Saying it “puts Upstate NY further on the road to becoming America’s semiconductor superhighway,” Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer announced Monday that the Buffalo-Rochester-Syracuse region won the federal Tech Hub designation, one of only 31 regions in America to do so.
The NY SMART I-Corridor Tech Hub proposal will now be able to compete for the next phase of the Tech Hubs Program that will invest between $50 and $75 million in each of 5 to 10 Designated Hubs. Schumer said that with this designation, the NY SMART I-Corridor will bring together the combined assets of Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse to help the region become a globally recognized semiconductor manufacturing hub in the next decade, with innovation focused on improving the quality and quantity of semiconductor manufacturing and, along with it, amplifying the region’s microelectronics and microchip supply chain ecosystem.
The Buffalo-Rochester-Syracuse consortium includes over 80 members from across the public sector, industry, higher-ed, economic and workforce development, and labor. This includes over 22 industry groups and firms, 20 economic development organizations, 8 labor & workforce training organizations, and 10 institutions of higher learning. This application development process was led by three designated conveners, one from each region: The John R. Oishei Foundation in Buffalo, ROC2025 in Rochester, and CenterState CEO in Syracuse.
“Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse are officially on the road to becoming America’s semiconductor superhighway. I created this program with Upstate NY in mind, and now three of our own cities that helped build America, have not only won the exclusive federal Tech Hub designation for semiconductors but also won a once-in-a-generation opportunity to write a new chapter for Upstate NY building our nation’s future. This 3 region Tech Hub will hit the gas on NY’s booming chips industry by attracting new companies, training our workforce for tens of thousands of good-paying jobs, and bringing manufacturing in this critical industry back from overseas to right here in Upstate NY,” said Senator Schumer. “I pulled out all the stops to land this Tech Hub Designation for my great home state – making the case that bringing together these three cities and giving them the resources to combine forces would create an unstoppable engine that will rev the region’s industries to life and make Upstate NY a global center for semiconductors. With this Tech Hubs Designation highlighting the region as one of only a few in the country primed to be the next Silicon Valley in critical technology, combined with federal funding now flooding this triple-threat region, America’s semiconductor manufacturing industry truly couldn’t be in better hands.”
Specifically, the NY SMART I-Corridor Tech Hub proposal seeks to propel the Buffalo-Rochester-Syracuse corridor by attracting new suppliers to the region, including onshoring companies from overseas, advancing research & development programs for the semiconductor industry, training the next generation of Upstate New York’s manufacturing workforce, and specifically helping ensure that underserved populations are connected to the tens thousands of good-paying jobs expected to be created in this growing industry in the region.
“By officially designating the Buffalo-Rochester-Syracuse corridor as a Regional Technology and Innovation Hub, we are set to witness a substantial increase in job opportunities while fortifying the nation’s vital supply chains,” said Congresswoman Claudia Tenney. “By designating our region, which was the home of the Industrial Revolution, as a tech hub, we will again see our community be at the forefront of innovation and drive economic and technological progress for our country. I deeply appreciate the bipartisan support from my colleagues, and I am eager to see the opportunities, jobs, and innovative advancements that this Tech Hub designation will bring to our community, our nation, and the world!”
“Western New York and the Southern Tier have a rich legacy of manufacturing innovation, and the approval of our Tech Hub application reflects our commitment to advancing technology, creating high-paying jobs, and securing our nation’s economic and technological future,” said Congressman Nick Langworthy. “Our region’s proximity to the world-renowned Micron facility in Upstate New York makes the NY SMART I-Corridor a natural choice for this transformative investment. Leveraging the expertise and resources of Micron, alongside our growing skilled workforce, reinforces our future as a premier destination for semiconductor research and production.”
“Building on our nation-leading Green CHIPS legislation, our historic agreement to bring Micron to New York, and major investments in fast-growing sectors like advanced manufacturing, this federal designation brings our state even closer to creating a hub for growth, innovation, and prosperity upstate,” Governor Kathy Hochul said. “Thanks to the Biden administration, Majority Leader Schumer, and the rest of the New York delegation, these federal Tech Hubs at New Energy New York and along NY SMART’s I-Corridor will allow us to continue building our thriving tech sector, protect national security, and provide good-paying, 21st-century jobs for generations of New Yorkers.”
Bob Duffy, President and CEO, Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce said, “Greater Rochester Chamber is proud to be part of the team that put together the framework necessary to advance us to this next phase of the Regional Tech Hub initiative, and we are deeply grateful for the advocacy of Senator Schumer, Congressman Morelle, and every teammate who made this success a reality. Today’s wonderful news is the culmination of a months-long effort involving dozens of partners from Rochester, Buffalo, and Syracuse, and we look forward to this continued collaboration as we show the Department of Commerce what Upstate New York is made of: unparalleled talent, innovation, and determination.”
Wendell P. Weeks, Chairman and CEO, Corning Incorporated said, “As one of the world’s leading manufacturers of hyper-pure polysilicon and advanced optics components, Corning is vital to nearly every step of the chip manufacturing process. We’re grateful for Majority Leader Schumer’s leadership in implementing the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act to strengthen the entire domestic semiconductor supply chain, and we are committed to making New York the nation’s leading hub for semiconductor R&D and manufacturing in the United States.”
Micron President and CEO Sanjay Mehrotra: As a member of the NY SMART I-Corridor consortium, Micron welcomes the Buffalo-Rochester-Syracuse region’s designation as a tech hub, accelerating the future of innovation in Upstate New York. When Micron selected Clay, NY as the location of the megafab that will manufacture our industry-leading memory technology in the United States, we anticipated that our transformational investment would help to inspire other technology leaders to choose New York. We see the potential for the region’s semiconductor ecosystem to grow, driven by the powerful investments Micron plans to make alongside the State of New York and other local and federal partners in workforce development and R&D advancement. Micron looks forward to the continued strengthening of the nation’s semiconductor ecosystem with the support of the CHIPS and Science Act, under which we have applied for the federal funding necessary to make our $100B+ investment in Central New York possible.
Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon said, “Thanks to Senator Schumer’s CHIPS and Sciences Act, Micron’s historic $100 Billion investment is poised to transform Onondaga County into a global powerhouse in semiconductor fabrication and memory manufacturing. Today, we celebrate another tangible milestone in this historic investment with the designation of the NY SMART I-Corridor as a federal Tech Hub.” McMahon continued “Tech Hubs represent the most promising centers of technology in the United States and this designation validates the high tech renaissance underway from Syracuse to Buffalo and across Upstate New York. The skeptics and naysayers may continue to doubt us every step of the way; but, with an all-star roster of collaborators and the Senate Majority Leader on our team, I am confident that we will prove the doubters wrong and make Onondaga County the home of America’s tech future.”
Ben Walsh, Mayor of Syracuse said, “this designation is another indicator that the Syracuse Surge, our strategy for inclusive growth in the New Economy, is working. We are making Syracuse and Upstate New York a world-leading destination for technology investment. I am proud to partner with Mayor Brown, Mayor Evans and their communities as we take the next step toward making Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo one of the top tech
