Four New York State companies have been chosen to receive SyracuseCoE Innovation Fund awards to help commercialize their innovative products and services.
Companies that are members of the SyracuseCoE Partner program were invited to submit proposals that help bridge the gap to commercialization for products that address a challenge within SyracuseCoE’s core focus areas, including indoor environmental quality, clean and renewable energy and water resources. Collaborations with researchers from academic Partner institutions were encouraged.
Awards for this program are funded by member companies of the SyracuseCoE Partner Program with the purpose of helping companies advance product development and technological innovation.
The winning projects include:
- Ducted Wind Turbine, Potsdam, NY: $10,000 to develop a new blade and hub design for its 3.5 kW wind turbine, offering improved power production, increased part reliability, reduced cost and higher safety margins;
- Hearth Labs, New York City: $9,988 to support a pilot deployment of Hearth Labs’ Q Sense, a thermal-LiDAR sensor and software platform used to generate thermal digital twins of buildings, reduce energy consumption and improve occupant comfort;
- Hydronic Shell Technologies, New York City: $10,000 to advance the development of the HydroBox, a key component of the Hydronic Shell deep energy retrofit system that is integrated into a façade, allowing for complete conditioning of a dwelling unit from the exterior wall;
- uvcPhyzx, Dundee, NY: $10,000 to optimize the system design parameters of the patented uvcPhyzx device for integration 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. “Ultimately, these awards strengthen both the company and Central New York’s position as a leader in technology innovations that address energy and environmental challenges.”
Each applicant pitches a proposal to a panel of reviewers who judge the proposal based on technical merit and sound principles. These awards would not have been possible without the generous participation and time of our panel, including Michael Birnkrant, 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.
With these awards, SyracuseCoE has supported 60 Innovation Fund projects with awards totaling over $635,000.
To learn more about the SyracuseCoE Innovation Fund or the Partner Program, visit the webpage or contact Tammy Rosanio at tlrosani@syr.edu.