ALBANY — Menlo Microsystems, a California company that makes electronic switches, or chips, for 5G cellphone networks, electronic cars and “smart home” devices, has decided to establish a $50 million chip factory outside Ithaca.
The company has its headquarters in Irvine, Calif., but has been doing its research and development at Albany Nanotech.
The announcement was made not only by the company but also by U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer and Gov. Kathy Hochul, who has offered the company $6.5 million in state tax credits if the company hires 122 workers at the facility, which would be located in an existing building in Lansing, a town just north of Cornell University and Ithaca College.
The company, which goes by Menlo Micro, says that if it receives federal funding through the $52 billion CHIPS and Science Act that was authored and passed by Schumer, the investment in the new facility could reach $150 million.
“Last year, I personally called Menlo Micro’s CEO to tell him that upstate New York is the next frontier for microelectronic and semiconductor manufacturing, and I’m thrilled they are now bringing 100 new good-paying jobs to Tompkins County,” Schumer said in a statement. “I applaud Menlo Micro for this major investment that will help drive Tompkins County and America’s economic future in tech manufacturing, and thank Gov. Hochul for her partnership to help transform upstate New York into a global center for innovation, high tech and advanced manufacturing jobs.”
Menlo Micro says its electronic switch technology is 1,000 times faster than traditional switches.
“Menlo Micro’s groundbreaking chip technology powers the tools and electronics that New Yorkers rely on every day, and thanks to a remarkable partnership between local, state, and federal officials, their New York production facility will create more than 100 high-tech jobs and unlock…
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