U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer was in Rochester on October 23 to celebrate the Biden administration’s designation of the Buffalo-Rochester-Syracuse region as a federal Tech Hub.
The Tech Hubs program is an economic development initiative designed to drive regional innovation and job creation by strengthening a region’s capacity to manufacture, commercialize, and deploy technology that will advance American competitiveness. The program invests directly in burgeoning, high-potential U.S. regions and aims to transform them into globally competitive innovation centers. The Tech Hubs program was created in the bipartisan CHIPS & Science Act, which was signed into law in August 2022.
The three-region consortium beat out hundreds of applications and was one of only 31 regions chosen for the Tech Hub designation. The NY SMART I-Corridor Tech Hub proposal will now be able to compete for the next phase of the Tech Hubs Program that will invest between $50 and $75 million in each of five to 10 Designated Hubs. An initial infusion of $500 million was included in last year’s spending bill to jumpstart the Tech Hubs competition, from which Phase 2 awards will be made. The CHIPS & Science Act included a $10 billion authorization for the Tech Hubs program – meaning that designated Tech Hubs will be able to compete for significantly more investment based off future funding levels.
Schumer said that with this designation, the NY SMART I-Corridor will bring together the combined assets of Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse to help the region become a globally-recognized semiconductor manufacturing hub in the next decade, with innovation focused on improving the quality and quantity of semiconductor manufacturing and, along with it, amplifying the region’s microelectronics and microchip supply chain ecosystem.
“Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse are officially on the road to becoming America’s semiconductor superhighway,” said Senator Schumer. “I created this program with Upstate NY in mind, and now three of our own cities that helped build America, have not only won the exclusive federal Tech Hub designation for semiconductors, but also won a once in a generation opportunity to write a new chapter for Upstate NY building our nation’s future. This three region Tech Hub will hit the gas on NY’s booming chips industry by attracting new companies, training our workforce for tens of thousands of good-paying jobs, and bringing manufacturing in this critical industry back from overseas to right here in Upstate NY.”
Specifically, the NY SMART I-Corridor Tech Hub proposal seeks to propel the Buffalo-Rochester-Syracuse corridor by attracting new suppliers to the region, including onshoring companies from overseas, advancing research and development programs for the semiconductor industry, training the next generation of Upstate New York’s manufacturing workforce, and specifically helping ensure that underserved populations are connected to the tens thousands of good-paying jobs expected to be created in this growing industry in the region.
Congressman Joe Morelle said, “This historic federal commitment will power our local innovation economy, create jobs, and fortify our position as a leader in the global tech landscape. I am incredibly grateful for the bipartisan support of my colleagues from the New York delegation – together we are leveraging the unique economic strengths of our regions to pioneer the industries of tomorrow and secure our nation’s technological future.”
The Buffalo-Rochester-Syracuse consortium includes over 80 members from across the public sector, industry, higher-education, economic and workforce development, and labor. This includes over 22 industry groups and firms, 20 economic development organizations, eight labor and workforce training organizations, and 10 institutions of higher learning. This application development process was led by three designated conveners, one from each region: The John R. Oishei Foundation in Buffalo, ROC2025 in Rochester, and CenterState CEO in Syracuse.
Members of the consortium include semiconductor manufacturers and supply chain business like Micron, INFICON, Corning, Optimax, AMD, TTM Technologies, Saab, Akoustis, L3Harris, Lockheed Martin, Edwards Vacuum, Linde, Lifatec and SRC; business organizations like NY Photonics with 120-member companies, Buffalo Niagara Partnership, and Rochester Technology and Manufacturing Association (RTMA) with 85-member companies, Buffalo Niagara Manufacturing Alliance (BNMA), and the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce; education and research institutions like University of Buffalo, University of Rochester, Rochester Institute of Technology, Monroe Community College, Syracuse University, Cornell, SUNY Oswego, SUNY ESF, SUNY EOC, and Onondaga Community College; workforce development partners like Centerstate CEO, Northland Workforce Training Center, RochesterWorks, RMAPI, UNiCON, WNY Area Labor Federation, Central-Northern New York Building and Construction Trades Council, IBEW Local 43, and many more.
“This initiative has the potential to drive significant economic growth, technological advancement and job creation – not just for this region, but for the entire nation,” said Monroe County Executive Adam Bello. “The NY SMART I-Corridor would harness the unique strengths of each city in the consortium and propel this region into a global powerhouse for semiconductor technology.”
Learn more about the Tech Hubs program at http://TechHubs.gov
Provided information
