LITTLE ROCK — More than 25 high-tech engineering jobs will be created at a Fayetteville business thanks to a pair of U.S. Army contracts funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
Arkansas Power Electronics International, which is headquartered at the Arkansas Research Technology Park at the University of Arkansas, will use the stimulus money to add jobs over the next three years, according to a news release issued Thursday morning.
One contract worth $1.2 million will fund an effort to develop high efficiency light-weight power modules for electronics systems in hybrid and electrical ground combat vehicles. Such devices process and deliver power to on-board computer, electronics, communications and weapons systems inside the vehicle
The other contract, worth $1.8 million, funds the delivery of state-of-the-art silicon carbide power modules into electronic test systems for a new generation of tanks.
Though the work is aimed at military vehicles, improvements may ultimately be used in consumer hybrid and electrical cars and trucks, officials said.