Dr. Russell W. Bessette, executive director of the New York State Office of Science, Technology and Academic Research (NYSTAR), visited the Tech 2005 conference at the Holiday Inn in Liverpool today to recognize Syracuse University's re-designation as a New York State Center for Advanced Technology (CAT). The NYSTAR-supported Central New York Technology Development Organization (TDO) and SU's CASE Center are sponsoring today's conference.
Gov. George E. Pataki announced SU's redesignation as a CAT in July 2004. The CAT initiative is designed to encourage greater technological collaboration between New York State's industries and research universities. Based upon historical appropriations and subject to the availability of state funds, it is expected that each CAT will receive up to $1 million annually. Each CAT is designated for up to 10 years to serve as a vehicle for transferring applied research in its technological focus from the university setting to industry.
"Under Gov. Pataki's leadership, the CAT program has become an extremely important component of the state's high technology economic development efforts," says Bessette. "The universities that have been awarded a highly coveted CAT designation will be key partners in helping to create a vibrant technology-based economy well into the foreseeable future."
It is the third such designation for the CASE Center (http://www.case.syr.edu), which supports research with a broad information technology focus. Over the past five years, the CASE Center's applied IT research collaborations with local
companies have resulted in an average $28 million dollar impact, as measured by jobs created and retained, company revenue and cost savings, financing acquired and capital investment.
"The CASE Center and SU are very pleased to be re-designated as a New York Center for Advanced Technology (CAT)," says Shiu-Kai Chin, director of the CASE Center. "This designation is continued recognition by the state of our expertise in systems and information technology."
"The CASE Center will continue to work with New York's high-tech businesses to deliver substantive and documented economic benefits to the state in terms of jobs, product development, sales and workforce development," says Chin. "Everyone at CASE looks forward to adding another 10 years of productive applied research and economic development to our 20-year history of success."
