START-UP NY / Innovation Hot Spot event held at Incubator

Fredonia hosted leading experts in START-UP NY and New York State Innovation Hot Spot on March 27 at the Fredonia Technology Incubator located at 214 Central Ave. in Dunkirk. Business, campus and community members were invited to attend the event.

The program featured Karen Utz, director of Program Administration at the University of Buffalo’s Office of Economic Development, and Thomas Murdock, the Western New York (WNY) Innovation Hot Spot manager.

Prior to the event, Vice President for Engagement and Economic Development Kevin Kearnes noted, “This event will provide greater awareness of these twin economic development programs in New York State and provide an opportunity for questions to be addressed. We are fortunate to have two leading experts in economic development discuss these important initiatives at the incubator.”

The overall goal of START-UP NY, which provides major tax incentives for businesses to relocate, start or expand in the state, is to create new jobs and stimulate economic vitality. Businesses approved under the Fredonia plan will be granted 10 years of state tax benefits.

The WNY Innovation Hot Spot promotes cooperation among incubators and expands entrepreneurial services to dramatically help incubated startups and grow wealth in the region. It aims to help clever, ambitious entrepreneurs grow more quickly, achieve greater profitability, and become more attractive to investors.

An economic development hub, the Fredonia Technology Incubator serves as a START-UP NY location and a member of the WNY Innovation Hot Spot consortium. It also is the location of the Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency (CCIDA) and Chautauqua County Planning and Economic Development Department Northern Chautauqua County offices.

START-UP NY and the Technology Incubator are overseen by Fredonia’s Division of Engagement and Economic Development (EED), established in 2013 to facilitate and support university-community collaborations that enhance the intellectual, cultural, artistic and economic vibrancy of the region. Such collaborations include active community engagement and partnerships with local and regional organizations, governments, businesses and universities. In addition to the incubator, the division, led by Dr. Kearns, also oversees the university’s START-UP NY economic development program.

In October, Fredonia’s START-UP NY campus plan was formally approved. Under START-UP NY, approved businesses must be located on or near a sponsoring university. The Fredonia plan designates land and buildings that are available for START-UP businesses. Approved businesses may be located in the Fredonia Technology Incubator, a 22,000-square-foot facility in downtown Dunkirk, or in the former Cliffstar corporate headquarters, a 25,000-square-foot office building in Dunkirk. In addition, 4.13 acres of buildable land is designated on the west side of the Fredonia campus, and a waterfront parcel on the Dunkirk harbor is also available to accommodate an expanding or relocating START-UP business.