SSTI Digest

Legislators passed the fiscal year 2008-09 budget last week, increasing spending by 4.9 percent over last year and investing in New York’s Upstate economy despite projected shortfalls for several years to come.   Lawmakers approved $700 million for the Upstate Revitalization Fund, an initiative that Gov. David Patterson continued to push forward following the resignation of Gov. Eliot Spitzer last month. In January, former Gov. Spitzer unveiled the Upstate proposal, asking lawmakers for $1 billion to encourage economic growth through targeted investments in high-technology development, agriculture, housing, transportation, and state parks (see the Jan. 23, 2008 issue of the Digest). Many of Gov. Spitzer’s initial requests for funding were fulfilled, including $120 million for the Regional Blueprint Fund - $200 million less than Gov. Spitzer’s recommendation - and $180 million for City-by-City investments, which was $65 million above the governor’s original recommendation. Additional components of the approved fund include:

Helene Schember became the first executive director of the Cornell Center for a Sustainable Future Dec. 3, joining the center as its first full-time staff member.

Last week, Gov. Eliot Spitzer gave New York’s first ever “State of the Upstate” address in Buffalo, outlining his administration’s $1 billion Upstate Revitalization Fund. Among the components intended to encourage economic growth in the northern part of the state are: $350 million for a Regional Blueprint Fund to construct development-ready sites and industrial parks, to provide loans for small businesses and to create an international marketing office for the Upstate. $10 million from the Blueprint Fund will be used to provide seed capital for 10-15 small companies. $115 million for new Upstate City-to-City Projects, which include $25 million for the University of Rochester’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute and Syracuse’s Connective Corridor. $100 million for an Investment Opportunity Fund, designed to be a competitive grant program administered by the Empire State Development Corporation.

Dr. James Weyhenmeyer will become senior vice president for the State University of New York (SUNY) Research Foundation and SUNY senior vice provost for research, effective March 3, 2008.

Policymakers and practitioners continually seek new ideas to integrate into their overall TBED strategies in order to capitalize on innovative approaches and remain a competitive force in the global marketplace. Over the last few months, two new concepts in TBED aimed at supporting higher education have surfaced in New York and Wisconsin with two distinct goals: achieving the status of a world-renowned research capital and increasing college graduates to raise per capita income.   NY Considers $3B for Research, Star Faculty, Education Zones In New York, Gov. Eliot Spitzer will consider a multi-billion investment in the State University of New York (SUNY) and the City University of New York (CUNY) intended to boost the state’s higher education system and enhance university research centers.  

Jeffrey Boyce was named the assistant vice president of the Research Foundation of the State University of New York. Boyce had been the deputy commissioner for manufacturing services at Empire State Development.

Linda Hartsock was hired by Empire State Development to serve as regional director for Central New York.

Marilyn Higgins joined Syracuse University as vice president for community engagement and economic impact.

Implementing successful technology-based development initiatives in rural areas is an ongoing challenge for many parts of the country. Earlier this month, New York Gov. Elliot Spitzer signed legislation establishing a new program to stimulate employment and income growth by promoting cluster-based strategies in rural regions of the state. Sponsored by Sen. George H. Winner Jr., chairman of New York’s Legislative Commission on Rural Resources, Senate Bill 3234 outlines the Cluster Based Industry and Agribusiness Development Grant Program, which will provide seed grants of up to $25,000 on a competitive basis to community-based economic development corporations.  

Jerome Mahone is the new director of Venture Creations, a business incubator at Rochester Institute of Technology.

Paul Tonko was elected as president and CEO of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. Tonko replaces Peter Smith, whose resignation is effective at the end of June.

Deal’s Impact on Texas Operations Remains Unclear If you follow college sports, you know all how strong rivalries can be between certain schools. Bragging rights after a football game spill over into competitions over everything. Those that cross neighboring state borders seem to have even more edge sometimes.   Follow the semiconductor industry for long and you will find similar rivalries arising between two states whose capitals are 1,575 miles apart: New York and Texas. Both states’ capitals – Albany and Austin – want to be the global center for nanoelectronics.   The trophy is SEMATECH, the semiconductor industry’s research consortium. The consortium is a research partnership that includes the largest commercial producers and consumers of semiconductors, comprising more than 50 percent of the world's microchip market.   The New York and Texas state governments have demonstrated over the years that they are willing to pay handsomely for that trophy, too.