June 24, 2008
South San Jose's Industrial Park Emerges as a Manufacturing Hub
SVTC Technologies will add jobs with new photovoltaic development and manufacturing center
SAN JOSE, Calif. – Moving a step closer to realizing San José's Green Vision goal of adding 25,000 Clean Tech jobs in 15 years, the San Jose Redevelopment Agency unanimously approved an agreement to bring SVTC Solar to the emerging solar cluster in the City's Edenvale area.
"San José has set a goal of becoming the world center for clean tech innovation, and SVTC Solar's new Silicon Valley Photovoltaic Development Center will play a critical role in helping reach this goal," said Mayor Chuck Reed. "The emerging solar industry has great potential, not only to create quality jobs, but to help solve our nation's energy crisis."
The action today is one step in the implementation of San José's Green Vision, an ambitious and comprehensive 15-year plan to solve environmental problems and grow the local economy. Focused around three elements – Clean Tech Innovation, Sustainability, and Green Mobility – San José's Green Vision is a roadmap for the City to become the world's center of Clean Tech Innovation.
The Reimbursement Agreement with SVTC Solar includes financial assistance, and in obtaining employment training funds that will result in SVTC Solar opening its Development Center in San José's Edenvale Technology Park. SVTC Solar, a business unit of San Jose-based independent semiconductor development foundry SVTC Technologies, will open the Silicon Valley Photovoltaic Development Center on its new site located at 5215 Hellyer Ave., in South San Jose.
"Edenvale is an excellent location for emerging technology companies to grow and be successful," said Councilmember Forrest Williams. "The South San Jose Industrial Park will also prove to be an excellent location that fosters a sense of advanced innovation, leading the region in emerging technological research."The Center will be a partnership of organizations that offer solar-cell manufacturing, reliability testing and certification services. For example, photovoltaic equipment maker Roth & Rau AG of Germany will install a five-megawatt capacity line at the Center to develop and manufacture silicon wafer solar cells.
"Already SVTC Solar has built a 30,000-square-foot clean room and 20,000-square-foot lab; large enough to handle 30 simultaneous photovoltaic development projects," according to Kurt Laetz, SVTC Solar's Program Manager. "Thanks to the San Jose Redevelopment Agency, SVTC will be a catalyst for focusing Silicon Valley's engineering muscle on the challenge of making photovoltaics a viable, practical technology for converting light directly into electricity," said Laetz.
As part of the agreement, the San José Redevelopment Agency will provide $100,000 for SVTC Technologies to purchase manufacturing equipment and the City of San José's Office of Economic Development will pursue $100,000 in state Employment Training Panel funds to assist SVTC with training its workforce. The new Silicon Valley Photovoltaics Development Center is expected to generate 60 new jobs within two years.
On June 17, 2008, the Redevelopment Agency Board approved a similar reimbursement agreement with CTS, an electronic manufacturing company. Both SVTC and CTS will join three other manufacturing companies – Nanosolar, SoloPower and Stion – that have made the Edenvale Technology Park in South San José their home.
Attracting emerging technology companies to the Edenvale Redevelopment Project Area is a key goal of the Redevelopment Agency's Edenvale Emerging Technologies Fund program. Since the inception of the Fund in 2006, SVTC is the fifth emerging technology company to move to Edenvale, following Nanosolar, SoloPower, Stion and CTS Electronic Manufacturing Solutions.
About SVTC
SVTC Technologies enables the development and commercialization of innovative semiconductor-based technologies and products in an accelerated, cost-effective and IP-secure way. Since joining forces with ATDF, SVTC now offers an even more powerful suite of leading-edge equipment and services, including full-scale 8-inch (200mm) and 12-inch (300mm) CMOS and MEMS process capabilities, development support tools and commercialization services. SVTC's San Jose, Calif., and Austin, Texas, facilities deliver operational excellence and faster time to revenue, allowing customers to create real, manufacturing-ready solutions for rapidly growing markets such as MEMS/MOEMS, photovoltaics, biotech, novel memory, image sensors and high-voltage applications. More information can be found at www.svtc.com.
About Edenvale Technology Park
The 2,312-acre Edenvale Technology Park houses more than 300 companies and 13,000 workers operating in more than 12 million square feet of R&D, office and manufacturing space. Since 1977, the San José Redevelopment Agency has invested more than $90 million for infrastructure improvements that support the operations of Edenvale's corporate community, including improvements to Highway 85, local streets and intersections, and upgrades to utilities and sanitary storm sewers. The industrial area offers a reverse commute and is accessible by Route 85 and Highway 101, the light rail transit system and Caltrain. Several retail and restaurant options, as well as affordable housing, are available within a one-mile radius of the technology park. Edenvale is situated approximately 12 minutes south of downtown San José and only 15 minutes south of the Mineta San José International Airport.
About the San Jose Redevelopment Agency
The Agency is dedicated to improving the quality of life for all who live and work in San Jose. Governed by the City Council, the Agency facilitates and oversees comprehensive programs for development to revitalize and strengthen quality of life and competitiveness for San Jose’s downtown, neighborhoods, and industrial areas. www.sjredevelopment.org.
About the City of San Jose's Office of Economic Development
The City of San Jose's Office of Economic Development (OED) is committed to a vital, competitive San Jose economy that increases prosperity for people and companies and enhances City revenues. The Office guides the City's economic strategy, provides assistance for business success, helps connect employers with trained workers, and provides art and cultural resources to our community. For more information, please visit, www.sjeconomy.com.
Contact:
Helen de Runa, (408) 795-1807
San Jose Redevelopment Agency
Helen.deruna@sanjoseca.gov
Colleen Martell, (408) 374-7420
Martell Communications
cmartell@martellpr.com