STEM

SyracuseCoE Awards $40,000 for Tech Product Commercialization

Friday, December 16, 2022, By Kerrie Marshall

The SyracuseCoE has awarded $40,000 in Innovation Fund grants to help four New York State companies commercialize their innovative tech products and services.

Led by Syracuse University, SyracuseCoE is one of 13 NYSTAR-funded Centers of Excellence that brings industry partners together with researchers and students who are creating new tech products and businesses.

The winning projects are:

  • Ducted Wind Turbine, of Potsdam, was awarded $10,000 to develop a new blade and hub design for its 3.5 kW wind turbine. The innovation offers improved power production, increased part reliability, reduced cost and higher safety margins
  • Hearth Labs, of New York City, received $9,988 to deploy a pilot of its Q Sense thermal-LiDAR sensor and software platform. It generates thermal digital twin layouts of buildings to gauge reductions in energy consumption and improve occupant comfort.
  • Hydronic Shell Technologies, of New York City, was awarded $10,000 to advance development of HydroBox. The product is key to the Hydronic Shell deep energy retrofit system that, when integrated into a façade, allows for complete conditioning of a dwelling unit from the exterior wall.
  • uvcPhyzx, of Dundee, received $10,000 to optimize the system design parameters of its patented uvcPhyzx device, which integrates with controlled environment agricultural (CEA) HVAC systems.

“SyracuseCoE’s Innovation Fund Awards continue to serve as an effective way to help companies achieve commercialization of their technologies,” says Jianshun “Jensen” Zhang, SyracuseCoE executive director. “These awards strengthen both the company and Central New York’s position as a leader in technology innovations that address energy and environmental challenges.”

SyracuseCoE has supported 60 Innovation Fund projects with awards totaling over $635,000 to date.

To compete for the awards, companies that are members of the SyracuseCoE Partner program could submit proposals to help commercialize projects within SyracuseCoE’s core focus areas: indoor environmental quality, clean and renewable energy and water resources. The awards are funded by member companies of the SyracuseCoE Partner Program.

Judges included Michael Birnkrant of Carrier, Brian Carter; SyracuseCoE; Jeffrey Fuchsberg, Syracuse University’s CASE Center; Jamie Newtown, Ramboll; Nathan Prior, CenTrio Energy; Marcus Webb, Columbia Technology Ventures and Mike Wetzel, Air Innovations.