Syracuse Joins Rochester and Buffalo in Federal Tech Hub Application

The three metro areas of Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse submitted a joint application to become a federally-recognized Tech Hub this week. The application is led by three organizations, one from each MSA: The John R. Oishei Foundation in Buffalo, ROC2025 in Rochester, and CenterState CEO in Syracuse.

The Tech Hubs program, established as a part of the CHIPS & Science Act, will invest directly in regions with potential to transform into globally-competitive innovation centers in the next decade to bring critical industries back from overseas, such as semiconductor manufacturing, and create good-paying jobs for American workers. If awarded, the three-region consortium, termed the NY SMART I-Corridor, would be eligible for millions in grant funding dedicated to helping attract new companies, strengthen domestic supply chains, expand workforce training, connect underserved communities to good-paying jobs and cement the United States as a global leader in the semiconductor industry. 

"This corridor builds on efforts spearheaded by Majority Leader Schumer to strengthen the semiconductor manufacturing in the U.S. and leverages the region’s history as a manufacturing powerhouse in microelectronics, sensing, and optics. Furthermore, our effort is backed by more than 65 partners from across academia, the private and public sectors, and nonprofits who come together in support of this critical work. Looking forward, we know we can achieve a higher-level of success and implementation of our plan because of our strengths and partnerships,” said Robert M. Simpson, president of CenterState CEO.

Sen. Chuck Schumer has personally written to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo on behalf of Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse, making the case that their proposal is best suited to help drive forward stronger semiconductor and broader microelectronics industries for the entire nation. Sen. Schumer said the Buffalo-Rochester-Syracuse corridor is uniquely positioned to rapidly address vulnerabilities in American semiconductor manufacturing, with the region having undergone a significant transformation in recent years to become a growing center for innovation and high-tech manufacturing. In fact, Rochester, Syracuse and Buffalo respectively have been validated as the #1, #3, and #15-ranked metro areas in Jump Starting America’s Tech Hub Index System as the region’s best poised to become new Tech-Economy hubs if provided federal investment.

Read more:

Sen. Schumer's Letter to Commerce Secretary Raimondo

Syracuse.com

Government Technology

CNY Business Journal

Buffalo News