Central New York

Central NY UAS

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.  

 

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I am excited to … support the region’s unsurpassed ‘innovation friendly’ environment for UAS research, testing and operations.
Ken Stewart, President and CEO, NUAIR
Ken Stewart, President and CEO, NUAIR
UAS Traffic Management Conference

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.

Worker inside a bottling plant

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.

Syracuse Airport

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

Population (2023)

Labor Force Status (2023)

Age Distribution (2023)

Education Attainment (2023)

Data source: ZoomProspector (Applied Geographic Solutions)

The Upstate Revitalization Initiative

The URI-winning CNY Rising plan identifies strategic investments and initiatives, geared to regional strengths and growth.

Central New York Regional Economic Development Council

Visit the REDC site for more information on members, projects, economic data and funding applications.

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.  

Daniel Kolinski
Acting Regional Director
620 Erie Boulevard West
Suite 112
Syracuse New York 13204

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