Recently renewed with up to $210,000 in matching funds for the Western New York area in the current fiscal year under the New York State budget, the local arm of SPIR is part of a statewide effort to help create and retain manufacturing jobs at small to medium-sized companies.

Funding for SPIR, established in 1994 by the State of New York, is available to qualifying manufacturing companies to add research-and-development support and technical expertise, including new-product development, redesign or enhancement of products and process improvement.

"The SPIR program is an example of the university's commitment to economic development in Western New York," said Mark Karwan, dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. "Now in its fourth year, SPIR can be viewed as an important item in Western New York's portfolio for regional development."

During the past fiscal year in Western New York, SPIR assistance contributed to:

- The retention of 1,274 manufacturing jobs

- The creation of 889 manufacturing positions

- The completion of 357 projects

- Assistance to 193 companies

In the four years of its existence, SPIR has allocated more than $750,000 in state matching money to Western New York firms.

SPIR projects recently awarded to Western New York manufacturing firms received from $5,000 to $50,000 in matching SPIR funds and took from three to 18 months to complete. The projects included:

- ISO gap assessment and related training for several small manufacturers

- Development of facilities and plant layout for an expanding manufacturer

- Technical writing services

- Development of a test facility for analysis of heat exchangers for a local industrial consortium

- Computer modeling and development of design criteria for steam injectors

- Finite element analysis and testing for improving product design.

Through the UB program and similar ones at the SUNY university centers at Binghamton and Stony Brook and SUNY College at New Paltz, SPIR aims to bolster the state economy by promoting the transfer of knowledge from university to industry and providing consultation, research facilities and resources for industrial restructuring.

SPIR grants will cover up to 50 percent of a project's cost for hiring faculty, students and other technically trained personnel and fees for using sophisticated research facilities, such as those available at UB.

Projects are evaluated on technical merit and the ability to create or retain manufacturing jobs in Western New York. Companies are required to quantify the number of manufacturing jobs that will be retained and/or created if a project is funded. Certain costs, such as capital-equipment expenses and materials, may not be funded under SPIR