NYSHEI News

The Empire Zone program of New York may be undergoing changes, and NYSHEI’s ARIA plan aims to be a part of the new model.

With the pending expiration of the current Empire Zone program, Dennis Mullen, Upstate President of the Empire State Development Corporation (ESD) is looking for new ways to encourage economic growth across New York.

The existing Empire Zone program is designed to foster job creation by lowering the cost of doing business in select geographic locations.  NYSHEI asserts that with ARIA, New York can foster job creation by lowering the cost of doing business in select economic sectors, rather than neighborhoods.  Taking up this argument, NYSHEI is echoing the recommendation of an independent report recently commissioned by ESD.  That report, titled Delivering on the Promise of New York State: A Strategy for Economic Growth and Revitalization, makes a specific recommendation, that New York develop:

“A unified statewide economic development growth engine fueled by the development of a high-technology infrastructure.  Such an infrastructure can be created through the combined efforts of the state, ESD, businesses, investors, and the academic and research communities.”

NYSHEI’s ARIA, as a information infrastructure that leverages academic and research libraries in support of science, technology, engineering and medicine, should be the solution that ESD is seeking.

Shortly after midnight during the September 10, 2009 session of the New York State Senate, the Academic Research Information Access (ARIA) act was passed.

ARIA has now passed both chambers of the state legislature, each time with unanimous support (Assembly 145-0, Senate 59-0).  This is a significant event for all academic and research libraries in New York, and a banner day for the state’s fledgling innovation economy

ARIA is a first, bold step towards a statewide information infrastructure that provides direct support for high level research and innovation in science, technology, engineering and medicine.   When fully funded ARIA will lower library costs, expand collections, support faculty recruitment and retention and bolster job growth.

Specifically, the ARIA legislation establishes the administrative framework this new information infrastructure.  Under ARIA, Empire State Development, the state’s leading economic development agent, will utilize a new funding stream exclusively for the procurement of statewide contracts and licenses of high-end digital information resources.  To ensure that the procurements are of the greatest advantage to students, faculty and entrepreneurs, the NYSHEI Board of Directors will serve as an advisory body to Empire State Development.

Before ARIA can become law, it must gain the signature of Governor Paterson.  The Governor is expected to sign the bill into law later this year.

NYSHEI now turns its attention to securing full funding for ARIA in the forthcoming state budget.

More information about ARIA is available.

Governor David Paterson announced that the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) Center for Automation Technologies and Systems (CATS) and the Stony Brook University Sensor CAT have been re-designated by the New York State Foundation for Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR) as Centers for Advanced Technology (CAT). The designation will provide each center with $921,000 in funding annually for up to ten years.

These announcements are meant to demonstrate the Governor’s support for an innovation age economy, said NYSHEI Executive Director Jason Kramer. He remarked, “again New York invests in campus-based research, hoping that it will empower the larger economy. This is our argument for a library based information infrastructure.”

“The investment in these Centers for Advanced Technology at RPI and Stony Brook demonstrates our commitment to strengthening the innovations critical to the New Economy,” said Governor Paterson. “By fostering an environment that encourages research and development, we build on our intellectual capital, support opportunities for jobs creation and confirm New York’s position as a global leader in new technologies.”

The NYSTAR CAT initiative is part of a statewide effort to encourage greater technological and economic collaboration between New York’s innovation industries and research universities. Specifically, a CAT must help increase New York State companies’ competitiveness by solving production, applied research and development, and technical problems.

The RPI CATS research focuses on four automation application areas: manufacturing, precision, design and information automation – serving companies that span key industrial sectors, including manufacturing, energy, biotechnology, semiconductors, aerospace and defense. The Stony Brook University Sensor CAT research ranges from new materials to infrared lasers to signal processing, and is currently strongest in semiconductor opto-electronics, fluorescent detection technology for sensors and imaging; in fiber-based sensors; superconducting electronics for ultra-sensitive applications, and in information processing and software for sensor networks and cyber-security.

NYSTAR Executive Director Edward Reinfurt: “The commitment announced today illustrates Governor Paterson’s confidence in the innovative research being conducted by these Centers for Advanced Technology and the contribution they will make to continue building a stronger and brighter economic future for New York.”

Senator Ken LaValle said: “This designation is a classic case of higher education linking with commerce and industry to create new technologies and economic development opportunities. Expanded research at the Stony Brook University Sensor CAT will continue to introduce cutting edge programs to our region, creating new high-tech jobs here on Long Island.”

Senator Roy McDonald said: “Today’s announcement is just the latest example of how Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute continues to be a leader in the higher education community when it comes to the direction and future of technological research and development. This funding commitment is an important investment in our economy and signifies the important role that RPI plays in creating the technologies of tomorrow.”

Assembly Majority Leader Ron Canestrari said: “The Troy and the greater Capital District have benefited from the presence of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Research carried out by faculty and students is among the most advanced in the nation. I am very pleased that New York acknowledges RPI’s incredible value and over the next decade will make this important CAT investment in the campus. I thank Governor Paterson for his commitment to keeping our region at the forefront of technological research and development.”

Assemblyman Steven Englebright said: “I am pleased with the re-designation of the Stony Brook University Sensor Research and Development CAT by NYSTAR. Although annual funding for this CAT has been reduced by $60,000 to $921,000, the Governor has committed to funding the program for another 10 years at this level. The extraordinary innovation and cutting-edge technology advances this Center has brought to New York State has significantly multiplied the modest State investment.”

RPI President Shirley Ann Jackson said: “The frontiers of manufacturing technology and automation have never been more promising than they are today, and the faculty and student researchers at Rensselaer have proven time and again to be a wellspring of innovation in this field. The new 10-year commitment by New York State to support the Rensselaer CATS is an investment that will continue to flow innovation from our laboratories to businesses across the State, yielding the critical dividends of corporate recruitment, job creation, and job retention.”

President of Stony Brook University Dr. Samuel Stanley said: “The Sensor CAT has been an important intellectual and economic asset to New Yorkers, paying for itself many times over, generating numerous inventions, and growing exponentially in economic impact. Its renewal is enormously important because this work must continue.”

NYSHEI Director Jason Kramer said, “now we need the Academic Research Information Access (ARIA) act to truly leverage this public investment, and the work of all higher education and research institutions. Without ARIA, we are limiting our potential for success.”

The CAT program was established in 1983 to spur technology-based applied research and economic development and to encourage research collaboration and innovation with industry across New York. Initially five centers received CAT designations. Since that time the program has been expanded to included 15 different centers throughout the State.