MARCY, N.Y. — More than 100 entrepreneurs, investors, and Department of Defense officials will gather tomorrow in Marcy at the SUNY Polytechnic Institute for a tech-commercialization showcase from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The event, held at Kunsela Hall, will include demonstrations of Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) technologies and business pitches by the student entrepreneurs hoping to commercialize them, according to a news release.

The students come from 11 universities and colleges: Clarkson, CUNY, Le Moyne College, RIT, RPI, Suffolk CC, SUNY ESF, SUNY Poly, Syracuse University, UCF, and Utica College.

Martin Babinec, venture catalyst and founder of Upstate Venture Connect, will deliver the keynote address. George Duchak, director of the AFRL Information Directorate, will also speak.

The showcase serves as a finale of the 2014 Commercialization Academy, a three-month experiential program pairing student entrepreneurs with AFRL technologies to start new tech ventures.

“When we launched the Commercialization Academy in August, we equipped student entrepreneurs with a framework for navigating through these patented technologies and encouraged them to tap into the technical expertise of AFRL inventors,” Bill Wolf, director of the Griffiss Institute, a nonprofit organization guiding technology-commercialization efforts at the AFRL, said in the news release. “Now, they’ll have the chance of a lifetime to make the case for commercializing technologies to an audience of investors, business leaders, and members of the Defense community.”

A $50,000 cash prize from the event sponsor, New York State Technology Enterprise Corporation (NYSTEC), will be awarded to a select team for business development. With dozens of industry leaders and investors already registered to attend, students will be able to network with “game changers” in the region, organizers contend.

“This showcase is an incredible opportunity for the community to witness the culmination of an entrepreneurial program designed to successfully unite talent, resources, and capital in upstate New York,” Mike McCoy, serial entrepreneur and founder of the Startup Strategy Group LLC and the Commercialization Academy, said in the release. “The potential of the future business leaders we’ve trained in this program is limitless, having provided them with the proper technical guidance and business mentorship to launch new ventures. We hope that this event will offer a glimpse into true business growth and economic transformation, and erode any barriers standing in the way of those possibilities.”

The full schedule of events is available at www.academyshowcase.com.

11/14/14