Cornell Economic Development Summit

On November 10, 2005, I was pleased to participate in a panel at Cornell University as part of their Economic Development Summit. Entitled "University and Community Partnerships for Technology-led Economic Development," the panel was chaired by Richard Cahoon, Acting Executive Director of the Cornell Center for Technology, Enterprise and Commercialization (CCTEC). The event brought together government officials, researchers, investment experts and other practitioners to discuss ways to encourage more partnerships between universities and their communities for technology-led economic development.

I was asked to participate as chair of the New York State Assembly Task Force on University-Industry Cooperation and presented my ideas on the State's role in promoting the types of partnerships being discussed at the Summit. In addition to noting the Assembly's commitment to existing research and development programs, such as the Centers of Excellence, Centers for Advanced Technology, and Strategically Targeted Research Centers, I also highlighted the need for commercialization assistance. I believe the State must adopt a more coordinated commercialization policy that provides planning, marketing and access to capital to entrepreneurs seeking to bring innovations developed in our academic research institutions to the marketplace, creating jobs for New Yorkers.

The State's ten Regional Technology Development Centers, which work directly with companies to cultivate the growth of high-tech industry, are an excellent example of State support of commercialization activity. Close to home for me, the Commercialization Assistance Program, a program for which I provided funding operating at the New York Indoor Environmental Quality Center, enables small companies to obtain university expertise to facilitate innovation, product development and entrepreneurship in the field of indoor environmental quality.

During the panel discussion, other examples of successful collaboration were discussed. Cynthia Aikman, City of Auburn Economic Development Office, outlined cooperative initiatives from the municipal perspective. Representing venture capital, Tony Eisenhut, Kensa Group, talked about encouraging the climate for entrepreneurship, especially in Upstate New York. We heard from Mark Scheuerman of Excell Partners about their efforts to provide early stage capital and management support to companies spinning out of university research efforts in the Finger Lakes region.

I expect to make broadening the scope of State-supported commercialization an important issue for the Task Force's agenda in the coming year. I am committed to advancing public policies that assure that all New Yorkers benefit economically from the State's significant investments in university-based research and development.