Battery Week kicks off in Binghamton

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:

• Designation as one of 10 inaugural National Science Foundation (NSF) Regional Innovation Engines in January 2024.
• A U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) designation as a federal Battery Tech Hub in October 2023.
• An EDA Build Back Better Regional Challenge award in September 2022.

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:

• A company showcase for startups participating in the ChargeUp accelerator program at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 23, at the Koffman Southern Tier Incubator.
• New York Battery and Energy Storage Technology Consortium (NY-BEST)’s Fall Technology & Innovation Conference on Thursday, Oct. 24, at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Binghamton. The event will feature panel discussions and keynote talks as well as a student poster session with a top prize of $3,000 that carries Whittingham’s name. NENY and the NSF Engine are sponsors of the conference.
• A pre-election online briefing on the prospects for the U.S. battery industry with NAATBAtt International.

A talent pipeline

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

SUNY Broome worked with the Alliance for Manufacturing and Technology (AMT) to organize a series of tours for high school students. These tours introduced 133 teens to local manufacturing and engineering businesses and exposed them to what SUNY Broome has to offer and how they can pursue careers in advanced manufacturing.

“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:

• The Engine’s workforce development call for proposals is continuing to receive strong responses from academic, industry and community organizations across the region, covering K-12 to community college and undergraduate to continuing education programs. The first round of awards will be announced soon.
• Broome-Tioga BOCES opened the New Energy Lab at Chenango Forks High School. This pioneering program developed as part of NENY provides an educational experience that blends theoretical knowledge with hands-on training. Students earn a high school diploma as well as OSHA certification, welding and soldering certification and on-the-job experience. The second cohort began in fall 2024.
• The NENY Student Startup Experience program placed 75 undergraduates in experiential learning opportunities with 20 clean energy startups. The paid positions supported by NENY are designed to assist startups while providing financial support and career development for students.
• SUNY Corning Community College developed a course curriculum, initiated a pilot program and conducted student recruitment and interviews. Focusing on training for advanced manufacturing, the program included visits to 10 manufacturing facilities and connections to companies actively hiring. The program’s third cohort recently graduated, with a 96% job placement rate.

Supporting startups

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:

• Binghamton University, working with NY-BEST, launched and awarded the first round of the NENY Technical Assistance Voucher Program, awarding six battery startups about $500,000 to advance their technology development efforts through regional testing and prototyping providers in New York state. A second round of tech voucher awardees will be announced in November.
• Koffman’s Clean Energy Incubator program, supported by NENY, has 44 companies in its portfolio, with a growing number in the battery sector. During the past year, these companies have created more than 150 jobs.
• Marketing efforts for the Activate Battery Fellows Program continued, with the completion of cohort recruitment and informational webinars in October. Selected early-stage science entrepreneurs will receive mentoring, training and financial support.
• The Clean Fight Energy Storage Capital Challenge received 31 innovative development-stage energy storage projects in New York State. Strategic planning and recruitment of industry and capital partners has begun.
• The Upstate New York Energy Storage Engine, through its translation pillar, will further support regional startups with training, mentoring, access to infrastructure and investments. Grants to startups will be announced in the coming weeks.

Research and development

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:

• RIT, in partnership with NY-BEST, is leading the Battery Development Center, a state-of-the-art research and rapid prototyping and testing facility that offers an integrated end-to-end set of services for the battery industry. Funded by the Engine, the center is being expanded to provide advanced safety testing services.
• The Battery Development Center offers prototyping seminars and works with industry partners for small-scale prototyping needs. The state-of-the-art lab space and dry room for students and faculty recently received state ($2.2M) and federal ($1.25M) funds to expand.
• Battery-NY, a next-generation development and prototyping facility with an emphasis on sustainability, will be located in Johnson City at the former Gannett printing site. Battery-NY, to be fully operational in 2026, will bridge the gap for emerging battery chemistries and technologies between R&D and large-scale production. The center is hiring a facilities manager and working with potential equipment suppliers.

Equity and inclusion

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:

• The Koffman Southern Tier Incubator’s NENY Equity in Innovation program secured $9,000 in local funding to support the Minority Business Accelerator. Six companies participated in the initial six-week cohort and another 22 companies interested in MWBE received guidance through follow-up programs. Koffman also opened an Equity in Innovation Computer Lab to help local entrepreneurs advance their businesses.
• Elmira IncubatorWorks and NENY Prototyping Lab held a ribbon-cutting in February. IncubatorWorks has held several business plan classes as well as business accelerator classes with strong black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) and women’s participation.
• Southern Door Community Land Trust held a community event regarding clean energy jobs in Broome County. More than 25 residents learned about battery technology alongside other community-led resources such as free financial education and empowerment, workforce readiness/vocational programs and local childcare providers.
• The land trust has also begun a rehabilitation project to be the area’s first and only BIPOC- and community-led housing organization that will provide energy-efficient, climate-resilient housing with lasting affordability.