SUNY Fredonia is one of 11 universities in New York State selected to receive grants that encourage high technology innovations and create new jobs and companies. Gov. George Pataki announced that $604,600 will go toward the SUNY Fredonia High Tech Incubator, now poised for construction in Dunkirk, N.Y.
Only two universities received the grants to create high technology incubators. The other was the City University of New York, which was awarded $270,000 to create the CUNY Life Science Incubation Center.
The awards are being made through the New York State Office of Science, Technology and Academic Research (NYSTAR) Technology Transfer Incentive Program.
Jim Denn of NYSTAR, noted, “Fredonia’s is one of the largest incubator awards NYSTAR has ever issued.”
Universities routinely compete for NYSTAR grants to become players in New York State’s efforts to encourage economic development through high technology projects. “By applying for one of these grants, Fredonia went up against some of the biggest and most prestigious universities in the State of New York and came out in the top of the mix,” Mr. Denn said.
SUNY Fredonia President Dennis L. Hefner said, "The technology sector is a major economic engine for the national economy. This grant provides the seed dollars necessary to both advertise and operate this soon-to-be built facility. It's very gratifying to know our high-tech incubator project has received such impressive support from NYSTAR, Governor Pataki, Senator Young, Assemblyman Parment, and other leaders who see this project as a vital component for the region's future economic development."
The grant will be used to develop and implement marketing and recruitment strategies while the incubator is being built, and start-up activities during the first six months of Incubator occupancy.
Through NYSTAR’s latest round of grants, Governor Pataki committed $5.3 million for the 13 projects, in exchange for a $6.9 million commitment by private industries and universities.
Universities which received Technology Transfer Incentive Program grants were SUNY Fredonia; Columbia University; SUNY at Albany; SUNY at Buffalo, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; Rochester Institute of Technology; City University of New York; Cornell University; SUNY at Binghamton; University of Rochester and Clarkson.
