The NY SMART I-Corridor Tech Hub, which encompasses the Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse region, was selected as one of 12 Tech Hub award winners in the nation, bringing $40 million in federal funding to the region.

Proponents say the funding will further position the region as a semiconductor center for the world.

The funding announcement was scheduled this week in Rochester by U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer who said the highly competitive federal investment will help the region build out its workforce training initiatives, strengthen existing manufacturing and innovation, and help attract new supply chains.

“With this major investment, the feds are shining a national spotlight, and confirming what I have long known, that America’s semiconductor future runs through the heart of Upstate NY along the I-90 corridor,” Schumer said.

The multi-region consortium beat out nearly 400 initial applications in the first phase of the Tech Hubs competition and was one of 31 proposals selected in October for the federal Tech Hub designation from the U.S. Economic Development Administration which allowed the consortium to compete for the new round of funding.

The $40 million in Tech Hubs funding will go toward specific component projects that aim to solve the growth challenges the region would otherwise face over the coming decade.

The component project efforts will be led by Monroe Community College, the University at Buffalo and Syracuse University, all of which will be coordinating across the region to bolster workforce training initiatives, help elevate local supply chain companies and create a collaborative ecosystem for semiconductor R&D commercialization.

MCC is leading the workforce training program, which will create several initiatives, including expanding internship and apprenticeship opportunities, establishing a program to pair industry partners with semiconductor supply chain firms to develop training and job placement efforts, and creating employer-led training initiatives at regional training and education institutions to expand the workforce.

One initiative, called STEP UP (Semiconductor Talent & Employer Partnership in Upstate New York), will focus on meeting the need to close gaps in upskilling, hiring and retention, especially for populations that have been historically excluded from tech and manufacturing related job opportunities.

“By being Monroe County’s leading developer of highly skilled employees for the semiconductor industry through our workforce training programs, we are amplifying the strength of Monroe Community College’s readiness and consistent track record of championing innovation,” said Dr. DeAnna R. Burt-Nanna, MCC president.

According to the regional proposal, by the end of the decade, 25% of all chips produced in the United States will be manufactured within 350 miles of this Tech Hub, with no other region in the nation accounting for a greater share of microchip production.

The application was led by three designated conveners, one from each region: Buffalo Niagara Partnership in Buffalo, ROC2025 in Rochester and CenterState CEO in Syracuse.

Joseph Stefko, president of ROC2025 and NY SMART I-Corridor Tech Hub Regional innovation officer, said the announcement validates the power of collaboration and serves as a significant inflection point for the region.

“Three years ago, we set out to build a new, coordinated vision for the Buffalo-Rochester-Syracuse corridor, one laser-focused on advancing semiconductor production and supply chain,” he said. “The targeted investments this Hubs funding enables – in workforce, innovation and advanced manufacturing – position us to lead the way across the full semiconductor value chain, and in so doing, expand economic opportunity for all across our entire corridor…we’re ready to get to work.”

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