WPI awarded $1M for new R&D center

Laurie Leshin, president of Worcester Polytechnic Institute

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By Katherine Hamilton

On Tuesday, Worcester Polytechnic Institute received a $999,963 grant from the state government to support a new research center focused on manufacturing and cybersecurity, according to a press release from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative.

The grant comes from the Collaborative Research Matching Grant program, which is managed by the Innovation Institute at MassTech. MassTech, which is a quasi-public agency, is co-investing with the state in a two-year, $2-million project to develop the new center.

Specifically, the state grant will be used to purchase a semiconductor failure analysis system, which will be the first of its kind in the Northeast, per the release.

The facility will enable WPI to work with the private industry and utilize new testing equipment, per the release. Private tech companies Analog Devices in Wilmington, Dell, and Google, as well as the federally funded R&D center The MITRE Corp., are among those partnering with the college on this project.

WPI will collaborate with Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester to develop the workforce development aspect of the program.

“This new center will more closely connect academic research with industry leaders, a strategy that will help spur collaborations to drive meaningful security innovations for a critical sector,” said WPI President Laurie Leshin in a statement. “The new center will also answer a need for cutting-edge facilities to train the future workforce while promoting equity and access to STEM education and careers.”