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Today, Congressman Paul Tonko joined with representatives from the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) to lead the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Chief Manufacturing Officer Mike Molnar on a tour of CNSE’s Albany NanoTech Complex.

Mr. Molnar is touring CNSE at the invitation of Congressman Tonko. Mr. Molnar was recently named head of the administration’s Advanced Manufacturing National Program Office. He will speak at a conference at RPI this evening after touring the Rensselaer Center for Automation Technologies and Systems (CATS) facilities.

“I was thrilled that Mike accepted our offer to come see first-hand the cutting edge research being done at the NanoCollege,” said Congressman Paul Tonko. “It can’t be said any simpler – research equals jobs. I look forward to continuing to partner with NIST and the Advanced Manufacturing National Program Office as we pursue opportunities to create jobs, boost the economy and reignite the American Dream through our manufacturing base.”

CNSE Senior Vice President and  CEO Dr. Alain E. Kaloyeros said, “Created through the vision of Governor Mario Cuomo, and enabled through the leadership and support of Governor Andrew Cuomo, the SUNY NanoCollege continues to gain global recognition as the epicenter for innovative research, development and commercialization of nanotechnology-enabled applications across the industries of the 21st century high-tech economy. The NanoCollege extends its gratitude and acknowledgment to Congressman Paul Tonko for his staunch drive and proactive initiatives at the Federal level, including today's visit by Mike Molnar, the Chief Manufacturing Officer of the National Institute of Standards and Technology."

NIST is playing a key role in the Advanced Manufacturing National Program Office, a national effort bringing together industry, universities, and the federal government to invest in the emerging technologies that will create high-quality manufacturing jobs and enhance global competitiveness. The innovation ecosystem spearheaded by CNSE, which is enabling leading-edge nanoscale research and development and catalyzing high-tech manufacturing across upstate New York, is viewed as a national paradigm for this critical effort in maintaining U.S. technological superiority.

Mr. Molnar’s visit comes just months after Forbes Magazine named the Albany-Schenectady area number four nationwide in a Best Cities for Jobs List. Last year, the Brookings Institution named the Capital Region as a national leader in green technology and clean energy. President Obama has also visited the region two times in the past thirty months in recognition of the region’s manufacturing and educational opportunities.

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