Smart System Technology & Commercialization Center in Canandaigua launch global partnership to establish pioneering clean energy facility
• October: Groundbreaking at SUNYIT to drive nanotechnology education, research and economic development in the Mohawk Valley

2011

• February: SEMATECH, ISMI and UAlbany NanoCollege partner to launch groundbreaking NanoHealth and Safety Center at CNSE
• March: UAlbany NanoCollege and SUNY Downstate Medical Center partner to launch the world’s first M.D./Ph.D. program for research physicians in nanoscale medicine 
• April: U.S. Department of Energy awards record $57.5M grant to CNSE to establish U.S. Photovoltaic Manufacturing Consortium (PVMC)
• September: Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announces $4.8B investment by international technology group led by Intel and IBM, and New York State, to develop next-generation computer chip technology in New York
• September: Construction begins on NanoFab Xtension (NFX), a $365 million, 280,000-square-foot expansion of CNSE’s Albany NanoTech Complex
• October: UAlbany NanoCollege launches Solar Energy Development Center in Halfmoon, NY to accelerate commercialization of innovative photovoltaics technologies

2012

• April: NYSDOT begins highway improvements to ease congestion, support growth at UAlbany NanoCollege
• April: Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announces CNSE’s STC Center in Canandaigua has been granted "Trusted Foundry" status by Department of Defense
• May: President Barack Obama visits CNSE, declares, “You have an outstanding university. Now I want what’s happening in Albany to happen across the country.”
• May: SEFCU, UAlbany NanoCollege and Girls Inc. announce launch of the nation's first nanotechnology-based Eureka!® program
• July: Spurring nanotechnology-driven economic growth in downtown Albany, CHA, Trinity Alliance and UAlbany NanoCollege Announce Partnerships to establish City of Albany as emerging hub for 'smart cities' technologies
• August: Governor Cuomo announces $20 million partnership between SUNY College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering and Ceres Technologies in Ulster County
• September: Three New York schools earn first-ever Innovation Awards as UAlbany NanoCollege & State School Boards Association partner for statewide technology competition
• December: UAlbany NanoCollege awarded $4M in funding through Governor Cuomo's Regional Economic Development Council Initiative to lead revitalization of Kiernan Plaza in downtown Albany as hub for 'smart cities' technologies
• December: UAlbany NanoCollege awarded $1M in funding through Governor Cuomo's Regional Economic Development Council initiative to launch design phase for the world's first zero energy nanotechnology building

2013

• February: SUNY NanoCollege and Children's Museum of Science and Technology announce agreement for CMOST to become part of CNSE
• February: Governor Cuomo announces Tech Valley High School® and SUNY NanoCollege form educational partnership, including co-location at CNSE, to prepare students for high-tech future
• March: Governor Cuomo Announces International Partnership Between New York State and the State of Israel to Grow the Nanotechnology Industry