Supply Chain Activation Network (SCAN)
Become a Semiconductor Supplier in Upstate New York
You may already make something the industry buys. SCAN helps Upstate New York manufacturers find out, then get qualified, funded and introduced to the fabs and tier-1 suppliers building here.
What SCAN is
What the Supply Chain Activation Network does
About 100 manufacturers in the Buffalo–Rochester–Syracuse corridor already supply the semiconductor industry. SCAN’s goal is 200 by 2034, and the first eight contracts are signed. Not one of those companies makes a chip.
SCAN is how existing Upstate New York manufacturers become semiconductor suppliers. Led by the University at Buffalo with CenterState CEO, Invest Buffalo Niagara, Greater Rochester Enterprise, Insyte Consulting, NextCorps and TDO, it maps what the region’s fabs and tier-1 suppliers need against what local firms can make, then invests in the firms that could close the gap. Widening who gets into that supply chain, including minority- and women-owned manufacturers, is among the program’s stated goals. An Economic Development Organization acts as your navigator; a Manufacturing Extension Partnership does the hands-on work of vendor qualification that moves a shop from “close” to fab-approved. That work covers process improvements, ISO certification, cybersecurity and efficiency upgrades. SCAN is one program of the NY SMART I-Corridor, the federally designated Tech Hub across Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Ithaca.
How SCAN helps businesses
Supplier assessments
Identify and explore manufacturing capabilities and readiness to support scaling semiconductor producers.
Technical assistance
Connect with services that help with certifications, lean manufacturing, digital transformation and facility upgrades.
Accelerate growth
Capitalize on access to capital support, ready-made sites, workforce solutions and expert assistance.
Strategic matchmaking
Collaborate with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), Tier 1 research universities and other potential partners through regional engagements.
MEPs deliver hands-on support to manufacturers, while EDOs provide business expansion resources and access to state, federal and private investment. Together, they help companies grow, compete and thrive in the semiconductor space.
1 in 46
Only one in every 46 manufacturing firms in this region is engaged in the semiconductor ecosystem today. Of the corridor’s 4,600-plus manufacturers, the University at Buffalo’s capability mapping has identified 441 that could plausibly enter it. Reaching that demand could add upwards of $5 billion in local output.
Source: University at Buffalo capability mapping
Who Scan is for
Which Businesses Can Supply the Semiconductor Industry?
01
Established manufacturers
You make something today, whether that is machined parts, coatings, industrial gases or electronics, and you have wondered whether it could serve a fab. If you make or move something to spec, there is likely a role for you. You do not need to be a chip company.
02
Suppliers and mid-market firms
You already hold certifications like ISO 9001 or AS9100 for aerospace, medical or defense work, and you suspect they travel. They largely do. What is usually missing is knowing which fabs and tier-1 buyers need what you make, and that is the gap the EDO navigators exist to close.
03
Job shops and smaller manufacturers
You have fewer than a hundred people and you assume a program like this is built for larger firms. Most of the supplier candidates the region has identified are small and mid-sized businesses. Size matters less here than certification and knowing who buys what you already make.
what you get
How SCAN Helps You Get Qualified
Supplier assessment
A free review of what you make and how ready it is for semiconductor work, measured against a live map of what the region’s fabs and tier-1 suppliers are actually buying.
Vendor qualification
Process improvements to meet quality specs, ISO certification, cybersecurity for industry and national-security standards, efficiency upgrades. Delivered by regional MEPs with semiconductor expertise from NY CREATES.
Funding for the upgrade
Direct grants toward process improvements, plus navigation to state capital, including the State Small Business Credit Initiative and capital project loan programs. Where the upgrade needs equipment or testing you do not own, NY THRIVE innovation vouchers can cover the cost of using someone else’s.
Introductions to buyers
The I-Corridor Purchasing Roundtable puts local firms in front of fabs and tier-1 suppliers, and helps manufacturers partner up to bid on work none could win alone.
Supply Chain Activation Network
In preparation of an historic growth in domestic semiconductor production, the NY SMART I-Corridor is accelerating supply chain readiness across the region through SCAN. This initiative supports businesses seeking to enter, expand or strengthen their role within the semiconductor supply chain by providing direct services through a coordinated network of Manufacturing Extension Partnerships (MEPs) and Economic Development Organizations (EDOs).
View the updated Supply Chain Opportunity Guide to learn how your business can participate in New York’s growing semiconductor ecosystem.
why here, why now
Why Build a Semiconductor Supply Chain in New York State
1 in 4
of all U.S. chip fabrication is projected to happen within 350 miles of the I-Corridor by 2034
Source: SEMI World Fab Forecast, 2023
98 → 200
firms in the region’s semiconductor supply chain today, and SCAN’s target by 2034
185
manufacturers to receive hands-on technical assistance by September 2029
$25,000
the maximum SCAN award per project. Seven of the first eight companies under contract received the full amount
0%
state corporate income and capital tax for qualified New York manufacturers
Source: NY Tax Law Article 9-A rate tables, NYS Dept. of Taxation and Finance
Up to 10 years
of Excelsior Jobs Program benefits, at enhanced rates for semiconductor supply chain projects
Source: Empire State Development, Excelsior Jobs Program
proof
Who Already Supplies the Industry Here
Fabs and tier-1 suppliers operating in and around the corridor:
Manufacturers that have signed SCAN contracts:
Eight companies have signed SCAN contracts worth $198,930 between them: Apollo Optical Systems, Seven Valley Specialty Cables, Pelco Component Technologies, WMT Precision, Triplett Machine, Circle Optics, Harrick Plasma and Titan International Sales. Micron, Edwards Vacuum and Saab have pledged to prioritize local purchasing.
FAQ
Semiconductor Supply Chain Questions, Answered
No. Fabs buy from a deep base of ordinary manufacturers. Machined parts, metals, industrial gases and specialty chemicals, optics, coatings, cleanroom services and logistics all go into building and running one. In this region only one in every 46 manufacturing firms is currently engaged in the semiconductor ecosystem, and manufacturers consistently say the barrier is not capability. It is not knowing who to talk to or what fabs need. If you make or move something to spec, there may be a role for you.
Start with a free capability assessment. An Economic Development Organization in your metro acts as your navigator, whether that is Invest Buffalo Niagara, Greater Rochester Enterprise, or CenterState CEO, and a regional Manufacturing Extension Partnership (Insyte, NextCorps, or TDO) reviews what you make against what the region’s fabs and tier-1 suppliers are buying. What comes back is a clear assessment of fit and a specific list of what would need to change.
The assessment and navigation are free. Technical assistance through the MEP network is subsidized, and SCAN awards direct grants of up to $25,000 per project toward operational improvements and certification. Of the first eight companies under contract, seven received the full $25,000. One thing to plan for: the money is paid on completion rather than up front, so the work is funded against milestones you have met.
It varies by what you make, but the common list is: process improvements to hit quality specifications, ISO certification, cybersecurity measures to meet industry and national-security requirements, EPEAT registration criteria where electronics are involved, and technology upgrades for capacity and efficiency. This is exactly the work MEPs do, with semiconductor-specific expertise from NY CREATES. If meeting the standard also means adding people, the corridor’s semiconductor talent programs work with employers on hiring and training.
Fabs and tier-1 suppliers operating in and around the I-Corridor include Micron, GlobalFoundries, Wolfspeed, Corning, Edwards Vacuum, Linde, INFICON and Lockheed Martin. Roughly 100 firms in the Buffalo–Rochester–Syracuse corridor already serve the semiconductor supply chain.
Keep Reading
More on the New York Semiconductor Supply Chain
See If Your Business Can Supply the Semiconductor Industry
Tell us what you make. An economic development organization in your region will check it against what the corridor’s fabs and tier-1 suppliers are actually buying, and tell you honestly whether there’s a fit. No cost, no obligation.
Get Connected – SCAN
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