UAlbany Advances Plans for Emerging Technology and Entrepreneurship Complex

Part of Governor Cuomo’s NYSUNY 2020 Initiative

UAlbany computer scientist Siwei Lyu, shown above teaching a class, is among the researchers whose fields will be positively impacted by the Emerging Technology and Entrepreneurship Complex.

ALBANY, N.Y. (June 3, 2013) -- In collaboration with the State University Construction Fund, the University at Albany is advancing plans to establish an Emerging Technology and Entrepreneurship Complex (E-TEC). The new Complex will bring together researchers, entrepreneurs, and investors, to provide the technology transfer and commercialization resources to drive economic growth, create jobs, and enhance New York’s competitiveness in key industries. Serving as the hub to this complex will be a new $165 million research and development facility for which the University has issued a Request for Qualification (RFQ) from consulting teams.

The new project advances the University’s NYSUNY 2020 plan, an integral aspect of Governor Cuomo’s initial NYSUNY 2020 Challenge Grant, designed to make the State University of New York a leading catalyst for job growth in New York state, while strengthening the academic and research programs at SUNY’s four University Centers. The UAlbany initiative is expected to generate more than $1.8 billion in economic impact throughout the Capital Region, which is 50 times the investment of the $35 million.

The new state-of-the-art research and development facility will be designed to harness UAlbany’s academic research with industry partners to accelerate cooperative R&D, technology transfer, business development and workforce training.

To facilitate this initiative, the University has launched a national search for Assistant Vice President for Innovation Partnerships. The new position will implement and advance the Emerging Technology Entrepreneurship and initiative by developing and expanding strategic public-private collaborative opportunities, increasing industry sponsored research, and fostering the development of spinoff companies.

“The NYSUNY 2020 plan allows us to pursue our mission of bringing knowledge to learning, research to practice, and technology to the marketplace,” said University at Albany President Robert Jones. “We applaud Governor Cuomo for his vision to utilize and support the research enterprises of the SUNY system as catalysts for economic growth in New York state.”

The new facility will be designed with the following provisions:

• An environment which supports high-level funded research;
• An environment that supports industry partnership and technology transfer;
• An emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration among academic departments;
• An emphasis on student learning environments, both formal and informal;
• Connectivity to the pedestrian and parking infrastructure on the Uptown Campus, including connectivity to the Podium structure, where applicable, and stewardship of existing architectural heritage; and
• High Performance Energy design with LEED Gold Certification.

As part of the NYSUNY 2020 initiative, UAlbany is also enhancing its faculty ranks by adding 187 faculty positions over the next five years. The new posts will meet the University's growing demand for specialized study and research in climate, environmental and economic sustainability; business and entrepreneurship; human health and biomedical sciences; public service and policy; emerging technologies; and the liberal arts and sciences.

The faculty expansion is designed to facilitate the enrollment growth of 1,350 new undergraduate and graduate students during the same time period. UAlbany will also hire new support staff to accommodate the growth in faculty and student enrollment, expand its academic offerings and facilities, foster public/private research partnerships, and expand technology development and entrepreneurship in high-tech fields.

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