Greater Rochester Enterprise (GRE) and New York Photonics have formed a strategic alliance designed to strengthen business attraction, expansion and innovation across the Greater Rochester region’s globally recognized optics, photonics, imaging and laser (OPIL) sector.
GRE is the lead economic development organization for the nine-county Greater Rochester region, while New York Photonics is a nonprofit industry cluster organization focused on advancing New York State’s OPIL ecosystem.
Together, the organizations will leverage the region’s technical expertise, research capacity and manufacturing strength to support continued industry growth and global competitiveness.
“Greater Rochester, NY is the world leader in optics, photonics, imaging, and laser technologies,” said Matt Hurlbutt, president and CEO of Greater Rochester Enterprise. “Partnering with New York Photonics enables us to better leverage our regional assets on a global scale, further accelerating the trend of world-class businesses choosing to grow in this region.”
The Greater Rochester region is home to more than 150 OPIL companies employing roughly 19,000 residents. Since 2017, the sector has driven more than $1.1 billion in new capital investment and created roughly 4,300 new jobs.
“We have a strategic edge in optics, photonics, imaging, and laser technology that is second to none,” said Dr. Alexis Vogt, executive director of New York Photonics. “This partnership between GRE and New York Photonics turns that potential into progress. We’re excited to work together to tell our story and drive the economic growth our community deserves.”
Approximately 60 percent of all optics degrees awarded in the United States are conferred by institutions in the Greater Rochester region. The area also ranks as the nation’s top major metro for optics-related patents, driven by innovations in OLED technology, digital imaging, advanced microscopy, glass wafers for smartphones and other high-impact applications.
These strengths have positioned the region as a finalist for a $160 million National Science Foundation (NSF) Engines Award focused on the Science, Technology and Engineering of Lasers and Laser Applications Research (STELLAR).
The proposed engine would support enabling technologies for advanced chip manufacturing and laser packaging and integration, with potential benefits spanning manufacturing, energy, biomedical, scientific and national security applications.
via the Rochester Business Journal // Andrea Deckert