Empire State Development meetings

With videoconferencing to: Empire State Development, 633 Third Avenue – 37th Floor Conference Room, New York, New York 10017 This meeting is open to the public. Please Note: Those attending at either location must RSVP by 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. RSVP press line (800) 260-7313; RSVP Buffalo press line (716) 846-8239; RSVP public line (212) 803-3772 The public may listen to the meeting via webcast by clicking the link below. Members of the public may submit comments on the Agenda item in writing to [email protected] by noon on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. All comments received by the deadline will be distributed to the Directors prior to the meeting and will be posted online.

Competition Continues to Bring the Best Startups with Optics, Photonics, and Imaging Technologies to the Finger Lakes, Assisting Innovators With Tapping Into the Region’s  World Class OPI Ecosystem Luminate NY is Supported by “Finger Lakes Forward” – The Region’s Comprehensive Strategy to Revitalize Communities and Grow the Economy Empire State Development (ESD) today announced the 10 companies selected to take part in round six of the Luminate NY accelerator program, investment fund, and competition. A total of 120 applications were received for consideration to participate in the world’s largest accelerator for startups working on industry-first solutions that are enabled by optics, photonics, and imaging (OPI). One third of the applications came from countries outside of the U.S. with the remaining two-thirds from U.S. states. Round six kicks-off an additional four-year commitment by New York State to continue the successful, globally renowned Luminate NY program. Empire State Development President, CEO, and Commissioner, Hope Knight said, “Congratulations to the 10 entrepreneurial companies selected to take part in Luminate NY’s sixth cohort. The cutting-edge ideas from these optics, photonics and imaging startups will help to drive innovation, creating opportunities in the Finger Lakes Region and throughout New York State.” The companies were selected after pitching their innovative ideas and being scored by an advisory panel comprised of industry experts. Each finalist will receive an initial investment of $100,000 and will have the chance to compete for up to $2 million in follow-on funding upon completion of the accelerator program. The cohort will begin on April 17, 2023. The six-month program will help the companies speed the commercialization of their technologies and businesses. Funding for the $45 million program, which was created and is run by NextCorps, is provided through the Finger Lakes Forward Upstate Revitalization Initiative—the region’s comprehensive strategy to revitalize communities and foster economic growth. Luminate NY supports innovators as they further develop their technologies with help from industry experts, local universities, and the vast OPI resources that are offered by businesses throughout the Finger Lakes Region. Cohort 6 is solving challenges within a number of industries, including, but not limited to: agtech, augmented/virtual reality, communications, healthcare, material science, unmanned vehicles, and quantum. The 10 selected startups and their solutions include: AquaRealTime is protecting waterways with a scalable, early warning and monitoring system that detects harmful algae blooms and water contaminants Digiteyez is providing eyecare on demand with 24/7 access to fast, accurate eye testing, regular vision checks, and connections with eye doctors—from any digital device NanoPattern Technologies, Inc. is commercializing a patented chemistry and ink that enables display manufacturers to make high-resolution screens that are more sustainable for smartphones, wearables, and AR/VR applications Norcon is creating advanced optical polymer and lensing technology for making 3D depth imagers faster, more accurate, and less expensive Oculi is making computer vision faster and more efficient by embedding intelligence in the sensor, starting at the pixel—the true edge Photonect Interconnect Solutions is developing a laser adhesion technique to attach optical fibers to photonic chips that is 10X faster, less expensive, and more efficient than conventional glue methods PlanOpSim is helping R&D teams solve complicated design and integration problems by providing a single workflow design software for planar and meta-optics QART Medical is providing novel information to clinicians selecting sperm cells to use in IVF procedures, allowing evidence-based decisions centered on empirical data Quantune is bringing the first chip-sized laser spectrometer for the mid-infrared spectral range—the "molecular fingerprint region"—to market to allow continuous, non-invasive monitoring of molecular biomarkers such as glucose on the wrist (with lab-grade quality) Swave Photonics is addressing current AR/VR limitations by developing the world’s first spatial light modulator for true digital holography Under a recently formed partnership with Silicon Catalyst (SI)—the world’s only incubator focused on accelerating semiconductor solutions—Oculi and Swave will participate in Luminate’s and SI’s programming concurrently. Two additional companies, Archangel Imaging and Labby, will take part in Luminate out of the finalist structure to gain access to regional resources. Archangel, the 2022 Grand Prize winner of the Genius NY competition, deploys smart machines alongside people to protect valuable remote assets and at-risk staff. Labby, a $250,000 winner at the 2022 Grow NY competition, provides dairy farms with rapid, accurate, and affordable solutions that leverage AI-enabled optical sensing for raw milk testing in less than a minute. Luminate NY Managing Director Sujatha Ramanujan said, “Each year, the diversity and quality of companies applying to Luminate continues to improve, demonstrating that the need for this type of programming and financial support transcends technology type and industry category. With the integration of optics, photonics, and imaging into so many applications, Luminate NY is able to help founders in a variety of industries strengthen their businesses and commercialization trajectories.” Since its inception, Luminate has invested $15 million in 53 startups. The companies in the portfolio have raised an additional $194.7 million and now share a net worth of $645.7 million. Many of the companies are establishing U.S. operations or some aspect of research and manufacturing in the Rochester region—which continues to be the epicenter of the OPI industry in North America. This has resulted in the creation of 160 new jobs in the region. State Senator Jeremy Cooney said, “Congratulations to the 10 innovators joining the sixth cohort of Luminate New York. Rochester is continuing its legacy as a home to innovation by hosting entrepreneurs developing technologies with the potential to make a global impact on some of the most pressing challenges of our time. Thank you Nextcorps for hosting this program in the heart of downtown, and to Empire State Development & Finger Lakes Forward for their continued support and investment in developers in Rochester and across New York.” Assembly Member Harry Bronson said, “Congratulations to the 10 teams selected to take part in round six of Luminate NY! I know that these teams and their entrepreneurial spirit will create projects that will provide the future of job and economic growth for our state and nation. As Chair of the Economic Development Committee, I know these award winners will build a brighter future for our families.” Monroe County Executive Adam Bello said, “Congratulations to all of the companies advancing in this round of the Luminate NY accelerator program, which continues to advance Monroe County’s next generation optics, photonics, and imaging industries. We are grateful to Governor Hochul and Empire State Development for continuing investments that help cement our community’s reputation as a leader in the OPI sector and provide economic opportunity for our residents.” City of Rochester Mayor Malik Evans said, “I want to congratulate all the sixth-round finalists in the Luminate NY accelerator competition and wish them good luck in this next, exciting phase of their development as Rochester job creators. These companies are already winners in this unique program to support and encourage innovation in optics, photonics, and imaging around the world. I remain grateful to Governor Kathy Hochul and Empire State Development for bringing these 21st century innovators to Rochester through Finger Lakes Forward and helping us create a safe, equitable and prosperous Rochester.” Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council Co-Chairs, Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Bob Duffy and SUNY Geneseo President Denise Battles said, “We would like to offer our congratulations to the innovative teams selected to take part in the sixth round of the groundbreaking Luminate NY accelerator program. These forward-thinking entrepreneurs are helping to further bolster the optics, photonics, and imaging industry throughout the region. We can’t wait to learn all about their next-generation ideas.” For additional information about the Luminate NY accelerator, click here. Accelerating Finger Lakes Forward  Today’s announcement complements “Finger Lakes Forward,” the region’s comprehensive strategy to generate robust economic growth and community development. The regionally designed plan focuses on investing in key industries including photonics, agriculture‎ and food production, and advanced manufacturing. More information is available here. ​ About Empire State Development Empire State Development (ESD) is New York’s chief economic development agency (www.esd.ny.gov). The mission of ESD is to promote a vigorous and growing economy, encourage the creation of new job and economic opportunities, increase revenues to the State and its municipalities, and achieve stable and diversified local economies. Through the use of loans, grants, tax credits and other forms of financial assistance, ESD strives to enhance private business investment and growth to spur job creation and support prosperous communities across New York State. ESD is also the primary administrative agency overseeing the Regional Economic Development Councils and the marketing of “I LOVE NEW YORK,” the State’s iconic tourism brand. For more information on Regional Councils and Empire State Development, visit www.regionalcouncils.ny.gov and www.esd.ny.gov. Contact: Shari Voorhees-Vincent | [email protected] | (585) 399-7055 Press Office | [email protected] | (800) 260-7313

The meeting is open to the public. Please Note: Due to building procedures, members of the public attending in-person should please RSVP by 5:30 p.m. on Friday, March 10, 2023. Members of the press should please call (800) 260-7313; Members of the public should please call (212) 803-3772. The public may listen to the meeting via webcast by clicking the link below. Members of the public may submit comments on the Agenda items in writing to [email protected] by 5:30 pm on Friday, March 10, 2023. All comments received by the deadline will be distributed to the Directors prior to the meeting and will be posted online.

Board Recommends $27.5 Million NYS Funds to Enhance State-of-the-Art Facility at Eastman Business Park Optics, Photonics, and Imaging Innovation is Centerpiece of “Finger Lakes Forward” – The Region’s Comprehensive Strategy to Revitalize Communities and Grow the Economy The New York State Photonics Board of Officers (NYS Photonics Board) met virtually today to discuss New York state’s continued commitment to the American Institute for Manufacturing Integrated Photonics (AIM Photonics). The board received a progress update from AIM leadership on the institute’s role in the semiconductor industry and specifically the state-of-the-art Test, Assembly, and Packaging (TAP) Facility in Rochester, NY, located on Lake Avenue at the Delta-X facility in Eastman Business Park. The board approved a proposal for $27.5 million in previously committed New York State funding to invest $23 million in new equipment and tool upgrades to further enhance the TAP facility’s research and development capabilities and to amplify the consortium’s collaboration with regional universities with $4.5 million in operational support.  These continued partnerships, notably with the University of Rochester, Rochester Institute of Technology and Monroe Community College, will serve to create educational opportunities for students, helping to train the high-technology manufacturing workforce needed to support the photonics industry in the region and statewide. The specific recommendations made today are part of the state’s original $250 million commitment to AIM Photonics. “The photonics ecosystem in New York is growing stronger each year and to keep the momentum going, the Board took several actions today that will help to expand research and development capabilities, attract new partners, and increase workforce and educational opportunities for New Yorkers,” said David Anderson, Chairman of the Photonics Board and President of NY CREATES. “We were pleased to welcome Dr. Cook as the new Executive Director of AIM Photonics and look forward to our continued work together to advance integrated photonics capabilities and bolster New York’s status as a world leader in photonics R&D and advanced packaging.” The Photonics Board also officially welcomed William W. “Wade” Cook, Ph.D., who was appointed as Executive Director of the Institute last fall., who was appointed as Executive Director of the Institute last fall. “Integrated photonics technologies offer the promise of smaller, better, faster, lighter devices that will significantly improve people’s lives and help ensure our country’s defense readiness,” Cook said. “We appreciate the investment New York state has made in this critical technology and are excited to continue to expand the capabilities of our Test, Assembly and Packaging facility in Rochester.  The TAP facility is an important part of our mission to grow the integrated photonics ecosystem in the U.S.” Cook, a Rochester native and photonics industry veteran, has over 20 years’ technology experience in optics and photonics, serving in roles ranging from engineer to manager to executive-level positions. AIM Photonics officials today also updated the board on the consortium’s total membership and on its customer pipeline. Currently, 196 organizations are engaged with AIM including members, customers, collaborators, and organizations that use the Process Design Kit (PDK) developed by AIM; and additional interested collaborators from across the U.S. The Federal Government additionally remains fully committed to the consortium’s mission. In 2021, AIM Photonics secured a new seven-year cooperative agreement with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and the Research Foundation of the State University of New York, which includes support totaling more than $321 million from OSD, DoD service labs, private companies, colleges and universities, and other state governments that will be used to help ensure the manufacturing readiness of advanced photonics, a technology that is essential to national security and critical to the future of high-performance microelectronics. New York State’s commitment to AIM Photonics’ mission is supported by the Finger Lakes Forward Upstate Revitalization Initiative (URI) and is aimed at attracting integrated photonics companies to set up manufacturing operations in the region. The greater Rochester area is already a leader in photonics research and development, and this additional State funding for the TAP will further leverage this unique asset and the nationwide AIM consortium to bring the businesses and the jobs of tomorrow to New York State. As a result, AIM Photonics, through its Upstate New York manufacturing locations at the Albany Nanotech Complex and the Rochester TAP facility, is continuing its work to develop advanced integrated photonics capabilities for a wide array of existing products and will enable critical applications such as data communications, telecommunications, light detection and ranging (LiDAR), chemical and biological sensing, artificial intelligence, quantum applications and custom DoD applications.  Thanks to AIM Photonics’ efforts, several significant events have occurred including the development of an advanced, integrated photonic-based COVID-19 antibody sensor. This effort was led by the University of Rochester, enabled by AIM, and includes local companies such as Ortho Clinical Diagnostics and Syntec Optics. Providing fabrication and packaging support to companies as they evolve from concept to market is an important aspect of the consortium’s contribution to the integrated photonics ecosystem. AIM has also seen an expansion of the customer base who use the capabilities at the TAP facility, which is capable of microelectronic packaging in addition to integrated photonic packaging. Growth in academic, government and industry users has been realized. Additionally, in collaboration with the Rochester Institute of Technology and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, more than 6,800 learners have been trained in AIM Academy’s Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) design course, an online class that dives into fabless photonics chip design and leverages industry software to model, simulate, layout, and error-check a PIC for high-tech applications. The participation in the course has demonstrated an intense interest in integrated photonics design and technology.  One of 16 Manufacturing Innovation Institutes, with three of the sixteen institutes headquartered in New York State, AIM Photonics is an industry-driven public-private partnership that focuses the nation’s premiere capabilities and expertise to capture critical global manufacturing leadership in technologies that are both essential to national security and positioned to provide a compelling return-on-investment to the U.S. economy. For more information about AIM Photonics, visit https://www.aimphotonics.com/about-us. About the New York State Photonics Board of Officers The New York State Photonics Board of Officers coordinates New York State’s significant financial investments with AIM. The board of officers consists of seven members who represent a wide array of business, programmatic, and technical expertise. The Governor of New York State appoints the Chairman and two additional members; SUNY Polytechnic Institute appoints two members; and the Rochester Institute of Technology and University of Rochester each appoint one member. The Photonics Institute Board of Officers is comprised of: David Anderson Chair, Governor appointees Ed White and Alexis Vogt, SUNY Poly appointee Andrew Russell; Jeff Cheek, SUNY Poly appointee; Ryne Raffaele, Rochester Institute of Technology appointee; and Tom Brown, University of Rochester appointee. Accelerating Finger Lakes Forward  Today’s announcement complements “Finger Lakes Forward,” the region’s comprehensive strategy to generate robust economic growth and community development. The regionally designed plan focuses on investing in key industries including photonics, agriculture‎ and food production, and advanced manufacturing. More information is available here. ​ About Empire State Development Empire State Development (ESD) is New York’s chief economic development agency (www.esd.ny.gov). The mission of ESD is to promote a vigorous and growing economy, encourage the creation of new job and economic opportunities, increase revenues to the State and its municipalities, and achieve stable and diversified local economies. Through the use of loans, grants, tax credits and other forms of financial assistance, ESD strives to enhance private business investment and growth to spur job creation and support prosperous communities across New York State. ESD is also the primary administrative agency overseeing the Regional Economic Development Councils and the marketing of “I LOVE NEW YORK,” the State’s iconic tourism brand. For more information on Regional Councils and Empire State Development, visit www.regionalcouncils.ny.gov and www.esd.ny.gov. Contact: Shari Voorhees-Vincent (ESD) | [email protected] | (585) 399-7055 Kristin Devoe | (ESD) [email protected] | (518) 292-5107 Jason Conwall | [email protected] | (518) 956-7373