Albany Times-Union: It’s official: U.S. awards photonics
institute to Rochester, SUNY Poly
Published:
Monday, July 27, 2015 - 15:27
State and federal officials this morning were announcing that SUNY Polytechnic Institute and Rochester had been awarded the $110 million photonics manufacturing institute, more than a year after President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden asked Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren what their administration could do to help the Rochester economy.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Biden journeyed to Rochester this morning for the announcement. They were joined by Alain Kaloyeros, who heads SUNY Polytechnic Institute and called Cuomo his mentor as he introduced the governor.
The announcement was made at an Eastman Kodak building that had sat empty after the film camera business lost out to digital photography. Cuomo said nanotechnology and photonics were being put together to develop new technologies. Overall, financial support will total more than $625 million, with $500 million coming from a number of companies, community colleges and other oganizations. While the main laboratories will be in Rochester, where the University of Rochester and Rochester Institute of Technology are based, work will also be done at SUNY Poly facilities in Albany.
The photonics institute is one of a series of advanced manufacturing institutes the Obama administration has been establishing nationwide as the United States seeks to boost its international competitiveness.
