SSTI Digest

Two new hubs have been announced in the Manufacturing USA network, one focusing on sustainable manufacturing innovation and the other on tissue biofabrication, bringing the total network of institutes to 13 since its inception four years ago. Efficiency measures will be the focus of the latest institute, announced yesterday by the Energy Department. The new Reducing Embodied-energy and Decreasing Emissions (REMADE) Institute will be headquartered in Rochester, New York, and be led by the Sustainable Manufacturing Innovation Alliance. It will leverage up to $70 million in federal funding, subject to appropriations, and will be matched by $70 million in private commitments from over 100 partners. Recognizing that manufacturing consumes nearly 25 percent of the nation’s total annual energy use, REMADE will focus on driving down the cost of recycling and remanufacturing technologies and aims for a 50 percent improvement in overall energy efficiency by 2027. In late December, the Department of Defense announced the award of a new $80 million biofabrication manufacturing hub to the Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute (ARMI).  ARMI will combine the…

Gov. Andrew Cuomo proposed a new initiative this week to grow the life science research cluster throughout the state, pledging $550 million through a variety of programs including tax incentives, state capital grants, and investment capital with an expected match of $100 million from private sector partnerships for operating support. The life science initiative includes $250 million in tax incentives for new and existing life sciences companies that are expanding research and development.  Under this program: Existing life science businesses would be eligible for an annual allocation of $10 million in Excelsior tax credits;  New life science businesses would receive a 15 percent refundable tax credit on all new qualifying research and development expenditures. Small businesses in the life sciences industry could be eligible for a 20 percent credit; and,  Angel investors would receive a credit of 25 percent of their investment, with a maximum of $250,000 per investor. Another $200 million in state capital grants will be invested over 10 years to support the capital needs of life science entities, and innovation space and developable land will be…

Over the last month, the Economic Development Administration (EDA) announced over $8 million in grants to expand entrepreneurial and business support services in Alabama, New York, and Texas including: $2.9 million to PortAL – a business incubator in Mobile, AL –  to renovate and modernize the former Threaded Fasteners building to provide entrepreneurial support services and house tech startups; $2.6 million to High Tech Rochester to facilitate the development of the Rochester-Finger Lakes Business Accelerator Hub Facility that will provide incubator space for high-growth potential startup businesses as well as services for existing manufacturing companies; $2 million to the University of Alabama (UA) to expand the UA Economic Development Resource Center in Tuscaloosa that provides economic development outreach services to businesses, governments, and citizens of Alabama; and, $1.3 million to the University of Houston to establish a Community Innovation Center that will support workforce training and entrepreneurship programming to the surrounding community.

Since the beginning of July, the Economic Development Administration (EDA) has announced almost $7.3 million in grants to support advanced manufacturing and support workforce development efforts in communities impacted by the decline coal industry. In Florida and Washington, the EDA announced funding to support the facilities that can house local manufacturing firms and provide the space and equipment necessary for them to create jobs. In New York, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, the EDA accessed funding made available through EDA's Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership (IMCP) and Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) initiative to support workforce development efforts that address job losses due to the decline of coal industries in those states. Florida On August 9, EDA announced that it will commit $2.2 million in grant funding to the Osceola County Board of County Commissioners to help build the Florida Advanced Manufacturing Research Center. In partnership with Osceola County, the University of Central Florida and the Florida High Tech Corridor Council also have committed to support building…

Many states across the country already have, or will soon have, signed budgets ready for the 2017 fiscal year.  Over the past few months, SSTI has examined gubernatorial addresses and proposed budgets for a preview of technology-based economic development spending in the coming year. This week, we take a look at what initiatives and spending levels survived spending negotiations in New York, South Dakota, Wyoming. New YorkGov. Andrew Cuomo and New York legislators reached an agreement on fiscal year 2017 spending late last week. The resulting budget includes a new $15 minimum wage, paid family leave, a $4.2 billion middle class tax cut and $55 billion in transportation infrastructure spending. The approved legislation provides $20.1 million in general funds for operations at the Department of Economic Development, with another $54.5 million in aid to localities.  Of this aid, $43.3 million will support the High Technology Program, which funds a number of centers of excellence around the state.  The Industrial Technology Extension Service is allocated $921,000 in general funds, while the Training and Business Assistance Program will receive $9.…

A bipartisan group of 17 governors signed the Governors’ Accord for a New Energy Future – a joint commitment to support the deployment of renewable, cleaner and more efficient energy technologies and other solutions to make the U.S. economy more productive and resilient as well as spur job creation in member states. The multi-state effort will work to implement clean energy policies and initiatives in four areas: clean energy, clean transportation choices, a modern electrical grid, and plan for a new energy future. Although the accord doesn’t provide specific efforts, senior advisors to participating governors are expected to convene shortly to discuss initial steps to pursue their shared priorities and commitments according to solarindustrymag.com. The 17 signatories are: Gov. Jerry Brown (CA); Gov. Dannel Mallory (CT); Gov. Jack Markell (DE); Gov. David Ige (HI); Gov. Terry Branstad (IA); Gov. Charlie Baker (MA); Gov. Rick Snyder (MI); Gov. Mark Dayton (MN); Gov. Brian Sandoval (NV); Gov. Maggie Hassan (NH); Gov. Andrew Cuomo (NY); Gov. Kate Brown (OR); Gov. Tom Wolf (PA); Gov. Gina Raimondo (RI); Gov. Peter Shumlin (VT);  Gov. Terry…

With the start of the new year, many governors around the country have begun laying out priorities for the next legislative session. In the coming weeks, SSTI will review gubernatorial addresses and budget proposals related to economic development. This week, we highlight developments in Idaho, Iowa and New York. Idaho In his State of the State and Budget Address earlier this week, Gov. Butch Otter emphasized the need for investment in STEM education and building a stronger bridge between the K-12 system and well-paying jobs. To achieve this, the governor hopes to implement the recommendations of a recent educational task force, and to fund a number of STEM-centered initiatives. These include $4 million for the state’s STEM Action Center to fund grants and projects and to match industry contributions. Gov. Butch Otter’s proposed fiscal year 2017 budget includes $25.3 million for post-secondary education to expand research initiatives, workforce development and educational opportunities. Another $10 million would bolster the state’s STEM Education Fund while $99,000 would be provided to prepare students for university computer science…

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced $2.25 billion in economic and community development awards as part of the fifth installment of the state’s Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) Initiative. Of this total, $1.5 billion over the next five years will go to the three regions (Central New York, Finger Lakes, and the Southern Tier) that were selected as the winners of the Upstate Revitalization Initiative. While the proposals receiving awards vary greatly across region, several TBED-related initiatives are seeded through the governor’s funding. The REDC initiative is a key component of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s approach to economic development. In 2011, Cuomo established 10 Regional Councils, comprised of public-private partnerships of local stakeholders, to develop long-term strategic plans for economic growth.  This year, the 10 Regional Councils again competed for up to $750 million in state economic development resources as part of Round V of the REDC competition.  The governor also established the Upstate Revitalization Initiative (UR), which awards a total of $1.5 billion to three regions over the next five years. The three regions…

The Research Foundation for State University of New York (SUNY) is seeking feedback regarding the translation of SUNY research and innovation into meaningful startup company formation, acceleration and growth through targeted venture investing. In particular, the foundation seeks ideas on how SUNY could connect research experts to entrepreneurial leaders, advisors, or mentors in order to build upon emerging industry sector strengths. The group plans to use this information to open a dialogue to better understand the breadth of strategies for university-related venture investing that can be designed and implemented. Once completed, this request for information (RFI) RFI may lead to further partnership discussions including, but not limited to, the development of a venture fund committed to developing SUNY technology for both strategic impact and financial return.  Read the RFI...

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the next steps of his administration’s Nano Utica initiative, an effort to revitalize the Mohawk Valley regional economy through nanotechnology innovation. Originally announced in October 2013, Nano Utica is a public-private partnership spearheaded by the SUNY College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (SUNY CNSE) and the SUNY Institute of Technology (SUNYIT), along with more than $1.5 billion in investment from global technology companies. The most recent Nano Utica announcement includes additional commitments from major corporations. Multinational sensor technology company ams AG announced an investment of more than $2 billion to support a 360,000-square-foot water fabrication facility at the 450-acre Marcy Nanocenter complex. GE Global Research also will be expanding its global operations in Utica, serving as the anchor tenant of the Computer Chip Commercialization Center (QUAD C) on the campus of SUNY Polytechnic Institute’s Colleges of Nanoscale Science and Engineering. Seeking to revitalize New York’s Mohawk Valley by working to establish a dynamic nanotechnology-driven ecosystem, Nano Utica is an…

This week marked the launch of New York Ventures, an Empire State Development program dedicated to encouraging innovation and fueling economic growth in communities across New York. The program is derived of three separate funds: the $100 million New York State Innovation Venture Capital Fund; the $45 million Innovative NY Fund; and, the $2 million Minority- and Women-Owned Business Investment Fund. As part of the New York Ventures launch, Empire State Development also announced the NYS Innovation Venture Capital Fund’s close on financing for two New York-based tech companies. A key component of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s economic development agenda, the New York State Innovation Venture Capital Fund was announced in December 2014 with the intention of creating and attracting new jobs and companies by providing seed funding for the development of early stage companies in high-growth areas. Originally set to be $50 million, Cuomo called to double this amount in his State of the State Opportunity Agenda.  The now-$100 million fund, which is expected to leverage at least $100 million more in private capital, is comprised of two segments. The Technology…

Vice President Joe Biden announced that the Research Foundation for the State University of New York will receive a $110 million federal grant from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory to lead the American Institute for Manufacturing Integrated Photonics (AIM-Photonics). The Department of Defense-funded grant will be supplemented by a $250 million investment from the state of New York with additional funding commitments from public and private partners expected to exceed $245 million over the next five years. Headquartered in Rochester, NY, AIM-Photonics is intended to develop the next generation of integrated photonics while helping to  create and support thousands of advanced research and manufacturing jobs in New York state and across the nation. According to a fact sheet released by the White House, the winning team includes 75 key partners and 49 additional consortia members from 20 states including: 55 companies; 20 universities and laboratories; 33 community colleges and other schools; and, 16 nonprofit organizations. Read the announcement…