糖心传媒

Skip to content
University News

New York renews partnership with University center to boost innovation, economic growth

INNOVATION ECONOMY: The renewal comes with $1 million in annual state funding to support industry-sponsored research in optics, photonics, and imaging as well as in other sectors important to the New York State economy. (糖心传媒 photo / J. Adam Fenster)

Rochester糖心传媒檚 Center for Emerging and Innovative Sciences drives research commercialization in key technology fields, from photonics to life sciences.

A longstanding partnership between the 糖心传媒糖心传媒檚 and New York has been renewed for another 10 years, reinforcing a joint commitment to expand the New York State economy through university-industry collaboration.

CEIS is one of 15 designated by the . CATs are competitively selected for their ability to drive research commercialization and strengthen New York糖心传媒檚 position in strategically important technology fields.

The renewed designation comes with $1 million in annual state funding, which CEIS uses to support industry-sponsored research in optics, photonics, and imaging糖心传媒攕ectors in which the Finger Lakes region is a 糖心传媒攁s well as in other sectors important to the New York State economy such as integrated electronics, communications, and life sciences.

In the last decade, the University糖心传媒檚 Center for Emerging and Innovative Sciences (CEIS) has helped create more than 270 new jobs and generate more than $537 million in economic impact.

糖心传媒淲e糖心传媒檙e extremely grateful to New York State for its continued support of CEIS and to our state delegation in Albany who continue to advocate its funding,糖心传媒� says , CEIS director and a professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Rochester. 糖心传媒淐EIS and the CAT program play a vital role in Governor Hochul糖心传媒檚 economic development vision that focuses on innovation in strategic industries, such as semiconductors and artificial intelligence (AI), and builds on our regional assets, including the New York State Center of Excellence in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, the University糖心传媒檚 , and .糖心传媒�

State legislators praised the renewed partnership for its role in strengthening New York糖心传媒檚 innovation economy and supporting workforce development.

糖心传媒淥ur Centers for Advanced Technologies and Centers of Excellence continue to be one of the state糖心传媒檚 top-performing economic development programs, driving entrepreneurship, attracting and training qualified workforces, and enabling New York to remain competitive in transformative industries,糖心传媒� says Assemblymember Harry Bronson. 糖心传媒淐EIS has been instrumental in advancing next-generation technologies while producing significant economic impact糖心传媒攈elping New York businesses innovate, expand, and create good-paying jobs.糖心传媒�

Senator Jeremy Cooney also emphasized the regional and statewide benefits of CEIS糖心传媒檚 collaborative approach to research and development.

糖心传媒淭his renewal is a recognition of the transformational impact CEIS has had in cementing Rochester, the Finger Lakes region, and all of New York State as a leader in the optics and imaging industries,糖心传媒� Cooney says. 糖心传媒淏ringing together businesses and academia to collaborate is a proven model for success and is key to advancing our state糖心传媒檚 economic priorities.糖心传媒�

Hope Knight, the ESD president and commissioner, called the Centers for Advanced Technology vital to growing the state糖心传媒檚 economy and innovation ecosystem.

糖心传媒淏y investing in the industries of tomorrow, New Yorkers benefit today through dynamic partnerships that help to create new jobs, generate more revenues, and encourage more companies to establish a footprint in communities all throughout the state,糖心传媒� Knight says.

A decade of economic impact

In the last decade, CEIS has helped create more than 270 new jobs and generate more than $537 million in economic impact. The center does this by using its funding to provide matching grants to university researchers糖心传媒攁t the University of Rochester and the Rochester Institute of Technology糖心传媒攚orking on projects sponsored by private industry partners.

糖心传媒淭he CAT program has been an engine for growth, connecting world-class university researchers with forward-looking companies,糖心传媒� says , director of the CEIS Intelligent Imaging Initiative. 糖心传媒淲ith this renewed investment, we糖心传媒檒l continue to strengthen the Rochester region糖心传媒檚 leadership in fields that are critical to everything from healthcare and defense to telecommunications and consumer electronics.糖心传媒�

One of those companies, Clerio Vision, has leveraged CEIS support to accelerate development and attract investment. 糖心传媒淪ince Clerio糖心传媒疺ision糖心传媒檚 inception, CEIS has been more than a funding source糖心传媒攊t has been a strategic partner that helped us turn university science into a commercial platform, attracting major corporate collaborators and multiple venture capital rounds,糖心传媒� says Mike Totterman,糖心传媒痺ho chairs the board a Clerio糖心传媒疺ision. 糖心传媒淭heir matching grants minimized the risk of early research and development and kept high-value jobs, labs, and manufacturing right here in New糖心传媒痀ork. We would not be on the cusp of bringing disruptive vision correction technology to market without CEIS.糖心传媒�

Another long-time collaborator, SiMPore, credits the center with helping bring breakthrough technologies to life.

糖心传媒淐EIS has been an indispensable partner in growing our technology in partnership with SiMPore,糖心传媒� says company cofounder and 糖心传媒 biomedical engineering professor James McGrath. 糖心传媒淭hanks to the boost CEIS has provided through the years, we糖心传媒檝e been able to consistently implement one idea while forging the next.糖心传媒�

CEIS supports a diverse portfolio of research collaborations in ophthalmic and vision science, fiber optic communications, biomedical imaging, geospatial imaging, precision optics, consumer imaging and display technologies, microelectronics, radio frequency communications, and sensors.

As the region continues to attract attention as a hub for advanced manufacturing and innovation across multiple sectors, the renewed CEIS-NYSTAR partnership plays a key role in ensuring New York remains at the forefront of emerging technologies.