The storied technology sector of the Lehigh Valley will be showcased at Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp.’s annual Fall Signature Event at Lehigh University’s Iacocca Hall on Wednesday, Nov. 8., on its Mountaintop Campus in Bethlehem.  

Fresh from submitting an application to be chosen as one of the country’s 20 Tech Hubs designated by the U.S. Economic Development Administration, LVEDC has assembled a powerhouse panel of speakers for a program on “Lehigh Valley’s Technology Sector Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.”

Intel, which has about 300 semiconductor design engineers based in the Lehigh Valley, will be the event’s presenting sponsor.

The Lehigh Valley has a legacy of technological innovation. It was at Western Electric in Allentown that transistors, the forerunner to semiconductors, were first mass produced in 1951.

“The Lehigh Valley has long been a leader in the development of semiconductors and associated technologies,” said Don Cunningham, president and CEO of LVEDC. “We’ve played an important historical role in the industry’s development, have a growing base of companies today, and are poised to help lead a U.S. resurgence in the future.”

The highlight of the event will be a powerhouse panel discussion among Lehigh Valley technology industry leaders, including Ed Pullin, IP Marketing Director at Intel; Doug Dopp, Senior Director of OSD Manufacturing at Broadcom; Mark Granahan, Founder and CEO at iDEAL Semiconductor; and Wayne Barz, Chief Investment Officer at Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania.  Cunningham will moderate the panel discussion.

The region has more than 30 semiconductor-related companies, including some of the nation’s best-known firms, and collectively employ 1,500 employees.

Event sponsors include Klunk & Millan as cocktail sponsor, and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 375 (IBEW 375), J.G. Petrucci Co., Lafayette College, Lehigh University, Service Electric, and Workforce Board Lehigh Valley as Gold Sponsors. B. Braun Medical, Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania, Boyle Construction, BSI Corporate Benefits, Fitzpatrick Lentz & Bubba, Murray Hill Group, and St. Luke's University Health Network as Silver Sponsors. Sponsorships are still available. For more information, please contact Stephanie Wean at swean@lehighvalley.org.

The registration for the event will begin at 3:30 p.m. and the event be from 4-6 p.m. There will be a networking reception along with more information regarding the Lehigh Valley’s recent application seeking Tech Hub designation that could qualify the region for $50 to $75 million in federal technology investment. Tech Hub selections will be announced later this fall.

LVEDC filed the Tech Hub application on behalf of a broad regional coalition that includes tech companies, colleges and universities, state and local governments, and partners in labor, economic development, community services, and workforce development.

Due to limited space, the free event is open only to those actively employed in the Lehigh Valley. The employee’s name, title, and company will be required at the time of registration. There is no cost to attend. Register here.

Semiconductor technology firms operating in the Lehigh Valley today include AAYUNA, Broadcom, Cisco, Coherent, Infinera, iDEAL Semiconductor, Intel, and POET Technologies. Collectively, the industry employs about 1,500 people who are developing, producing, and assembling semiconductors that are relied on by brands such as Google, Microsoft, Meta, AWS, AT&T, Verizon, Netflix, and Nokia.

Those tech companies are supported by Lehigh Valley firms such as Air Products, Air Liquide, Evonik, EMD Electronics, and LBN that supply components and raw materials.

If the Lehigh Valley were to be designated as a Tech Hub, that ecosystem could grow and contribute to fostering a secure domestic supply of semiconductors and components for current and future communications technologies.

(Photos by Donna Fisher Photography on behalf of LVEDC)

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