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Photonics facility in Rochester moves into the next phase

State officials say that tool installation has begun on schedule at the AIM Photonics Test, Assembly and Packaging (TAP) facility in Rochester.

They also say that work on that photonics operation on Lake Avenue, near Eastman Business Park, is forecasted to come in $3.2 million dollars under budget.

This is all part of a more than $600 million effort with the federal government putting in $110 million  and the state and private sector among those entities that are making up the balance.

New York State has committed $250 million toward the project.

AIM Photonics is working to reduce energy consumption in data centers, provide technology for optics in next generation wireless networks and helping to develop optical sensors for medical and environmental applications.

The TAP facility is expected to open to some customers in the third quarter of this year, with additional equipment installed next year.

Separately, the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce says that on Wednesday, ON Semiconductor, an imaging photonics component manufacturer also located at that Lake Avenue complex, will celebrate the opening of its new Assembly and Test Operation.

A number of state and local officials are expected at the ribbon cutting for the nearly 7,700 square foot facility which makes CCD (charge-coupled device) image sensors.

Randy Gorbman is WXXI's director of news and public affairs. Randy manages the day-to-day operations of WXXI News on radio, television, and online.