SUNYIT has been front-page news in recent weeks, as part of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s nanotechnology announcement. In the wake of the initial announcement, faculty, staff, students, and the public have been asking for more details: Which company or companies will come here? What will the jobs be?  Where, exactly, will they be located? Here are some of the questions—and some of the answers.

Governor Cuomo announced on September 27 that 450 jobs would be created at SUNYIT. Will this be at the Marcy NanoCenter west of Edic Road? Is that why the bypass road is being constructed?

No, the mention of SUNYIT in the Governor’s announcement is a reference to the Computer Chip Commercialization Center (Quad-C) that will be constructed starting in 2012. The bypass road is part of Mohawk Valley EDGE’s preparation of the Marcy NanoCenter site west of Edic Road for an eventual manufacturing tenant.

What’s the difference between the Quad-C and the Marcy NanoCenter at SUNYIT?

The Marcy NanoCenter at SUNYIT is the site of about 300 acres west of Edic Road being marketed for a high-tech manufacturing tenant by Mohawk Valley EDGE. The Quad-C is part of a technology complex—the other component is an academic building, the Center for Advanced Technology—that will be built on a site now occupied by parking lot A on the SUNYIT campus. The two developments are separate but complementary.

What is SUNYIT's role in the partnership the Governor announced?

SUNYIT's role in Governor Cuomo's recent announcement is the next step in the SUNYIT-CNSE (UAlbany's College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering) partnership announced in July 2009. Here's part of what was said at that time: "[It] will develop the region’s physical and intellectual ability and result in a state-of-the-art high tech business incubator/technology accelerator at SUNYIT. This joint partnership will support the attraction and retention of small and medium size nanotechnology companies in the Utica-Rome area and provide the necessary infrastructure to enable innovation, education and commercialization of computer chip solutions in upstate New York. The project is expected to create as many as 475 supplier and contractor jobs in the Mohawk Valley and expand the nanotechnology industry throughout upstate New York."

In 2009, state officials said 475 jobs. Governor Cuomo’s announcement said 450 jobs. Are those the same jobs?

Alain Kaloyeros, Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of CNSE, said recently that the two figures describe different jobs—so, more than 900 jobs total as a result of this activity.

Where will these jobs be created—at the "nanocenter"?

Kaloyeros and other officials have said publicly that many of the jobs will be located in SUNYIT's technology complex; specifically, they will be created by industry tenants who will occupy space in the Computer Chip Commercialization Center (Quad-C). The complex, which also includes an academic building, the Center for Advanced Technology, will be located on space now occupied by parking lot A, next to the Cayan Library and near Kunsela Hall’s C-wing entrance.

What about the "nanocenter"?

The Marcy NanoCenter at SUNYIT is the planned development west of Edic Road; none of the jobs described in the recent announcement will be located there, although Kaloyeros has said that while most of them will be in the Quad-C, some of the companies may locate elsewhere, including downtown Utica.

When will something be announced for the Marcy NanoCenter site?

Mohawk Valley EDGE is seeking a tenant to occupy the MNC @ SUNYIT site, and EDGE officials have said that construction of SUNYIT's technology complex and Governor Cuomo’s announcement of tenants for it will support their efforts to attract a high-tech manufacturer. The announcement issued by the Governor's Office states: "These technology developments may facilitate the possibility of building a 450mm [semiconductor chip fabrication] plant in New York state."

When will construction of the Quad-C happen—and when will companies begin hiring?

The previously announced timeline calls for construction to begin in spring 2012 with completion in fall 2013. As for the companies' plans, the Utica Observer-Dispatch attributed this statement to Kaloyeros: Most of the 900 new jobs associated with the planned nanotechnology complex at SUNYIT should develop over the next two years.

What kind of jobs will be created?

"The bulk of the jobs will be specialized, highly educated computer professionals, and engineers," Kaloyeros said. "But that does not preclude individuals that don't have that experience now from being recruited, because they can be retrained." Other officials have pointed out that the ripple effect of the development on the campus will mean the creation of other "spin-off" jobs in a variety of sectors, not all of them directly related to technology.

Do we know what company or companies will locate in the Quad-C?

So far, the only confirmed tenant for the Quad-C is nfrastructure, a technology company headquartered in Clifton Park, N.Y. Its commitment to locating at SUNYIT was announced in August 2010. The five companies named by Governor Cuomo in the latest announcement are: Intel, IBM, GLOBALFOUNDRIES, TSMC and Samsung. Officials have not said which company or companies will have a presence at SUNYIT or elsewhere in the Utica-Rome area.

Since the technology complex will be constructed mostly on lot A, what will happen to parking?

Plans call for additional parking and a reconfiguration of a part of Technology Drive between the facilities complex and the rear of the library. Construction of new parking is expected to be the first phase of the project.

Governor’s Office September 27, 2011 news release
http://www.sunyit.edu/apps/weblog/?mode=viewpost&id=18221&blog=news

Chancellor’s Office September 27, 2011 news release
http://www.sunyit.edu/apps/weblog/index.php?mode=viewpost&id=18226&blog=news&noheader=

Recent Observer-Dispatch stories on the September 27 announcement
http://www.uticaod.com/breaking/x26169968/Cuomo-450-high-tech-jobs-coming-to-Marcy

http://www.uticaod.com/education/x26172845/Nano-industry-could-solidify-SUNYIT-s-identity

http://www.uticaod.com/m/news/x1434722861/Most-nano-job-planned-within-2-years

http://www.uticaod.com/m/news/x360259222/Could-nanotech-revive-regions-economy