Advisory council to help area’s tech industry
MALTA, N.Y. » A newly established advisory council will help boost the area’s tech sector with a project titled Next Wave.
The Saratoga County Prosperity Partnership, the county’s designated economic development agency, recently announced a critical step forward in advancing its innovative Next Wave Center project: the formation of an advisory council made up of leading national and regional technology and business executives to guide the center’s development, launch and operation.
The Next Wave Center is a physical location that would house companies in the semiconductor supply chain, advanced manufacturing, nanotechnology and clean energy industries. In addition, it would provide education and technical training, a range of business support services, and include a co-working space to serve companies in a wide variety of complementary and collaborative businesses.
The Next Wave Advisory Council will be chaired by Dr. Gary Patton, chief technology officer and senior vice president, worldwide research and development for GlobalFoundries. The council will provide guidance and counsel to the Saratoga Partnership and community leaders on the feasibility of the Next Wave Center and other economic development opportunities. The council will offer input on issues ranging from the scope and level of tenant and program development to leveraging the investment made by GlobalFoundries and New York State in the semiconductor industry to attract additional jobs and companies to Saratoga County.
“I am pleased to chair this Advisory Council and work with the Saratoga Partnership, technology and business leaders to move this important project forward,” said Patton in a press release. “GlobalFoundries will provide industry leadership in advanced semiconductor manufacturing to help
direct this project and continue to build the ecosystem of supply chain companies that are vital to hightech growth in the region and state.”
Saratoga County Prosperity Partnership president Marty Vanags said in the release that the organization is thrilled to advance the Next Wave Center through the expertise and guidance of world-class business and technology executives who are committed to expanding economic and workforce development opportunities in Saratoga County and beyond. “Under the leadership of Dr. Gary Patton, we look forward to developing a premier space to serve emerging technology companies, and to provide critical training and services that prepare individuals and businesses to grow and prosper.”
Other members of the Next Wave Advisory Council include Dave Anderson of SEMI Americas, Brenda Lubrano-Birken of SI Group, GlobalFoundries attorney Brendan Chudy, Chris Covell of SmartWatt Inc., Miriam Dushane of Linium Recruiting, Michael Fancher of SUNY Polytechnic Institute, Vinny Guerriero of Applied Materials, Penny Hill Hudson Valley Community College’s TEC SMART program, Tom Nardacci of Troy Innovation Garage, Laurie Poltynski of National Grid, Noah Shaw of NYSERDA, Abe Sultan of Apprenda, Bruce Toyama of BessTech, Matt Veitch of Verizon, Rick Whitney of M+W Group, and Shaun Wiggins of Soteryx.
The Next Wave Center was identified as a key initiative in the Saratoga Partnership’s Saratoga Strategy. It would provide short-term flex space as a landing pad for companies working with GlobalFoundries, while also serving as a launch pad for those firms to grow their business relationships in the region. Similarly, it would enable institutions of higher education and private organizations to access flex space to provide courses and training in advanced manufacturing and technical operations. Additionally, space would be dedicated to incubation services for the design and development of semiconductors serving the Internet of Things (IoT) marketplace.
The Saratoga Partnership is working with Tom Nardacci, founder of the Troy Innovation Garage, to establish a co-working space that would give emerging technology-based businesses access to resources and networking.
The Saratoga Partnership will also use the space to provide a variety of economic development services, from land and real estate development, and business retention services to workforce training and talent attraction.
“The Next Wave Center provides another vital resource to attract high-tech growth and spur new investment in Saratoga County,” said Jack Lawler, Chairman of the Saratoga County Prosperity Partnership and Supervisor of the Town of Waterford, in the release. “In combining the foresight and vision of these outstanding business and technology leaders with the leadership of the Saratoga Partnership, we are setting the stage for a project that will pay dividends for years to come.”
More information about the Saratoga County Prosperity Partnership and the Next Wave Center is available at www.saratogapartnership.org.