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New partnership to draw photonics firms to Rochester, New York

Greater Rochester Enterprise (GRE), an economic development organisation formed to attract new businesses to the region, and the New York Photonics Industry Association, a non-profit that promotes the New York State optics, photonics and imaging industry, have formed a strategic alliance. The partnership allows both organisations to leverage Greater Rochester, NY’s strengths in optics, photonics and imaging to support business attraction and expansion.

Greater Rochester, NY region is considered a hub for optics manufacturing, metrology and imaging. Currently, more than 120 optics, photonics, and imaging (OPI) companies employ approximately 17,000 residents in the region with $3 billion in annual sales. The industry continues to grow, with five to 10 per cent annual employment increase in small and medium-sized enterprises.
‘No region in the nation can match our strategic advantage in optics, photonics and imaging industries. Now is the time to work together to strategically promote our region and enhance its economic growth,’ said Thomas Battley, executive director of the New York Photonics Industry Association.

‘GRE’s partnership with New York Photonics enhances business development efforts to leverage our region’s strengths with OPI companies across the globe. In turn, the upward trend of attracting and retaining world-class businesses will continue to climb,’ added GRE interim president and CEO Matt Hurlbutt.

The region also is a research and manufacturing hub supported by the University of Rochester’s Institute of Optics, the Laboratory for Laser Energetics, and the Rochester Institute of Technology. University of Rochester is responsible for educating more than 60 per cent of the optics PhD’s in the nation.

The area also generates a vast number of the nation’s patents in optics, photonics and imaging technologies and holds the number one spot for per capita patents in the nation; approximately 95 per cent of OPI patent holders still live in Rochester.

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