UConn Tech Park Set as Global Semiconductor Hub

An international leader in electron microscopy and scientific instrumentation plans to launch a cutting-edge research center at the UConn Tech Park, positioning Connecticut to become a hub for the global semiconductor industry with on-site manufacturing, technology innovation, and workforce development.

Tescan Group's recent purchase of FemtoInnovations, a UConn-based startup in the Tech Park's Innovation Partnership Building (IPB), launches a collaboration to accelerate research and commercial applications for ultrashort pulsed micro and nanomachining laser technologies being pioneered at the university.

Those technologies are critical in the speed and precision of semiconductor processes used in consumer electronics such as phones and computers, along with hardware security, electron microscopy, spectroscopy, AI, scientific instrumentation, and medical technology such as electrodes and heart valves.

The collaboration is the first of its kind in which an industrial partner will locate manufacturing operations at the Tech Park. It sets a model for future partnerships by demonstrating the full potential of tapping into the University's faculty expertise, state-of-the-art laboratories, and cross-disciplinary capabilities to accelerate discovery and deliver real-world solutions.

It also will help catalyze research and grant opportunities for other faculty by providing access to highly sophisticated instruments and equipment, and support student success for undergraduate and graduate students through fellowships, scholarships, and research opportunities.

"This collaboration helps solidify the reputation of UConn and its Tech Park as both a center for global excellence in research, and as an engine driving the prosperity of our state and region," UConn President Radenka Maric says.

Tescan Group, which is based in the Czech Republic and operates in almost a dozen countries, decided to acquire FemtoInnovations after several meetings and discussions with its chief executive officer and co-founder, UConn faculty member Sina Shahbazmohamadi.

Shahbazmohamadi, an associate professor in biomedical engineering, has been developing the ultrafast FemtoChisel integrated laser system with two colleagues through FemtoInnovations, which licenses the technology from UConn through the University's Technology Commercialization Services.

Tescan's purchase includes creating a dedicated Laser Technology Business Unit in the Innovation Partnership Building, along with a new FLAME Center (FemtoInnovations Laser Advanced Manufacturing & Engineering) to serve as the nexus of research.

Under the work of Shahbazmohamadi and his colleagues - and with the involvement of UConn students and other faculty researchers - the center will conduct research and develop applications based on its unique expertise in laser systems, nanomachining solutions, imaging tools, and image-analysis software.

As part of Tescan's purchase of FemtoInnovations, the company and UConn plan to explore strategic partnership opportunities in research and development, joint intellectual property, product development, and industrialization of technologies developed jointly in advanced laser processing, correlative microscopy, and hardware security.

As the first on-site manufacturing lab in the UConn Tech Park, the partnership between Tescan and the University will mark an important milestone for the Innovation Partnership Building, an applied research facility of nearly 114,000 square feet built with $175 million in state investment to drive innovation and economic growth in Connecticut.

Since opening in 2018, the Tech Park has become a hub for academic-industry collaboration, housing more than $50 million in advanced instrumentation and more than 20 affiliated research centers.

To date, the research centers have attracted aggregate investment exceeding $450 million, including more than $100 million from industry partners, not including the newly announced Tescan partnership.

"We are excited about this unique industry-academia partnership that will allow talent development, innovation, and industrialization of advanced laser technologies with applications in semiconductors and biomedical devices," says Emmanouil Anagnostou, the UConn Tech Park's executive director.

UConn also hopes the collaboration will set an example that draws additional semiconductor industries to Connecticut, supporting the state's innovation economy through the development of new technologies and the creation of new jobs.

Tescan's planned new Laser Technology Business Unit in the IPB at the Tech Park will work in close synergy with its current Electron Microscopy and Micro-CT business units to integrate their workflows beginning in 2026.

Tescan Group says that from a strategy standpoint, the decision to buy FemtoInnovations and launch the partnership at UConn centered on three things: the caliber of the FemtoInnovations team, the maturity of its ultrafast-laser platform for real-world workflows, and a clear cultural fit with customer-driven problem solving.

Shahbazmohamadi co-founded FemtoInnovations with fellow UConn Ph.D. graduates Pouya Tavousi and Nicholas May, who serve as chief science officer and chief technology officer, respectively.

"Our team has always been driven by the pursuit of innovation and the development of disruptive laser processing technologies," Shahbazmohamadi says. "By combining our ultrafast laser systems with Tescan's leading imaging and analysis platforms, we are creating a powerful new dimension of integrated workflows.

"This partnership will accelerate discovery and redefine what's possible for our customers," he adds. "We are excited to combine forces and contribute to Tescan's legacy of excellence and innovation."

Under the partnership with UConn, Tescan will support the research work of two UConn Ph.D. students and will bring in millions of dollars' worth of its high-tech equipment that will also be available for UConn researchers to use, including a focused ion beam (FIB) scanning electron microscope.

The company also will build a cleanroom in the IPB, which is a space designed to support specialized scientific research in a tightly controlled environment where contamination is minimized to protect the work by filtering airborne particles from within the room.

Shahbazmohamad says he also plans to establish a research fellowship through the partnership in honor of former College of Engineering Dean Kazem Kazerounian, whom he credits for encouraging him to persevere in his research even when obstacles seemed unsurmountable.

The team's perseverance has paid off. Brookhaven National Laboratory on Long Island, New York, and Integer Pulse Technologies, a U.S.-based global company specializing in medical devices and components, were early adopters of the FemtoChisel technology that Tescan now plans to expand and accelerate.

Tescan Group's chief strategy officer visited the IPB in the UConn Tech Park last year to evaluate the potential FemtoInnovations purchase, and they later brought Shahbazmohamad to the company's headquarters in the Czech Republic to continue the discussions.

Tescan's top leader in the United States then visited UConn as well, touring the space and meeting with key UConn leaders involved in the discussions.

Tescan officials say that in the end, they determined FemtoInnovations brings a unique and disruptive laser platform to its portfolio — technology already proven in demanding workflows and attracting strong interest from leading global players across semiconductors, advanced manufacturing, and high-tech industries.

"Bringing FemtoInnovations into the Tescan family is a strategic step that strengthens our ability to deliver end-to-end workflows," says Jean-Charles Chen, Tescan Group's chief executive officer. "By combining ultrafast laser micromachining with our leading imaging and analysis platforms, we're enabling customers to move faster from problem to insight across failure analysis, sample preparation, R&D, and advanced manufacturing."