Governor Cuomo Announces New SUNY Emerging Technology and Entrepreneurship Complex at Harriman Campus

Press Release

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the University at Albany will redevelop 12 acres in the southwest corner of the Harriman Campus to construct a new Emerging Technology and Entrepreneurship Complex. This new 236,000 square foot, single building complex is being completed as part of the NYSUNY 2020 program and will house the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity, as well as the New York State Mesonet. By coupling cutting edge research with economic development initiatives, it will spur the transfer of ideas and new technologies to commercial enterprises.

"This new complex will help keep New York on the cutting edge of technological innovation, as well as help ensure we are prepared for emerging threats, such as extreme weather and terrorism that are increasingly becoming the new normal," Governor Cuomo said. "By bringing academia and the business sector together, we are enabling the industries vital to our preparedness effort to grow and thrive right here in New York."

The $184 million project will be financed through $92 million in previously appropriated State capital funds grants as well as $92 million in previously appropriated Campus-funds. It is anticipated that 1,600 construction jobs will be created by the project. When fully occupied, the complex will become an active hub of research, instruction and business development, with some 1,000 daily occupants including faculty, researchers, industry partners, and students. Site planning is underway and construction is expected to begin in 2017, with completion targeted for 2020.

New York State Office of General Services Commissioner RoAnn Destito said, "ETEC is a significant example of the kind of collaborative project that Governor Cuomo supports to lead New York State forward. Putting the new College within ETEC on Harriman near the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES) and the New York State Police will foster relationships and guide research in ways that would not be possible in a purely academic setting."

Along with the College of Emergency, Homeland Security, and Cybersecurity and the New York State Mesonet, the Emerging Technology and Entrepreneurship Complex will house: the Office of Innovation and Commercialization Services, the University's Technology Transfer Office that accelerates new patents and licenses, the Office of Business Development and Economic Partnerships that supports START-UP NY, and Albany's Small Business Development Center. Innovate 518, the NYSTAR-designated Innovation Hot Spot will also be located at the complex and provide business incubation services.

SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher said, "Governor Cuomo's confidence in the capacity of SUNY and the University at Albany to carry out his vision for making New York State a national leader in safety, security, and emergency preparedness is well placed, and we look forward to bringing this state-of-the-art facility to the Capital District."

University of Albany President Robert J. Jones said, "UAlbany is extremely grateful for Governor Cuomo's vision and leadership and the trust he has put in the University at Albany to help make New York more secure, better protected, and better prepared to mitigate threats, whether they're nature's hazards or man-made dangers. UAlbany's collaboration with other state agencies will ensure that the expertise each partner brings will expand our collective ability to achieve the Governor's goal of implementing the most sophisticated homeland defense system ever designed by any state."

The College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity will create a state-of-the-art College to help address and respond to potential threats from terrorism, disease, and weather through data analysis, and best practices for crisis management. The College will collaborate with government and industry partners, granting advanced degrees in both academic and professional aspects of law enforcement, security, public and international affairs, counterterrorism, emergency management, cybersecurity and forensics.

New York State Division Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner John Melville said, "Building the ETEC at the Harriman Campus will allow students unprecedented access to experts from emergency management and law enforcement to acquire a one of a kind degree that no other program can offer. Students who attend the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity will fill the growing need for homeland security professionals with graduates who will have the edge because they will have hands on experience from the field."

The Emerging Technology and Entrepreneurship Complex will connect to the University at Albany campus via shuttle bus and a pedestrian path, and will house a number of different spaces. These include research labs, departmental offices, classrooms and class labs, a weather observation area and conference facilities.

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