Cara Matthews reports on pressconnects.com - “New York needs to encourage entrepreneurship, help businesses export internationally and place more emphasis on higher education if it wants to succeed in a global economy, a State University of New York report released Wednesday recommended.

Some parts of the state have been more successful than others in competing in a global economy, according to the SUNY Levin Institute and Center for an Urban Future, which was commissioned to do the report. New York lost 50 percent of its manufacturing jobs between 1970 and 2000, and another 39 percent from 2000 to 2010, outpacing most other states…

“For our state to grow and prosper, it is essential that we identify ways for all regions in the state to tap into the global economy,” SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher said in a statement.

New York’s public and private higher-education institutions “offer an opportunity for job growth in emerging industries,” said Heather Briccetti, acting president and CEO of the state Business Council.

A disincentive in New York is the cost of doing business, she said. The Tax Foundation, a national group, has labeled New York as having the worst tax climate in the country.”

To read more click here.

The following excerpt is from an article that appeared in The Business Council’s most recent newsletter. It’s authored by Peg Zokowski, who is a principal at Innovators Ink, LLC:

“While much attention has been focused on the creation and unveiling of the regional economic development councils, the Empire State STEM Learning Network (Empire STEM) quietly builds steam. Empire STEM, a statewide, community‐led collaborative, is aligning multiple STEM initiatives and committed stakeholders across New York—business, PK‐20 education, government, community organizations, and foundations—to leverage the unique strengths of its 10 economic regions and drive economic growth.

Empire STEM envisions a coordinated network eventually consisting of 10 interconnected regional hubs, focused on common goals supporting the interdisciplinary teaching and learning of science, mathematics, engineering and technology (STEM) disciplines to prepare all students in their region for success in school, work, and life.”

For the full article click here.

James Goodman of the Democrat and Chronicle writes:

“The days when Eastman Kodak Co. dominated the local economy are long gone, as the company’s local workforce has shrunk from 60,400 in 1982 to 7,100 last year.

But the role of the University of Rochester in the economy as the region’s largest employer is harder to define.

With Strong Memorial and Highland hospitals under its umbrella, UR has more than 20,000 employees on its payroll — more than double what it had in the mid-1980s.

UR, however, stimulates the economy in a number of ways — from attracting more than $400 million a year in research grants and spawning high-tech startups to bringing students and faculty here from outside the region.”

To read more click here.

With the Governor’s announcement this week of more than $4 Billion in new high-tech investment by private sector companies in New York, we thought it would be a good idea to provide you with some feedback on that announcement and to look at other business expansions and job creation.

Heather Briccetti, acting-president and CEO of The Business Council released the following statement on the new private sector investment being made in New York.

“By instilling confidence and collaborative innovation with industry leaders, Governor Cuomo is again demonstrating that New York is open for business.

This week’s announcement could not have occurred without a commitment to work with businesses and a sustained investment in intellectual capital. The investment of $4.4 Billion marks a significant dedication of resources by the world’s leading high technology manufacturers in New Yorkers.

Today, we have strengthened our competitive advantage and opened the door to new opportunities in the future. New York must continue to be vigilant in its efforts to spark new innovation, while reducing the barriers to additional investment, with the hope of securing a 450 mm chip fabrication facility.”

To read about other private sector investments in the news this week click on the links below.

More high-tech plants remain option if state keeps money tap open (AlbanyTimesUnion)

GE charges ahead with new battery plant (AlbanyTimesUnion)

Time Warner to bring operations center, jobs to Rochester (RochesterD&C)

Troy-based Paper Batter gets $1M NYSERDA grant (TroyRecord)

Time Warner to add 76 network-monitoring jobs at East Syracuse (SyracusePostStandard)

Most nano jobs planned within 2 years (UticaObserver)

Badger Technologies expanding in Farmington (RochesterD&C)

Keiko Morris writes in Newsday - “Bringing more high-paying biopharmaceutical research and manufacturing jobs to Long Island won’t happen without a concerted statewide effort to compete in the sector, research and educational leaders and industry advocates said Wednesday.

“Not only are we facing increased competition from other states,” said Kenneth J. Pokalsky, senior director of government affairs for the advocacy group Business Council of New York State Inc., “but a huge competition growing in India and China.”

The Business Council hosted yesterday’s gathering at the new Hofstra-North Shore LIJ School of Medicine in Hempstead to highlight the biopharmaceutical sector’s economic advantages, its hurdles and strategies to overcome them — information the council’s research arm presented in a report released this spring.

The average wage for a biopharmaceutical employee for 2009 was $102,341 nationally and $72,486 statewide, according to the report. The sector can generate a significant number of indirect jobs, the report said. The highest cutting-edge biotechnology production positions “create nearly 16 positions additionally each,” the report said.

Long Island had 12,800 biomedical jobs — a category substantially similar to biopharmaceutical — in 2009, an increase of 200 jobs from 2008, according to the state Department of Labor. Sixty life-science companies call Long Island home, said Nathan Tinker, executive director of the New York Biotechnology Association.

“These are good-paying jobs with futures,” Pokalsky said.

Among some solutions the report recommends are creating a more competitive tax structure, expanding such credits as the qualified emerging technology state tax credit, capping property taxes and expanding incentives to remain in the state; creating an international marketing strategy to promote regional strengths; boosting “human capital” with associate degree programs in biopharmaceutical manufacturing, and establishing partnerships between private firms and academic institutions.

Some of those suggestions are in the works, Hofstra University president Stuart Rabinowitz said. The Accelerate Long Island initiative, involving Long Island’s major research and academic institutions, aims to commercialize scientific developments.

Expanding the pharmaceutical sector on Long Island will require more than simply throwing money at it, said Dr. Kevin Tracey, chief executive of the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research. Tracey pointed to Connecticut Innovations, the state’s venture investment agency, as an innovative approach another state has adopted to strengthen its high-tech industry.

“It’s going to take a concerted approach of expertise, capital, personnel and a regulatory piece,” Tracey said after the news conference. “You can’t solve this issue without solving all of those.”

To read more on this and other stories in Newsday (subscription-based) click here.

The New York State Higher Education Initiative (NYSHEI) is now a member of the Business Council of New York State.

“This a tactical decision that should bolster our advocacy efforts by opening doors to new collaborative relationships, amplifying our voice, and establishing our credibility as a committed actor in improving the state’s economic climate,” said NYSHEI Executive Director Jason Kramer.

“Last year, NYSHEI made the strategic move to promote ARIA not merely as beneficial to higher education, but also as critical to developing knowledge-based economy. This approach has paid significant dividends in winning supporters to our cause. Joining the Business Council is one way to take this approach to the next level,” said Kramer.

The Business Council of New York State, Inc., is the largest business organization in New York State. Its membership is made up of thousands of member companies, as well as local chambers of commerce and professional and trade associations. Though 72 percent of their members are small businesses, BCNYS also represents some of the largest and most important corporations in the world, including IBM, Verizon, Eastman Kodak, Citigroup, JP Morgan Chase, Corning, Pfizer and many more.

The BCNYS also counts among its members diverse groups such as the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities, the Association of Proprietary Colleges, the Center for Government Research, the American Chemistry Association, the National Federation of Independent Businesses, the Medical Society of New York, the College Board, the New York Press Association, and many others.

The primary function of the Business Council is to serve as an advocate in the state political and policy-making arena, working for a healthier business climate, economic growth, and jobs.

“The mission of NYSHEI, as embodied in ARIA, closely complements the work of the Business Council. I believe that by partnering with them NYSHEI stands to gain access, influence and critical assistance. As NYSHEI aggressively pursues state support for the information infrastructure of academic and research libraries amidst a darkening state fiscal climate, relationships with energetic players like BCNYS make ever more sense,” concluded Kramer.

According to an article in the Star-Gazette:

“Legislation to overhaul the nation’s patent laws will help patent officials quickly process a fast-rising mountain of applications filed by inventors, President Barack Obama said in signing the measure into law Friday.

“When Thomas Edison filed his patent for the phonograph, his application was approved in just seven weeks,” Obama said. “And these days, that process is taking an average of three years. Over the last decade, patent applications have nearly tripled.”

Under the America Invents Act, the U.S. will award patents to inventors on a first-to-file basis instead of the existing first-to-invent basis, which some say is more prone to litigation.

The change will bring the country more in line with how other countries handle patents.

“Our nation’s patent laws were overdue for reform to keep the U.S. competitive in a world of global innovation,” said Chris Veronda, a spokesman for Rochester-based Eastman Kodak.

For Corning Inc., faster approval of patent applications means “we would probably be able to bring the product to market faster and protect it from piracy,” spokesman Dan Collins said.”

To read more click here.

Global Marketing Initiative Will Promote the Advantages of Doing Business in New York

Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that he has launched “New York Open for Business,” a coordinated communications and marketing effort that will demonstrate to business leaders all across the world the benefits of doing business in New York State. This campaign is a component in the Governor’s efforts to redesign the way state government works in order to drive economic growth and create jobs. New York needs to communicate that it is the place where businesses want to come and stay.

“The ‘New York Open for Business’ campaign will get the message out to companies throughout the world that New York is a premier place for businesses to invest and grow,” Governor Cuomo said. “As we continue to transform Albany’s approach to economic development, we must emphasize the many advantages New York has to offer, including our central location, our wealth of resources, our unequalled network of colleges and universities, and our diverse, innovative, educated and hard-working residents. With this campaign, we will help build a stronger economy and foster greater private investment throughout New York State.”

Acting-President & CEO of the Business Council of New York State, Inc. Heather Briccetti said, “By focusing on economic development at both the statewide and regional levels, Governor Cuomo’s plans give business and civic leaders direct input into how economic incentives will be utilized and the state’s economic resources are allocated. His plan sends a strong message that New York is prepared not only to control the cost of government but to invest in the state’s economic future. Getting business excited about investing and expanding in New York is vital, if we are going to succeed.”

In recent years, businesses have left the state in record numbers and job losses have devastated local communities, giving New York the image of having one of the worst business climates in the nation. The goal of the “New York Open for Business” initiative is to promote the many assets of investing in New York so the state can regain its reputation as a business-friendly location. Some recent efforts include balancing the state budget with no new taxes, a local property tax cap, important ethics reforms, and the introduction of Regional Economic Development Councils that will focus State economic development efforts on the local level where they can have the most impact.

The campaign will be led by a committee of prominent business leaders from all across the state who have a wide range of business and strategic communications expertise. Heading the committee will be:
· Russell M. Artzt, Vice Chairman and Founder of CA Technologies
· Kathy Bloomgarden, Ph.D., CEO of Ruder Finn Inc.
· Kenneth I. Chenault, Chairman and CEO of American Express
· Donny Deutsch, Chairman of Deutsch Inc.
· Shelly Lazarus, Chairman of Ogilvy & Mather
· Eric Mower, Chairman and CEO, Eric Mower and Associates.
· Julie A. Shimer, Ph.D., President and CEO, Welch Allyn Inc.
· G. Thomas Tranter, Jr., President of Corning Enterprises
· Robert G. Wilmers, Chairman and CEO of M&T Bank Corporation

The committee will advise on the development and implementation of strategies to promote New York State as a great place to live and work. Committee members will serve as ambassadors to attract investment to the state and will assist in the recruitment of business leaders to help with the campaign.

As a central component of this effort, the state will recruit a major communications firm to create a bold new campaign, across all media, to promote the advantages of doing business in New York. The Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC) will have responsibility for recruiting the firm through an RFP process. The effort will span several years. The initial campaign is expected to cost at least $10 million and as high as $50 million if deemed necessary. The budget pools resources appropriated in the 2011-2012 state budget in ESDC and other agency advertising resources, as well as other existing economic development funds.

Read more at www.governor.ny.gov

Recipe for high-end jobs for Rochester area and across the state

In an op-ed that appeared in the Sunday Democrat and Chronicle, Heather Briccetti, acting-president and CEO of the Business Council stress the importance of fostering the transfer on technology from our colleges and universities to the workforce. Although she highlights the Greater Rochester area has a champion of this effort, she uses the examples to show how this can be done by many institutions from SUNY Stony Brook on Long Island to Syracuse University and Cornell, in Central New York, RPI in the Capital Region and Clarkson University in the North Country.

“Public and private sector leaders worldwide understand that innovation is the key to competitiveness.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s regional approach to economic development is an offshoot of that realization. Part of this new approach must include the transfer of technology (TOT) from universities to the private sector.

Producing innovative, highly applicable research at our colleges and encouraging collaboration with local companies will open a commercialization pipeline through which new goods and services can be developed. It’s critical for every region of the state to foster these partnerships: Research shows that New York has fallen behind peer states in terms of venture capital investment.

To reverse this trend, vertical integration of economic development with a region’s research universities, four-year and community colleges must be leveraged.

State policy and local actions need to focus on attracting or expanding strategic employers. As stated in a Public Policy Institute report, “A global research institute for each technology should be established that is open to all researchers in the state and actively seeks to maximize successful commercialization of cutting-edge ideas.”

Rochester has the potential to be a front-runner in the innovation economy, given its top-notch universities and world-renowned companies.

Rochester Institute of Technology has an Intellectual Property Management Office that offers services including marketability assessments and technology transfer strategy development. RIT’s Albert J. Simone Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship is linked to other universities across the state and offers programs that help people understand the value of their patents.

Vnomics, a Rochester-based company, uses a patented technology that was developed at RIT’s Center for Integrated Manufacturing Studies. The innovative technology was based around Department of Defense research conducted at RIT. The original intent of the product was to provide diagnostics for vehicles on the front lines to ensure they did not have any mechanical problems. When its private-sector applicability was realized, the technology was marketed to commercial tractor-trailer companies.

The University of Rochester is also making tremendous progress in the way of TOT — it has two Offices of Technology Transfer and has been responsible for more than 40 start-up companies over the last decade.

Excell Partners Inc. is an economic development partnership that was established in collaboration with the university and the state to provide financing for high-tech companies in upstate New York. It has provided $2.3 million in funding to 21 seed stage technology companies.

Many nations are replicating the characteristics that once formed the basis of the American advantage — open markets, investment in research and development, strong education systems and skilled workers.

When you take a regional approach to economic development and you combine TOT with global information networks, then you can compete on cost and quality and create high-value jobs.

In a press release issued late last week the Governor announced the names of those chosen to serve on the Regional Council Chairman’s Committee. Among the names on the list where Heather Briccetti, acting president and CEO of the Business Council, Business Council member and Eastman Kodak Co. CEO Antonio M. Perez, and Business Council board of directors member Nancy Zimpher, the Chancellor of the State University of New York.

According to the Governor’s press release - “”The Chairman’s Committee will ensure that the Regional Councils remain connected and coordinated as they each work to stimulate their local economies and create jobs,” Governor Cuomo said. “By working with the guidance of the Chairman’s Committee, the Regional Councils will be best equipped to take advantage of state resources, share best practices, and rebuild New York.”

Among other duties, the Chairman’s Committee will:

Resolve any statewide or inter-regional conflicts
Identify and eliminate barriers to economic growth common across regions
Facilitate coordination among regions and between the State and the Regional Councils
Provide guidance on projects that impact multiple regions or the entire state
Aggregate feedback from each of the Regional Councils

Lieutenant Governor Robert Duffy said, “I am proud to be leading the Chairman’s Committee and I look forward to implementing Governor Cuomo’s vision for economic development across our state. This committee will offer support and guidance to the Regional Councils as they focus on revitalizing their local economies. All Councils, and all regions of our state, will benefit from our coordination and cooperation.”

Empire State Development President, CEO & Commissioner Kenneth Adams said, “Governor Cuomo is advancing exactly the right approach for economic development in our diverse state. While the Regional Councils work to create jobs and devise development strategies for their localities, the Chairman’s Committee will provide the broad support needed to ensure smooth and streamlined coordination among the Councils and with the state government. This combination of local planning and statewide cooperation planning is a winning formula for New York.”

The Regional Councils represent a fundamental shift in the state’s approach to economic development, from a top-down development model to a community-based approach that emphasizes regions’ unique assets, harnesses local expertise, and empowers communities to stimulate regional economic development and create jobs statewide.

Currently, New York State’s economic development efforts are managed through dozens of separate state and local agencies. The Regional Councils now bring together stakeholders in every region of the state to serve as a coordinated point of contact for economic development.”

Heather Briccetti, Acting-president and CEO of the Business Council of New York State, Inc. said, “The Governor’s regionally-driven economic plans provides a community-first, bottom-up approach that will give business a more significant role in the shaping of their regions’ recovery and help them to creating private sector jobs. I am please to be asked to serve on the Regional Council Chairman’s Committee”