
Governor Cuomo Announces New SUNY Emerging Technology and Entrepreneurship Complex at Harriman Campus
University at Albany Complex Will Include First of Its Kind College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity
Renderings of the Complex can be found here and here
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo recently announced the University at Albany will
redevelop 12 acres in the southwest corner of the Harriman Campus to construct
a new Emerging Technology and Entrepreneurship Complex. This new 236,000
square foot, single building complex is being completed as part of the
NYSUNY 2020 program and will house the College of Emergency Preparedness,
Homeland Security and Cybersecurity, as well as the New York State Mesonet.
By coupling cutting edge research with economic development initiatives,
it will spur the transfer of ideas and new technologies to commercial
enterprises.
"This new complex will help keep New York on the cutting edge of
technological innovation, as well as help ensure we are prepared for emerging
threats, such as extreme weather and terrorism that are increasingly becoming
the new normal,"
Governor Cuomo said. "By bringing academia and the business sector together, we are enabling
the industries vital to our preparedness effort to grow and thrive right
here in New York."
The $184 million project will be financed through $92 million in previously
appropriated State capital funds grants as well as $92 million in previously
appropriated Campus-funds. It is anticipated that 1,600 construction jobs
will be created by the project. When fully occupied, the complex will
become an active hub of research, instruction and business development,
with some 1,000 daily occupants including faculty, researchers, industry
partners, and students. Site planning is underway and construction is
expected to begin in 2017, with completion targeted for 2020.
New York State Office of General Services Commissioner RoAnn Destito said, "ETEC is a significant example of the kind of collaborative project
that Governor Cuomo supports to lead New York State forward. Putting the
new College within ETEC on Harriman near the Division of Homeland Security
and Emergency Services (DHSES) and the New York State Police will foster
relationships and guide research in ways that would not be possible in
a purely academic setting."
Along with the College of Emergency, Homeland Security, and Cybersecurity
and the New York State Mesonet, the Emerging Technology and Entrepreneurship
Complex will house: the Office of Innovation and Commercialization Services,
the University's Technology Transfer Office that accelerates new patents
and licenses, the Office of Business Development and Economic Partnerships
that supports START-UP NY, and Albany’s Small Business Development
Center. Innovate 518, the NYSTAR-designated Innovation Hot Spot will also
be located at the complex and provide business incubation services.
SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher said, "Governor Cuomo's confidence in the capacity of SUNY and the
University at Albany to carry out his vision for making New York State
a national leader in safety, security, and emergency preparedness is well
placed, and we look forward to bringing this state-of-the-art facility
to the Capital District."
University of Albany President Robert J. Jones said, "UAlbany is extremely grateful for Governor Cuomo's vision and
leadership and the trust he has put in the University at Albany to help
make New York more secure, better protected, and better prepared to mitigate
threats, whether they're nature's hazards or man-made dangers.
UAlbany's collaboration with other state agencies will ensure that
the expertise each partner brings will expand our collective ability to
achieve the Governor’s goal of implementing the most sophisticated
homeland defense system ever designed by any state."
The College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity
will create a state-of-the-art College to help address and respond to
potential threats from terrorism, disease, and weather through data analysis,
and best practices for crisis management. The College will collaborate
with government and industry partners, granting advanced degrees in both
academic and professional aspects of law enforcement, security, public
and international affairs, counterterrorism, emergency management, cybersecurity
and forensics.
New York State Division Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner
John Melville said, "Building the ETEC at the Harriman Campus will allow students unprecedented
access to experts from emergency management and law enforcement to acquire
a one of a kind degree that no other program can offer. Students who attend
the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity
will fill the growing need for homeland security professionals with graduates
who will have the edge because they will have hands on experience from
the field."
The Emerging Technology and Entrepreneurship Complex will connect to the
University at Albany campus via shuttle bus and a pedestrian path, and
will house a number of different spaces. These include research labs,
departmental offices, classrooms and class labs, a weather observation
area and conference facilities.