A $4 million dollar grant to the University of Massachusetts Lowell (UMass) should help the state of Massachusetts strategically position itself to enter the printed and flexible electronics market. It is estimated that the flexible electronic market will reach $76 billion globally (from $16 billion currently) in the next 10 years.
UMass’s Printed Electronics Research Collaborative (PERC) hopes to create opportunities for employers to enter the flexible electronic field along the supply chain or through direct advancements. Initially, PERC will focus on defense applications, but will also expand into renewable energy, healthcare and telecommunication applications.
“It is a privilege to announce today’s grant as another positive step forward for UMass Lowell, students and businesses across the Commonwealth. We have already seen great success stem from this partnership to fund research, support education and make new strides in innovation,” said Gov. Charlie Baker. “By connecting the incredible resources in our universities with the business community, the Commonwealth will continue to stimulate economic growth and create more good-paying jobs.”
Over the next four years, the grant will be matched by $12 million in support from the industry’s Collaborative Research and Development Matching Grant Program. This program is a $50 million capital fund that supports large and long-term research with high potential for innovation and job growth. The fund is controlled by the Innovation Institute at the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MassTech).
“Our mission is to convene industry, academia and government to catalyze economic opportunity in regions and clusters around the Commonwealth,” said Pamela Goldberg, CEO of MassTech. “This project hits the mark on several fronts, including the potential to drive the development of innovative products and business growth. We are excited to partner with UMass Lowell and regional industry partners like Raytheon to expand R&D capacity and help advance this exciting new industry cluster.”
PERC will be housed in the Mark and Elisia Saab Emerging Technology and Innovation Center. This 84,000 sq ft space will be outfitted with research labs for PERC and its industry partners, such as Raytheon.
“UMass Lowell has decades of experience in partnering with businesses, large and small, to advance technologies and economic development. Not only does bringing our researchers together with innovators in industry stimulate economic growth, it offers our students unparalleled opportunities for experiential education,” announced UMass Lowell Chancellor Marty Meehan. “We are grateful to the Commonwealth for its investment in what we believe will be a model for academic and industry collaboration.”
Source Massachusetts Technology Collaborative.