Tech Garden partners with ESF to offer no cost training!

SUNY-ESF Leads National Initiative to Provide Workforce Training in Radiation Curing 

Employees at Central New York businesses that use or plan to use radiation curing in their manufacturing processes are eligible for free online courses

A new online program offered through the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF) will provide specialized training to address workforce shortages in the field of radiation curing, also known as energy curing. Radiation curing is a manufacturing technique that uses ultraviolet light (UV) or electron beam (EB) processing to cure coatings, inks, adhesives, composites and other materials.

The workforce shortage in radiation curing exists despite the fact that nearly 1,000 chemists with bachelor’s degrees were seeking employment in New York state, according to recent New York State Department of Labor statistics. The Radiation Curing Program (RCP) at SUNY-ESF aims to address this disconnect by providing specific job skills for individuals seeking careers in related fields, practicing industry professionals, upper-level undergraduate and graduate students, and recent graduates.

The RCP is a response to nationwide demand for training and education related to radiation curing. In Central New York, the CenterState Corporation for Economic Opportunity (CEO) Clean Tech Center is funding an incentive program to enable employees at Central New York businesses that use radiation or energy curing in their manufacturing processes to take one or more RCP courses at no cost.
The program comprises three online courses and an Advanced Certificate, with curriculum jointly developed by a team of academic and experienced industry practitioners to reflect current and emerging applications. It is a collaboration among SUNY-ESF; RadTech International North America, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of ultraviolet and electron beam technologies; CenterState CEO; the Manufacturers Association of Central New York (MACNY); and other organizations. It is supported in part by a U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration H-1B Technical Skills Training Grant.
The online approach is designed to be user-friendly, flexible and convenient. Support and facilitation are provided by an experienced team of instructors and support staff. Central New York participants will have additional opportunities for course-related demonstrations and site visits to the UV/EB Process Curing Systems Technology Center on the SUNY-ESF campus and the laboratory at Rapid Cure Technologies, a formulator and manufacturer of environmentally friendly rapid-cure chemistries and processes based in Syracuse.
UV and EB curing refer to the special ways in which coatings, inks, adhesives, composites and other materials may be cured as an alternative to traditional energy-intensive methods that create harmful emissions. In short, these processes entail using ultraviolet energy from a UV lamp or focused beams of electrons to instantly cure or cross-link specially formulated chemistries, using less energy and costing less than conventional methods.
Energy-cured applications include everyday products like cereal boxes, CDs and DVDs, magazines, credit cards, cell phones, contact lenses and keyboards, along with an increasing range of consumer and high-tech products. The advantages of UV and EB are well-documented, particularly when used with manufactured products that require fast processing or on substrates that are sensitive to heat. In addition, UV and EB are considered environmentally responsible since most or all of the solvents in traditional processes may be eliminated. Radiation curing is a sector of the sustainable materials and manufacturing industry that has a market size in North America of $1 billion and growing.

The three RCP course offerings in Spring 2014 are:

•  Introduction to Polymer Coatings (February 3 - April 18)
• Radiation Curing of Polymer Technologies (February 17 - May 2)
• Radiation Curing Equipment, Instrumentation and Safety (February 17 - April 18)

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  Registration is now open. For more information, visit www.esf.edu/outreach/radcuring or contact Chuck Spuches, associate provost for Outreach at SUNY-ESF, at 315-470-6810.

  
  
  
  
  
  Robert M. Simpson, President and Chief Executive Officer, CenterState CEO; Dr. Cornelius B. Murphy, Jr., president, SUNY-ESF; Governor Andrew M. Cuomo; and Dan Montoney, Chief Technology Officer/Owner, Rapid Cure Technologies, view a radiation curing application of a UV coating system. 

Syracuse Hosts e200/Emerging Leaders Executive-Level Training Initiative for 2012

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has kicked off its 2012 e200 Emerging Leaders executive-level training initiative in 27 cities and communities, including Syracuse, New York. After a successful e200 program was implemented in Syracuse in 2011, the SBA has selected the city for the second consecutive year as an Urban Market to host the program.

Since 2008, the e200/Emerging Leaders initiative has helped approximately 1,000 promising small business owners in underserved communities across the country sustain and grow their businesses. In 2011, thirteen small companies in the Syracuse area completed over 40 hours of advanced management training, transforming them into potential companies for rapid expansion and job creation.

According to a SBA news release, SBA Administrator Karen Mills said, “Graduates of the program have increased their revenue, created jobs and helped drive local economic growth in their communities. Continuing with this year’s lineup of new classes builds on this success and provides even more entrepreneurs in underserved communities with the support, resources and skills to succeed.”

This year’s e200 initiative will kick off at the end of February. Small companies that have been in business for three plus years and looking to grow are encouraged to apply for the program. Eighteen participants will be accepted. Sessions, which will be held at The Tech Garden, are scheduled to start in April and end in October with a November graduation date.

Eligible businesses must meet the following criteria:

• In business for at least three (3) years. (This curriculum is not for start-up companies.)
• Annual revenue between $400,000 and $10 million per year.
• Must have employees
• Must be a C-level manager and the key decision maker in the business.

For more information about e200 Emerging Leaders, or to contact the respective local SBA District office in the area go to www.sba.gov/e200. 

Calling All Entrepreneurs!

The 2012 Venture Forum, a partnership between the Center for Economic Growth's (CEG SmartStart UNYTECH and Western New York’s Bright Forum, is reaching out to venture-ready companies and early-stage university start-ups to present to potential investors  at a Buffalo, NY event scheduled for May 16-17.

Early-stage, high-tech companies are of particular interest for the event. Presenting companies will have the opportunity to pitch their business plans to more than 70 Angel and VC investors from the Northeast, New England, Mid-Atlanta, Niagara-Canadian, Boston and NYC corridors.

For the full release and complete description of eligible companies, view here

Discussion of Nanochip Plant Opening In Central New York

There is recent discussion about opening a nano manufacturing plant at Electronics Park in Salina, the second chip manufacturing plant to open in New York State. According to a news article, APIC Corp., a Los Angeles company that has pioneered the integration of photonics technology with electronics, hopes to open the chip fabrication plat by the end of the year. The new plant is projected to create about 200 high-tech jobs.

Partnered with the Department of Defense and SUNY Albany’s College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, APIC intends to make a new generation of chips for the U.S. Navy to use in the avionics for ships, submarines and planes. The chips will be lighter, use less power, take up less space and require less updates. 

U.S. Senator Charles Schumer is on board with the construction of the plant which is investing more than $1 billion to become a global center of nanotechnology. According to a Post-Standard news article, Sen. Schumer described his vision for Central New York to be a hub for manufacturing nanochips and cutting edge research. “Securing a new high-tech chip manufacturing operation could be a game-changer for Syracuse and would bring a brand new industry home to Central New York,” stated Schumer. 

For the full article view here

Lockheed Martin Wins Contract to Support U.S. Antarctic Program

Lockheed Martin recently won a contract valued at approximately $2 billion to work with the National Science Foundation (NSF) to operate and maintain support infrastructure for the United States Antarctic Program (USAP). The program enables universities, research institutions and federal agencies to conduct scientific research in the region.

Lockheed Martin has been contracted to work with the NSF to implement cost-effective, streamlined infrastructure for managing work stations and medical facilities, research vessels, construction projects and remote sites in and around Antarctica. Additionally, they will modernize technologies to transport scientists, staff and supplies to and from the Antarctic region.

According to a Lockheed Martin press release, Linda Goodmen, executive vice president of Lockheed Martin’s Information Systems & Global Solutions (IS&GS) business said, “Lockheed Martin is proud to work with more than 3,000 program participants involved in valuable research in Antarctica. We have a longstanding history of supporting customers in remote locations and logistically challenging environments and are committed to fostering scientific and technological innovations that will benefit the world.”

View the full press release

Cornell and Technion Win Bid to Build Groundbreaking New Campus in NYC

Cornell and partner  Technion -- Israel Institute of Technology was announced the winner of a bid to build a groundbreaking new campus in New York City December 9. The creation of an applied sciences and technology campus will spur economic growth, job creation and high-tech entrepreneurship.

According to a Cornell news article, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg congratulated the winners at a press conference at Weill Cornell Medical College. Bloomberg expressed, “We believe this new land grant can help dreamers and entrepreneurs from around the world come to New York and help us become the world’s leading city for technological innovation.”

The Cornell-Technion proposal was impressive. It included an enrollment of 2,500 students, 300 faculty and 2 million square feet of state-of-the-art classroom and research space. According to Bloomberg, the campus is expected to generate $23 billion in economic activity over the next three decades as well as $1.4 billion in tax revenue. Additionally, building the campus will create 20,000 construction jobs and 8,000 permanent jobs to operate it. 

For the full article, view the Cornell Chronicle

Put Your Business Card on the Web!

Web application firm, We Are Mobile, has launched their newest product, Bitpress.me.

Bitpress.me enables users to create individual virtual business cards as well as virtual business cards for employees. The new product is similar to a mobile optimized website, with all of your professional details perfectly organized for clients and sales prospects to easily interact with on the go. As part of the service, customers receive a QR code. This code can be placed on a physical business card, providing a direct link to their Bitpress.me profile.

Additionally, Bitpress.me allows users to expand their social network by directing people to their Linkedin page, become more social by allowing users to easily add Twitter and Facebook accounts, and create lasting relationships by making it possible for clients to quickly add your contact information to their phone. 

For more info visit Bitpress.me

iSchool Partners with Microsoft to Explore New Social Media Software

Syracuse University’s iSchool has partnered with Microsoft to explore and better understand Microsoft’s new social software, So.cl.. So.cl is a research experiment for students focused on combining web browsing, search, and social networking for the purposes of learning. The partnership will focus on how the software can be used with students who study information science, design, communication tools, and are influenced by a generation prompted by social software.

So.cl derived from Microsoft research arm, FUSE Labs. FUSE Labs works in partnership with product research teams to collaborate, develop, and deliver new social, real-time, and media-rich experiences for home and work. 

According to an iSchool news release, professor of social media, Anthony Rotolo, expressed “This is a tremendous opportunity for our students to work with emerging social media tools from our partners at Microsoft. The social media landscape is evolving at a rapid pace, and the iSchool is at the forefront of this area of study. Our students are uniquely positioned to offer innovative ideas and feedback to Microsoft researchers as they develop cutting-edge technologies, and early access to these tools allows our students to develop a forward-looking view of how social media will take shape in the years ahead.” 

For more info view the iSchool's news release

Central New York Awarded $103.7 Million for Economic Development

Central New York was named Best Plan Awardee  and received  $103.7 million for economic development projects this morning (Thursday, December 8). The state made the official announcement after Governor Cuomo made his final selection of the 10 regions that had competed for $785 million in state money awarded through the Regional Economic Development Council initiative earlier this year.

The Central New York Regional Council's plan focused on strengthening core industries in the region, including clean energy and environmental systems, health and financial services, agribusiness and food processing, advanced manufacturing, and tourism.

The council has carefully decided how to invest the money. A detailed list of project investments can be found in Governor Cuomo's press release.

Central New York Biotechnology Research Center, a facility dedicated to helping biotech and biomedical for-profit companies become successful and commercialize their products, was included in Central New York's million dollar proposals. Money for projects will also be distributed to Madison, Oswego, Cayuga, and Cortland counties.

View the full release

Clarkson University Hosts Fifth Annual FIRST Championship Tournament

Clarkson University will host the fifth annual FIRST Championship Tournament today, Friday, December 2 and Saturday, December 3. 

More than 400 students and their coaches, comprising 42 teams, are expected to participate in the two-day event. There are 24 teams from 11 local school districts and two private schools, as well as teams from western New York, New Jersey,Connecticut   and Pennsylvania.

On Friday, high school students will participate in the FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC). This year’s game, “Bowled Over,” requires students to design, build and program a robot that can place racquet balls into crates and then stack the crates.

Middle school students, ages nine to 14, will compete on Saturday, December 3, in the FIRST Lego League (FLL) challenge. The theme this year, “Food Factor,” features food safety and examines the possible points of contamination our food encounters -- from exposure to insects and creatures, to unsterile processing and transportation, to unsanitary preparation and storage -- then finds ways to prevent or combat these.

View the full article, FIRST Robotics Championship

Hacking-4-Muzik 48 Hour Coding Marathon

The Tech Garden and the Syracuse Innovators Guild are joining forces to invite creative technical minds to participate in a free Hacking-4-Muzik 48-hour coding marathon. The 54-hour event at The Tech Garden features a $2,500 grand prize for a team of software developers, coders and designers who are invited to help develop software for MyMuzik – a revolutionary, digital interactive touch screen music stand.

There is a strong connection between technology and music, and evidence suggests that scientists, engineers and programmers often turn out to be great musicians. “There's a very rich acoustic and mechanical world that supports our musical impulses, and it extends through things like iPods and computers and everything else,” notes MIT professor Michael Hawley. “Science and engineering have enabled us to express our musical sentiment better.”

Creating and composing are synergistic skills, and Robert Cessna, founder of MyMuzik, is striving to bring both together to create a transformative change in the music industry and music education. It’s been suggested that MyMuzik’s technology could transform the music industry in a similar way that the iPod, iPad and iPhone revolutionized personal electronic devices. 

MyMuzik features a digital music stand, as well as on-board versatile software that can network an ensemble for a perfectly integrated performance. Additionally, the digital, wireless music stand will provide access to a database equipped with more than 200,000 scores of sheet music for instant download – expanding the repertoire of performance pieces available for performance orchestras as well as schools and colleges. 

As part of the coding marathon, MyMuzik will provide the hardware platform while participants will be asked to work in teams on an intuitive software solution during the three day event.  Involvement in the project will help open the opportunity for national and local media exposure as part of a global product launch in 2012, as well as the cash grand prize, and job opportunities with the company as it expands. 

“MIT’s Media Lab has been at the leading-edge convergence of music, innovation and technology for nearly three decades,” says Linda Hartsock, Vice President, Innovation and Technology, CenterState CEO, “and festival events like South by Southwest have now become a creative magnet for the best and brightest young technical talent in the country.  These kinds of projects are exciting approaches to creating transformative technologies that can shape new ways of interacting with the world, and with each other.  We see this region emerging as a place with similar potential – given the large pool of creative technical talent we have here.”  

All events are open free of charge.  For a full event schedule and to sign-up, visit www.sig315.org/hacking-4-muzik

SBA Successfully Brings Emerging 200 Initiative to Syracuse

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), an agency of the federal government that aids, counsels, assists, and protects the interests of small business concerns, to preserve free competitive enterprise and to maintain and strengthen the overall economy of our nation, recently graduated its first class of Emerging 200 (e200) business leaders in Syracuse.

The e200 initiative is to identify 200 inner-city businesses across the country that show a high potential for growth. The chosen businesses are provided with the network, resources, motivation and opportunity to participate in an intensive curriculum focused on developing a winning expansion strategy for their business, including options for capital access and contracting, required to build a sustainable business of size and scale. As the program was a first for Syracuse this year, the overall success encouraged the SBA to begin developing plans to hold the program in the city again next year.

According to The Central New York Business Journal, SBA associate administrator for entrepreneurial development, Michael Chodos expressed their satisfaction with bringing e200 to Syracuse. "Syracuse is incredibly blessed with a very active university and college community, a very active business community, and a lot of folks who are really interested in providing coordinated support."

After participating in and completing a seven month program, The Syracuse e200 program graduated 13 local business leaders in a November 2 ceremony at Marhsall Hall at the State University of New York (SUNY) College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF).

The Syracuse e200 program partnered with a number of local organizations, including CenterState CEO and The Tech Garden.

For the full article, view The Central New York Business Journal's November 18, 2011 issue.

Clarkson University and AECOM form Academic Alliance

Clarkson University, an institution with a strong technologically rich curriculum and state-of-the-art teaching and research facilities, and AECOM, a global provider of professional technical and management support services, have teamed up to explore innovation, research and development, technical excellence and advancement, recruiting, diversity, social responsibility, and educational partnerships.

Water research will be a main focal point of the alliance as both organizations view it as an important topic.

In a Central New York Business Journal article, Clarkson President Tony Collins expressed the importance of the partnership in evolving the University's core values. "This important partnership with AECOM will address one of our key institutional priories, 'Technology Serving Humanity.' Academic alliances with key corporate partners such as AECOM allow Clarkson to enhance and accelerate our institution's evolution to excellence in education and research."

For more info, view the full article at CNYBJ

Brand Yourself CEO Patrick Ambron Named to the “Empact 100” List

BrandYourself, an incubating company at The Tech Garden, and its CEO Patrick Ambron are being honored this week at the White House for being named to the “Empact100” list. The list recognizes the top 100 companies run by young entrepreneurs age 30 or younger who are making a significant impact on the economy and inspiring others to launch entrepreneurial ventures.

The list is compiled by a group of partners including Empact, the Kauffman Foundation, Opportunity International and the Startup American Partnership.  To be eligible, candidate U.S. companies must have 100% of the founders under 30 years of age, and more than $100,000 in revenue in 2010, or 2011 year-to-date.

“The entire team is incredibly humbled to be put on this list,” said Ambron.  “The Syracuse community has been an incredibly important part of our success and more than anything else, I think it shows that Syracuse is ahead of the curve in reshaping the nation’s economy. This entire event is about honoring growing small businesses that will spur economic growth, and about putting our hope and resources behind them. I don’t think any place reflects that mission more authentically than Syracuse.”

BrandYourself will be honored at the invite-only White House event on November 17, 2011 as part of The Future of Entrepreneurship Education Summit. The Summit is designed to convey the message that entrepreneurship a viable career pathway, and a solution to solving the national job crisis. Event participants were chosen for their unique ability to contribute from a high level perspective.  They will be encouraged to build sustainable and meaningful relationships that last beyond the Summit. The event will be streamed at www.whitehouse.gov

For  more info visit Empact

Polaris Library Systems Announces the Great App Challenge!

Polaris Library Systems have announced their Great App Challenge which will extend through February 20, 2012. 


The contest will challenge entrepreneurs and startup developers to build unique, innovative software applications using the Polaris application programming interface (API).  The Polaris API is a web-based service comprised of a set of universal resource identifiers (URIs) which return data from the Polaris application database. This interface provides controlled access to Polaris software so that customers, third party vendors – and now students -- may build their own Polaris-integrated applications for the web or for desktop and mobile devices. One individual or team judged to have the best application ready for deployment will win $5,000.  If a winner is sponsored by another organization, that organization will be awarded an additional $1,000.

The competition is intended to incent talented software developers from regional colleges and universities, as well as startup entrepreneurs and existing Polaris customers, to create a dynamic new mobile application based on the Polaris API.

"When we give people the tools to customize our technology and a license to be as creative as they want, we get really innovative, useful ideas as a result," said Bill Schickling, president and CEO, Polaris Library Systems. “The best thing about this Challenge is that we will have students competing who may not know a thing about the library software business, and that kind of fresh thinking is bound to generate some incredible applications that none of us may have ever thought possible.” 

For more information and/or to register visit the Great App Challenge

Clarkson University Designated Lead Site for Identification Technology Research

The National Science Foundation has designated Clarkson University as the lead site for its Center for Identification Technology Research (CITeR), one of NSF’s Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers. 

Clarkson’s site focuses on biometric vulnerabilities and intelligences. CITeR advances identification technology by focusing on biometric systems and credibility assessment. The center performs research on emerging technologies, interdisciplinary training of scientists and engineers, and technology transfer to the private and government sectors through its affiliates. 

For more info visit the Center for Identification Technology Research

SRC Receives Contract to Develop OWL Radar System

SRC Inc. has been contracted to develop an Omni-Directional Weapon (OWL) radar system. The U.S. Army's Intelligence and Information Warfare Directorate issued the 32-month contract with a value at approximately $9 million.

SRC is excited about the contract award for OWL as it exemplifies their leadership in radar development. The affordable OWL radar will provide the Army with the ability to detect, track and locate mortar, cannon and rocket firing positions with exceptional accuracy over a wide variety of threat trajectories. SRC is expected to produce a technology demonstrator prototype for evaluation in 2013.

SRC's press release quotes Senator Charles E. Schumer applauding Central New York's commitment to implementing innovative technolgy. "We know our highly skilled workforce can compete amongst the best of the best and win. SRC's award reaffirms Central New York's commitment to innovating and succeeding in the highly competitive defence industry and their work with the OWL radar contract will keep our  service members safe, our local workforce on the job and our nation protected."

For the full press release view, Contract for OWL Radar Prototype Development

$200K Emerging Business Competition

New York’s Creative Core© Emerging Business Competition is now accepting applications for the 2012 competition. New York’s Creative Core hosts the largest, privately funded cash competition of its kind in the nation.

This year, the NY Creative Core is pleased to award $200,000 in grand prizes, a $15,000 agribusiness prize and $5,000 student prize for early stage businesses and entrepreneurs who are developing innovative technologies or products with high growth potential.

For more info and application procedure, visit the Competition Site

NY Listed in Top 10 Global Ranking for Innovation Cities

New York was recently ranked 4th in the list of top 100 world cities for an innovation economy in 2011.

The top 5 cities in order included: Boston, San Francisco Bay Area, Paris, New York, and Vienna.

For more details and the full list of cities, visit Innovation Cities Top 100 Index 2011

Entrepreneurial Thought, Process, and Training Sweeps SUNY Campuses

Entrepreneurial thought, process, and training is spreading across New York State community colleges while entrepreneurial programs are under-way on SUNY campuses. SUNY ENGINE (Educational Network to Grow Innovation and Entrepreneurship) has gathered students, faculty, and administrators to report on entrepreneurial initiatives on their campus and devise an action plan to develop a consortium.
The November 4 event has been organized by Dr. Daniel P. Larson, President of Cayuga Community College and will be held at the The Tech Garden, preceding the Syracuse Startup Weekend.

SUNY ENGINE hopes to take a step towards creating a chapter of the National Association of Community College Entrepreneurship as well as holding a larger regional conference in the Spring of 2012.

For more information and to sign up for the event, visit SUNY ENGINE