[UPDATED 3:45 p.m.] House Representative Louise Slaughter released the following statement:
For more than three years, I’ve been leading our region’s effort to convince the Obama Administration to create a photonics manufacturing institute and build it in Rochester. With remarkable research universities, robust manufacturing capability, and the most talented workforce in the country, the Rochester region is truly the nation’s leader when it comes to photonics. Three years of tireless work is nearing the finish line but I won’t be celebrating until an official announcement is made by the Department of Defense. I’ve been proud to work with many partners on this exciting opportunity and am especially grateful for the support of the University of Rochester, RIT, Majority Leader Joe Morelle, and Governor Andrew Cuomo. I look forward to sharing more details with the community in the days ahead.
Original post: The Rochester region has been selected by the Department of Defense for a new photonics institute. A statement from Senator Chuck Schumer follows this story.
Last year, the DOD solicited applications for an Integrated Photonics Manufacturing Institute. The Research Foundation of SUNY submitted an application on behalf of the University of Rochester, Rochester Institute of Technology, the SUNY Polytechnic Institute in Utica, and approximately 90 other academic and industry groups. And today, Schumer said that the application won,
according to a Democrat and Chronicle article. A formal announcement from the DOD is scheduled for Monday morning.
Schumer and Slaughter have aggressively supported the Rochester application and both have emphasized Rochester's deep roots in photonics and optics. The federal government is providing $110 million to fund the institute, while the state has pledged $250 million.
The institute will essentially have two components: administrative headquarters and lab space. No site has been chosen for either aspect.
Senator Schumer’s statement on photonics:
“This announcement is a job-creating game-changer for Rochester and firmly puts the region on the map as one of the global leaders in photonics and manufacturing. By combining the academic and research resources of the University of Rochester, Rochester Institute of Technology, and SUNY Polytechnic Institute together with the hundreds of New York photonics companies in Rochester and beyond, Rochester will be able to lead the way in this cutting-edge industry with some of the finest minds in the world.
“I am pleased the DOD selected Rochester to lead this photonics institute, and I am confident our universities and their local employment partners will do an outstanding job representing our state. This is a win-win-win that will boost New York manufacturing, connect Rochester area students to potential future employers and bring good-paying manufacturing jobs to Upstate New York.”