"This third center will bring researchers throughout Texas and neighboring regions to develop the next-generation technology and techniques for semiconductor manufacturing," Perry said.
Called the Southwest Academy of Nanotechnology (SWAN), it will be located at the University of Texas at Austin under the direction of the principal investigator, Dr. Sanjay Banerjee.
Perry also announced a new Nanotechnology Research Initiative (NRI) in Texas, a $30 million public-private partnership funded by a $10 million grant from the Emerging Technology Fund, $10 million form the University of Texas System and the remainder from private industry.
"With the global marketplace steadily marching towards a technology-based future, it is more important than ever before that we all attract and grow top-notch researchers and technology employers that will form the backbone of tomorrow's economy," Perry said. He also noted that the National Science Foundation estimates that there will be 2 million new jobs created by 2015 in nanotechnology.
To meet this need, Texas launched a $4 million nanoelectronics workforce initiative led by Austin Community College where anyone from interns to two-year students to post-doctorate graduates from all over Texas have access to leading-edge industrial research and development facility to participate in one of the most rigorous technical training programs in the world.
