AI & Quantum Drive Doubling of Capital Region University Computer R&D Spending

The new IBM Spyre Accelerator installation at UAlbany’s Center for Emerging Artificial Intelligence Systems. Courtesy UAlbany.

Highlights

• Capital Region university R&D spending in the computer and information sciences field increased by 168 percent in FY2024.
• AI and quantum investments at UAlbany and RPI drove R&D spending in this field.
• Computer and information sciences R&D is now the region’s third largest research field, up from fifth in FY2023.
• Total university R&D spending was $641.8 million.
• University R&D supports more than 3,600 research personnel in the region.

Amid buildups in artificial intelligence and quantum computing capabilities at the Capital Region’s two R1 research institutions, university R&D spending in the computer and information sciences field more than doubled in fiscal year 2024, according to a Center for Economic Growth (CEG) analysis of new data from the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES).

In fiscal 2024, Capital Region colleges and universities spent $52.8 million on computer and information sciences R&D. That represented a 168 percent increase in R&D expenditures in that field, when adjusting for inflation (chained 2017 dollars). Driving that growth were the University at Albany and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, whose R&D expenditures in the computer and information sciences field were $26.5 million and $26.2 million, respectively.

“New York’s strategic, decades-long investment in semiconductor R&D at Albany NanoTech and UAlbany’s College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering is inseparable from the Capital Region’s surging R&D footprint in fields like artificial intelligence and quantum. UAlbany’s joint Center for Emerging AI Systems with IBM and the Northeast Regional Defense Technology Hub are evidence that the gains we are seeing now are not luck. They are the result of thoughtful collaboration and planning to maximize the return on the region’s formidable R&D infrastructure in economic growth and workforce development,” said Thenkurussi “Kesh” Kesavadas, UAlbany’s vice president for research and economic development.     

“RPI’s leadership in defining the future of computing has been built over decades, and our recent growth in research reflects the power of collaboration. Through close partnerships with regional institutions, industry, and local, state, and federal government partners, we are advancing research in quantum computing and supercomputing that drives innovation, supports workforce development, and strengthens the Capital Region’s technology ecosystem,” said RPI Vice President for Research Robert Hull.

In addition to this increase in university AI R&D spending, the Capital Region is experiencing a surge in AI startup activity.

R&D by Field

The increase in computer and information sciences R&D spending made it the third largest research field in the Capital Region, by expenditures, whereas it was fifth the previous year. In fiscal 2024, R&D expenditures in computer and information sciences exceeded those in the fields of non-scientific and engineering ($33.9 million) and physical sciences ($21.7 million).

Engineering ($394.8 million) and life sciences ($80 million) remain the region’s top two R&D fields for local colleges and universities. In fiscal 2024, the Capital Region’s university R&D expenditures total for all fields was $641.8 million. That funding supported more than 3,600 research personnel in the region.

IBM’s Quantum System One at RPI. Courtesy RPI.

Key Recent Investments

In 2024, UAlbany and RPI also announced a historic collaboration between the two universities “to push the boundaries of computer technology and its applications, leveraging their respective strengths and formidable assets.”  Recent AI and quantum investments at UAlbany and RPI have included:

UAlbany

• A massive artificial intelligence cluster hire of 27 faculty.
• The formation of the Center for Emerging Artificial Intelligence Systems (CEAIS), a $20 million AI research collaboration between the university and IBM Research.
• The installation of a $16.5M supercomputer, powered by NVIDIA DGX systems – one of the most advanced AI supercomputers at a U.S. university.
• The first university installation IBM’s AIU chips.
• The launch of seven AI research projects at UAlbany, powered by the latest IBM Spyre accelerators.

RPI

• Installation of world’s first IBM Quantum System One on a university campus.
• Installation of the Artificial Intelligence Multiprocessing Optimized System (AiMOS) – the most powerful classical supercomputer at a private U.S. university.

CEG Initiatives

CEG and its Manufacturing Solutions team leverages the Capital Region’s R&D assets to do the following:

• Promote the region around the world at industry conferences;
• Improve businesses’ access to labs at facilities, such as those at NY CREATES’ Albany Nanotech Complex, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, in addition to others affiliated with Innovate 518, a University at Albany-led collaborative effort of Capital Region incubators, accelerators, and entrepreneurial service providers.
• Accelerate commercialization by leveraging tech scouting, gathering technology-driven market intelligence, engaging Empire State Development’s Division of Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR) for testing and development;
• Develop prototypes with its Stratasys F270 3D printer at the Tech Valley Center of Gravity or provide hand-on access to it; and
• Assist in the preparation of grant applications for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program and Small Business Technology Transfer Program.

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