It was a great privilege this week to welcome Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie to our region and show him some of Central New York’s most innovative programs and businesses. Our region is fast becoming an important hub for unmanned aerial systems (UAS) technology advancement, helping create a tech-savvy workforce and boosting the local economy.

Our visit included a stop at the CenterState Corporation for Economic Opportunity’s Tech Garden, where we learned about the innovative technologies being developed by tech entrepreneurs. Tech Garden fosters the development of UAS technologies in a host of industries, including defense, infrastructure, inspection and commercial growth. Gryphon Sensors is another local business we visited that is breaking ground in this new, exciting industry, contributing to job growth and investing in worker training.

We also had the opportunity to learn more about Genius NY, a program that provides resources, investments and local networking through a business accelerator competition to support emerging UAS companies. This year’s finalists include:

• AutoModality: This Genius NY winner develops automated drone platforms that help with infrastructure inspections by being able to navigate difficult-to-reach areas. They have been one of the key players locally in growing the UAS industry. We witnessed one of these devices inspecting Gryphon Sensors headquarters.

• Ascent AeroSystems: After coming in second place, the company built a local manufacturing facility where plastic and carbon fiber drones are assembled for aerial imaging use.

• Akrobotix: A Genius NY finalist and Tech Garden participant, this business is developing self-contained autonomous guidance, navigation and control technologies for UAS.

It’s an exciting time in our region. Not only have these companies been putting Central New York on the map as a leader in UAS technology, they’ve been instrumental in encouraging the cultivation of a skilled workforce, creating jobs and growing our economy.

A big thank you goes out to these businesses for their willingness to meet and talk with us and show us some of the groundbreaking work they’ve been doing. As they continue to innovate, discover and grow, I’ll keep doing everything I can to make New York more business friendly, ensure workers have the skills they need to land good jobs and build a better tomorrow for Central New York.

As always, if you have any questions, comments or concerns about this or any other community issue, please contact me at 315-452-1115 or StirpeA@nyassembly.gov.