A region on the rise, lifted by a diverse economy and a strategic location
Picture your business at New York’s center, where top talent is drawn to the region’s diverse economy, from life sciences and cleantech to agribusiness. Other emerging sectors, such as bioprocessing, medical devices — and industry-leading technology including sensors and radar — also contribute to the region’s economic vitality.
Central New York is also a rising hub of the Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) industry, with development of a state-of-the-art drone testing facility and a 50-mile Beyond Visual Line of Sight flight testing corridor.
The region is preparing a 21st century workforce by expanding on demand-driven workforce-training programs and community-wide initiatives and building on the region’s top-tier higher educational institutions to incubate innovation and entrepreneurial success — including the UAS-focused GENIUS NY global business competition.
Key Industries in Central New York
Homeland and Cybersecurity
Agribusiness
Biotech and Life Sciences
Cleantech and Renewable Energy
Central New York and the Mohawk Valley are home to a robust network of companies with significant research and manufacturing capabilities, including Lockheed Martin, Harris Corporation, AIS, Saab, SRC and Gryphon Sensors. The region’s UAS innovation corridor stretches from Syracuse to Griffiss International Airport in Rome, one of seven designated FAA-designated test sites.
Central New York’s diverse businesses create opportunities to capitalize on a ready customer base—such as unmanned systems developers serving a $3.1 billion agribusiness industry or $1.8 billion transportation and logistics industry. That diversity ranges from INFICON, a leading provider of world class instruments for gas analysis, measurement and control, which has expanded in Syracuse, to the Good Nature Farm Brewery, a homegrown craft brewery. Syracuse University, SUNY Upstate Medical University, SUNY Morrisville, Colgate University and others—contribute to a highly educated workforce and talent pool for regional innovation and industry.
Convenient air access is available via the now state-of-the-art Syracuse Hancock International Airport (SYR) and Oswego County Airport (FZY). The region’s excellent quality of life draws anglers from around the globe to Lake Ontario and the Salmon River— and the Great New York State Fair is an annual visitor draw. In Syracuse, mixed-use redevelopment along the Inner Harbor is adding new vibrancy to the city as well as the refurbishment of historic buildings, including the Hotel Syracuse, and central to downtown revitalization.
Central New York By The Numbers
$6.3B
annual output of advanced industries in the Syracuse metro area
$35M
committed by New York State to help grow the unmanned aerial systems industry in Central New York
$690M
in agricultural goods produced annually in Central New York
Population (2023)
Labor Force Status (2023)
Age Distribution (2023)
Education Attainment (2023)
Data source: ZoomProspector (Applied Geographic Solutions)
Doing Business in Central New York
Tax-Based Incentives
Operational Support
Growth Support
Innovation Development Support
Regional Office
The Central New York regional office works hand-in-hand with new and existing businesses to help identify economic development programs to support business growth and expansion—for building new facilities, relocating a business, expanding operations and workforce and entering new and global markets.
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