Syracuse, Buffalo and Rochester, plus more than 100 public and private institutions, applied this week for a $54 million federal grant to further develop Upstate New York into a globally recognized technology corridor, with a strong focus on the semiconductor industry.

It is possibly the first time the region’s business community has partnered at this size and scale.

The move comes after the Upstate consortium beat out hundreds of other applicants across the country last year to become one of 31 federally designated tech hubs. The win came in large part to the region’s resources – including water, energy and workforce – and its willingness to collaborate.