Phase Sensitive Innovations Chooses Delaware for State-of-the-Art Lab, Manufacturing and R&D Expansion
Growth of veteran-owned, Newark-based company will support production of semiconductor components and other advanced technologies for Department of Defense contracts and private-sector clients
WILMINGTON, Del. (April 23, 2024) – Phase Sensitive Innovations – a veteran-owned, University of Delaware spinoff that specializes in radio-frequency components, devices and systems – has chosen to expand operations in its hometown of Newark, Delaware, to support its continued growth within the domestic defense and global semiconductor industries.
PSI will occupy an approximately 12,000-square-foot site along with its current 20,000-square-feet facility, both of which are located in Sandy Brae Industrial Park in Newark. Along with the physical expansion, PSI plans to expand staff from its current roster of 80 – all but three of whom are engineers – to more than 100 by the end of 2024 and add 30 to 40 more jobs in subsequent years.
All of the new jobs will be highly skilled technical positions that provide a high degree of on-the-job training. PSI plans to continue recruiting locally from the University of Delaware and Delaware Technical Community College to fill these roles.
“It’s rewarding to see a Delaware-born company expand in its hometown, adding highly skilled jobs to our workforce and increasing manufacturing and lab space in Newark,” said Governor John Carney. “I’m pleased by Phase Sensitive Innovations’ work to recruit employees from our institutions of higher education. Those relationships and support from the Delaware Prosperity Partnership create a vibrant workforce and strengthen our economy in the First State.”
PSI’s new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility will include more than 8,000 square feet of lab space and will focus on thin-film lithium niobate wafers and devices. This technology enables next-generation communications and radio frequency systems, and PSI is believed to be the only domestic supplier positioned to manufacture these items domestically. The expansion also will free up space in the original building that will be used to expand research and development operations.
PSI has received $110 million in ongoing Department of Defense contracts – extending across Army, Navy, Air Force and Office of the Undersecretary of Defense programs as well as related work with the National Air and Space Administration and the Department of Energy – and other transactional agreements since its founding in 2007. The company expects to book more than $20 million in additional contracts over the next year.
PSI also works directly with prime contractors and other commercial partners to manufacture state-of-the-industry photonic components. The company recently signed a transition agreement to manufacture and supply original equipment manufacturer components to a global leader in photonic components and aims to grow further in the commercial sector with advanced technologies for wireless communications, broadband, smart devices and other applications.
“Congratulations to Dennis Prather and the entire PSI team on the expansion of their facility in Newark,” said New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer. “It’s critical to Delaware’s job market to retain successful homegrown businesses and to ensure success by creating more high-paying jobs right here in our community.”
“I am thrilled Dr. Prather is going to continue expanding in Delaware,” said U.S. Senator Chris Coons. “Phase Sensitive Innovations is a remarkable innovative company that manufactures the next generation of technology which translates radio signals into optical signals in no small part because of their patent portfolio and great employees. Dr. Prather and his team of innovators have taken an incredible idea and turned it into a technology that is now contributing to the vibrancy of the Newark economy, the security of the United States and our global competitiveness. From my first meeting with Dennis in the basement of Evans Hall at UD, to my recent visit where I saw his facility in Newark bursting at the seams, PSI is one of the better examples of how strong IP, a great team of people and initial help from SBIRs and STTRs can help research move from the early development to rapidly scaling.”
“Delaware is so well-placed – with a prime location in the Mid-Atlantic region – and it’s an untapped resource when it comes to technical talent,” said PSI President Dennis Prather, who is also a professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Delaware and a veteran of the U.S. Naval Reserve and who founded PSI with fellow faculty member Christopher Schuetz. “We are very grateful to the State of Delaware for supporting the expansion of our manufacturing facility, which will enable PSI to become a major provider of a key technology to the defense and commercial sectors for years to come.”
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About Delaware Prosperity Partnership
Created in 2017, Delaware Prosperity Partnership (choosedelaware.com) is the nonprofit public/private organization that leads Delaware’s statewide economic development efforts to attract, grow and retain businesses; build a stronger entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem; and support private employers in identifying, recruiting and developing talent.
About Phase Sensitive Innovations
Phase Sensitive Innovations (PSI) is a small, high-technology company specializing in radio-frequency (RF) photonic devices, components and systems, with a particular focus on the millimeter wave (mmW) region of the electromagnetic spectrum. PSI produces high-quality and high-performance RF photonic devices, components and systems with applications that include mmW imaging and wireless communications systems such as 5G/B5G cellular, communications, radar and vision enhancement markets.
New Castle County Chamber of Commerce 