Battery Week kicks off in Binghamton | Binghamton News

Oct 24, 2024

As Battery Week kicks off in Binghamton, work continues in earnest across the region to bolster domestic battery and energy storage technology advancements.

Federally and state-funded initiatives led by Binghamton University aim to establish upstate New York as a national hub for battery innovation and manufacturing. It has been two years since the region was named a Build Back Better Regional Challenge awardee, one year almost to the day since it was named a national Battery Tech Hub and only a little more than six months since the National Science Foundation Upstate New York Energy Storage Engine kicked off.

A lot of work has been done, and the teams focused on these initiatives are eager to do more.

“Built in America by Americans. That’s really our goal,” said M. Stanley Whittingham, a SUNY distinguished professor and Nobel laureate in chemistry whose research is at the heart of the initiatives. “What we’re pushing is a sustainable ecosystem, one that can really strengthen this part of the economy. Bringing our partners to the table for Battery Week helps us see the progress we’re making in areas from R&D to manufacturing.”

New Energy New York and the Upstate New York Energy Storage Engine are bringing together more than 100 industry partners, dozens of governments, multiple nonprofits and four of the leading research institutions in the region — Binghamton, Cornell University, Rochester Institute of Technology and Syracuse University — to accelerate this work.

Binghamton University-led initiatives focused on battery innovation and manufacturing include:

Binghamton is the only university in the country to receive all three designations. New Energy New York is the umbrella organization for the EDA-sponsored awards, while the Upstate New York Energy Storage Engine is funded by the NSF’s Regional Innovation Engines program.

The projects, undertaken with dozens of academic, industry, government and community partners, aim to advance the United States as a global competitor in lithium-ion batteries, strengthen the battery supply chain and expand jobs across a wide swath of upstate New York.

Battery Week features:

Building the next-generation workforce for the battery industry is a key focus for both the Engine and NENY.

Find the Upstate New York Energy Storage Engine online and look for the Tech Hub and BBBRC projects, named New Energy New York.

“Manufacturing Day is dedicated to showcasing the significance of modern manufacturing across the U.S.,” said Carol Miller, executive director at the Alliance for Manufacturing & Technology.

The tours help to correct common misconceptions about the industry and to spark interest in manufacturing careers.

“The aim is to show that manufacturing has evolved beyond outdated, manual labor — it’s now a cutting-edge, innovative and sustainable sector that plays a critical role in our economy,” Miller added. “At AMT, we see firsthand how manufacturing strengthens our community, creating well-paying jobs, fostering innovation and driving economic growth.”

The NENY Battery Academy, meanwhile, targets students at a variety of ages, from high school students to those already in industry. The academy offers two micro-credential programs that provide training for battery technicians and energy storage systems management. The courses are available to anyone living or working in New York state, and more than 1,300 people have enrolled so far.

NENY Battery Academy is now launching its first course open to anyone in the United States, a free, online, self-paced introduction to energy storage. Students gain access to course content created at Binghamton University, printable study guides and a facilitator to help answer questions.

In addition:

NENY ChargeUp, the nation’s first battery and energy storage startup accelerator program, helps prepare companies for investment with a rigorous curriculum and support network. The four companies in the first cohort toured the Southern Tier as well as central and western New York, getting familiar with possible partners, resources and sites for expansion or establishment in New York.

Nearly 100 companies applied to participate in the first year; applications for the second cohort open Oct. 28. The program is run by Binghamton University, the Koffman Southern Tier Incubator and NextCorps Luminate with additional NSF funding.

“Battery Week is an exciting time where New Energy New York and partners bring together battery and energy storage industry stakeholders,” said Bandhana Katoch, interim assistant vice president for entrepreneurship and innovation partnerships at Binghamton and executive director of the Koffman Southern Tier Incubator. “Connecting our startup companies who are part of the ChargeUp accelerator is a crucial element to the program, and we’re able to see it in action during Battery Week.”

In addition:

Led by Binghamton University, the NSF Engine’s core partners include Cornell, RIT, Syracuse, Launch NY and NY-BEST. The Engine’s governance board includes senior leaders from regional universities, community colleges, nonprofits, philanthropic and community-serving organizations.

“The Engine is a transformative project that brings together technology, innovation and talent development with a deep focus on the community,” said Meera Sampath, CEO of the Engine. “Together with the TechHub and the NENY BBBRC investments, the Engine will pave the way for upstate New York to become America’s battery capital.”

The Engine aspires to be a model for technology-driven, place-based economic development. By accelerating R&D, technology translation and inclusive workforce development, the Engine will propel the nation’s battery industry forward while fostering a thriving regional economy.

“Our region has unparalleled expertise and infrastructure to achieve this vision,” Sampath said. “We are the only end-to-end energy storage ecosystem in the country today that offers a full suite of services to meet the battery industry’s needs.”

The Engine recently issued its first request for proposals to industry-academia coalitions for supporting use-inspired research and development with an emphasis on safety, sustainability and national security. Several individual awards of up to $150,000 will be announced in the next few weeks.

As a platinum sponsor for NY-BEST’s Fall Technology & Innovation Conference, the Engine has also established the M. Stanley Whittingham Distinguished Poster Award for students. Designed to encourage and celebrate research talent in energy storage, the award includes a top prize of $3,000.

In addition:

With support from the NENY coalition, Broome Tioga Workforce secured a $498,000 Appalachian Regional Commission Investments Supporting Partnerships In Recovery Ecosystems (INSPIRE) award to assist people recovering from substance use disorders in overcoming justice-related barriers to education, training and employment. Broome Tioga Workforce has run multiple rounds of the four-week training for entry-level clean energy manufacturing jobs that conclude with in-person interviews with local companies. To date, more than 100 people have been placed in jobs from this program.

In addition: