Central New York marked another milestone Monday as the tech industry gains traction. Senator Chuck Schumer made the announcement in East Syracuse.
“The Buffalo-Rochester-Syracuse region have just been designated one of the first federal tech hubs in America, and we will transform the I-90 corridor into the semiconductor superhighway,” Schumer said.
The Democrat championed upstate’s designation as part of his CHIPS and Science Act. He says the region beat out hundreds of applicants to be one of only 31 tech hubs in the nation. Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh said Schumer urged the three cities to think bigger together.
“Because we are on a global stage, and we need to compete globally, you have assets that are not fully leveraged until they're brought together. And while some of us may have been a little skeptical and a little sensitive feeling out those relationships, ultimately, we did come to the table. And guess what? We figured out we had a whole lot more in common than we didn't,” Walsh said. "And we brought a whole lot more to the table together than we did separately."
Schumer made the announcement at defense contractor Saab in East Syracuse, one of many companies that have maintained the region’s tech presence over the decades, which is boosted, he says, with new arrivals like Micron.
Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra said it’s a once-in-a-generation opportunity to strengthen semiconductor manufacturing and the tech industry.
“We look forward to growing with other businesses, like Saab, to achieve economic and national security goals envisioned by the CHIPS and Science Act, and I'm proud to stand alongside the community here in Central New York celebrating another important milestone today,” Mehrotra said.
The designation will not only attract more private sector investment, Schumer says it has the potential to direct tens of millions of dollars in additional federal funding to the corridor. He says several companies have already announced expansion or relocation plans.
