NYSHEI News

The Business Council of New York State today released a memorandum of support for the Academic Research Information Access (ARIA) act.

In their memo, the Business Council states:

“This legislation serves several purposes vital to ensuring New York’s economy is positioned to stabilize and grow, including supporting increased access and communication among our colleges and universities in support of their programs, and linking the work of our universities to that of the regional economies in which they operate.  Most importantly it provides a missing link between our research universities and the private sector, from mature firms to start-ups, where the importance of innovation is essential to furthering their growth.  This legislation will bridge the academic-industry divide through making available to the private sector, in particular those entrepreneurial and start-up companies, the same science, technical and medical publications needed by faculty-based researchers.  The money spent by public and private college, university and research libraries in New York to license online resources can have much greater impact if it is spent cooperatively through statewide shared licenses rather than individually. Not only can a wider array of online materials be made available to campuses and research libraries throughout the state, but through shared licensing, more affordable options for libraries at small campuses can support coursework for students in workforce development programs that are at the heart of our competitive state economy.”

Read the full memo here.

The Business Council of New York State, Inc., is the leading business organization in New York State, representing the interests of large and small firms throughout the state. Its membership is made up of thousands of member companies, as well as local chambers of commerce and professional and trade associations.

The Academic Research Information Access (ARIA) act today reported out of the Assembly Committee on Economic Development, Job Creation, Commerce and Industry.  By a vote of 25-0, all committee members voted in support of ARIA.

This marks the third time that the Assembly Committee on Economic Development provided unanimous support for ARIA.  Lead by Chairman, and ARIA sponsor, Assemblyman Robin Schimminger (D-Kenmore), the committee has rallied around the ARIA initiative as a vital mechanism toward establishing a thriving economy in New York.

“There is no doubt that Mr. Schimminger, and all the members of this committee, are ardent supporters of ARIA,” said Jason Kramer, Executive Director of NYSHEI.  “On behalf of all public and private, academic and research libraries, I am most grateful to Mr. Schimminger for his stalwart efforts.”

The Economic Development committee vote marks the first action taken on ARIA since the December veto of Governor David Paterson.  During 2009, ARIA gained the unanimous, bipartisan support of both the Assembly and the Senate, only to fall before the veto pen of the Governor who cited the state’s deep fiscal and budgetary crisis as reason for the veto.

NYSHEI is now a member of the New York Roundtable on Innovation.

The NY ROI is an alliance that is steadfastly committed to attracting sustained investment in the bioscience and technology sectors of New York State.  Accordingly, this alliance is focused on the advancement of innovation, enterprise, economic development, higher education, public-private partnerships, and the creation of infrastructure, institutions and policies needed to further these goals.

The goal of the Roundtable is to ensure that New York is recognized globally as a place that is second to none for innovation.

“Receiving an invitation to join this impressive group is a testament to the continued ascendancy of NYSHEI as an influential voice among state policy makers and opinion leaders.  NYSHEI is very pleased to join this alliance and looks forward to working collaboratively to enhance our state, our economy and our member institutions,” said Jason Kramer, Executive Director of NYSHEI.

The New York Roundtable on Innovation has participants from a variety of private corporations, public agencies, and not-for-profit associations.

“The universities are definitely feeders into the economy,” said Sandy Parker, CEO of the Rochester Business Alliance, in a important analysis for the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.

The article discusses the important role of academic based research in fostering the small businesses that are needed to revive the moribund New York State economy.  The article is a great illustration of the need for ARIA.