CEG

Industry Sectors

The Center For Economic Growth Upstate New York has a rich tradition of manufacturing and innovation dating back over 150 years ago with founding of companies such as global powerhouses General Electric and IBM.  However, over the past 20-30 years the traditionally robust manufacturing company base of upstate New York has been reduced to just a few as these industries have become globally mature and increased competition and substantially reduced production costs from overseas countries have forced industries out of upstate New York.  In the wake of massive job layoffs, corporate closures, population decreases and manufacturing relocations, leaders across government, academia and the private sector recognized in the early 1990s that the upstate economy needed a paradigm shift towards leading edge high value added technology industries that would transform and drive the economic resurgence for the next 30-40 years.  To address this issue, National Grid funded a joint study between the Center for Economic Growth (CEG) and the Lally School of Business at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute which identified five key industries (since expanded to six) as viable next generation opportunities for upstate New York based upon existing infrastructure and asset base.  Consequently, future growth, marketing and attraction efforts for the Region would focus on Advanced Materials, Bio/Life Sciences, Clean Tech/Energy, Homeland Security/Defense, Information Technology and Nanotechnology/Semiconductors. 

In 2002, 18 counties formed together to brand the Region “Tech Valley” and initiatives to attract investment, prepare our communities, and grow our economic vitality began at every level.  Based upon the Region’s growing asset matrix in the Nanotech/Semiconductor industry and in order to affect positive long-term economic growth for the Region, the CEG initiated a global outreach program in 1999 that has since been branded “NY Loves Nanotech”.  The success of this initiative, as well as the significant achievements of the private/public partnership at the University at Albany’s College of Nanoscale Science & Engineering provided the foundation to develop and implement programs and initiatives to capture the convergence points with the aforementioned technology sectors.  Consistent with the CEG’s mission of attracting diverse industries and economic investment, we have developed a broad based multi-industry global strategic marketing/outreach initiative called “NY Loves Technology”.  Under the marketing umbrella “NY Loves Technology”, we have and will continue to develop new programs designed to create a sustainable environment capable of attracting, retaining and growing an innovation based economy.

Advanced Materials

Plastics, Composites, and Ceramics


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Biotechnology

Life Sciences, Drug Delivery and Tissue Engineering

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Energy

Fuel Cells, Power Management and Distribution

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Information Technology

Software and Telecommunications

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Nanotechnology

Nanoelectronics and Semiconductors

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