Gillibrand, Schumer Press US Energy Secretary to Approve Long Island Forum for Technology's Bid for $70 Million Federal Grant to Establish National Composites Center, Bolster High-Tech Innovation

Press Release

With Long Island Forum for Technology (LIFT) in the finals for a $70 million Department of Energy award, U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today urged U.S. Energy Secretary Dr. Ernest Moniz to approve LIFT's application for a competitive federal grant aimed to bolster high-tech innovation and manufacturing on Long Island. Federal funding would go towards renovating LIFT's high-tech innovation center known as the Composite Prototyping Center (CPC), purchasing state-of-the-art equipment to boost its cutting-edge program that rapidly develops and uses composite materials, which are strong but lightweight materials used in advanced construction. Senators fully backed LIFT's bid to be designated as the Department of Energy's federal manufacturing innovation institute for composite materials known as the Clean Energy Manufacturing Institute for Composite Materials and Structures. Department of Energy plans to announce the winner of the competition this fall.

"I strongly believe the Long Island Forum for Technology is best positioned to establish a this national institute to ensure U.S. competitiveness in the global composite materials industry," said Senator Gillibrand. "This critical investment would help Long Island lead the way in the rapidly growing composite marketplace through state-of-the-art technology, engineering, and manufacturing and in creating thousands of high-tech jobs right here at home."

"This federal grant will mean the renovation of LIFT's innovation center and will help purchase new state-of-the art equipment for its programs, further bolstering Long Island's place on the map for high-tech research and manufacturing," said Senator Schumer. "The Department of Energy should support LIFT's "Composite Now!' $70 million initiative as it will help create jobs and bolster innovation in the Long Island region."

LIFT's primary mission is to commercialize Long Island's technology, helping to grow the region's economy. The organization, in partnership with Stony Brook University, is leading a national team of partners from academia and industry for a competitive federal grant to help boost its Composites Now! initiative, which would be housed at Plainview's CPC, a premier non-profit manufacturing hub for composite applications across diverse industries such as automotive, energy, infrastructure, transportation, and aerospace.

CPC's goal is to provide companies with essential training and workforce development, process technologies, prototype manufacturing and testing capabilities, and the support manufacturers need to succeed in the rapidly growing advanced composite supply chain.

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