Advanced Material Research Centers & Initiatives

What Is It?

Carolina’s high-tech centers and initiatives offer access to talent, knowledge, and facilities with opportunities for collaboration among academia, government, and industry. The Centers and Initiatives focus on nanoscience, the manipulation of material at the molecular scale using microelectronics.

Universities Involved

Clemson University

  • Center for Optical Materials Science and Engineering Technologies (COMSAT) is very active (patents and spin off companies).  Affecting the automotive, medical, communications and defense industries.
  • Clemson Research Park is a $70M magnet for the advanced materials industry.
    Photonics is “electronics at the speed of light” and has automotive, medical and computing applications. Current investment of $20M in their Photonics Center.

Carolinas Micro-Optics Triangle Research

  • Partnership among Clemson University, University of North Carolina - Charlotte, Western Carolina University and Duke University.

University of North Carolina - Charlotte 

  • Center for Optoelectronics and Optical Communications research into sensors.
  • Center for Precision Metrology.

North Carolina State University 

  • Research into thermally protective fibers and smart textiles.
  • Institute for Nanoscience, Engineering and Technology (INET).
  • Research into integration of physical and biological nanosystems, nanoelectronics and photonics and nanotechnologies for energy conversion.
  • Interaction of photonics with optoelectronics, particularly with companies like Cree and Nitronex.

North Carolina A&T 

  • Center for Nanoscience and Materials concentrates on research into advanced materials and nanotechnology.

University of South Carolina - Columbia 

  • Nanoscale research of composite materials, plastics, advanced manufacturing and nanoelectronics. One focus area is laser lighting which is the next step beyond fluorescent lighting.

Duke University 

  • Engineering Research Center (ERC) capability involving BioMaterials.
  • Both Duke University and North Carolina State University are key research universities linked to Oak Ridge National Lab through joint appointments, collaborative research and graduate student opportunities.

Community/Technical Colleges Involved

S.C. Upstate Photonics Center 

  • Collaboration with Tri-County, Greenville, and Spartanburg Technical Colleges and Clemson University to develop selected courses for a photonics technician.