For Immediate Release: Friday, October 14, 2016

Contact: Laura Magee (ESD) | laura.magee@esd.ny.gov  | (716) 846-8239 | (800) 260-7313 ESD Press Office | PressOffice@esd.ny.gov | (800) 260-7313

The New York State Photonics Board of Officers, in partnership with SUNY Polytechnic Institute, Empire State Development (ESD), AIM Photonics and The Optical Society (OSA), today announced the second annual AIM Photonics Northeast Supply Conference (NESCO), to encourage further opportunities and growth of the photonics industry in New York State. Hundreds of representatives from established photonics supply chain companies, as well as new and emerging innovators, photonics technology experts, industry leaders, strategic investors, consultants, and venture capitalists are expected to be in attendance as AIM Photonics leaders and other key stakeholders detail the industry’s needs, requirements, and exciting potential while the New York-based AIM Photonics initiative ramps up. The conference is being held on October 19 at the Hyatt Regency in Rochester, New York in conjunction with OSA’s 100th annual meeting and the 2016 Frontiers in Optics (FiO)/Laser Science (LS) conference, which is also taking place in Rochester October 17-21.

“It is great to see increased interest in the AIM Photonics initiative, and NESCO is providing an important foundation for all stakeholders to connect and learn more about the exciting progress taking place in Rochester and across the state,” said New York State Photonics Board of Officers Chairman John Maggiore, who will also moderate an industry panel discussion. “This is another sign of New York State’s continued commitment to this regional initiative that will indeed be transformative for the Greater Rochester region.  Simply put, the potential of AIM Photonics is inspiring, and I am sure that NESCO participants will gain valuable insight into the numerous opportunities New York State is catalyzing through this initiative.”

“The AIM Photonics NESCO conference will offer a unique opportunity for industry leaders to learn more about the wide array of resources New York State can provide to support the growing photonics supply chain,” said Empire State Development President, CEO & Commissioner Howard Zemsky.  “This collaboration will help to power the exciting photonics-enabled technologies that improve lives and we are proud that New York State has become the center for this cutting-edge research and development.”

“It is thrilling that as the nationally critical AIM Photonics initiative ramps up to realize its potential as an advanced research and development platform for next-generation technologies that will also benefit the state and national economy, NESCO offers a chance for members of the photonics industry, academia, and government to connect in a meaningful way to expand photonics-based opportunities in Rochester and throughout the state,” said Dr. Michael Liehr, AIM Photonics CEO and SUNY Poly Executive Vice President of Innovation and Technology and Vice President of Research. “AIM Photonics and SUNY Poly are excited to collaborate with ESD and OSA, and we look forward to a successful engagement that will provide invaluable perspective for all participants.”

NESCO is presented in partnership with SUNY Poly; ESD, New York State’s chief economic development agency; and OSA, the leading professional association in optics and photonics, which is home to more than 19,000 scientists, engineers, students and entrepreneurs from around the world.

NESCO will offer current stakeholders and interested members of industry, academia, and the government a full slate of presentations, panel discussions, and networking events, including a keynote by Robert Duffy, President and CEO of the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce and Chairman of the AIM Photonics Leadership Council, who will discuss strategic investment in early stage photonics companies. Additional sessions include an investor panel focused on common challenges that strategic investors, industry, and government see in start-ups; panel discussions detailing how organizations are currently collaborating and how new partnerships with AIM Photonics can take shape in the future; as well as opening and closing remarks by Dr. Michael Liehr. Attendees will also be able to learn about the AIM Photonics technology process design kit (PDK), which enables AIM Photonics members to access leading-edge silicon photonics technology to generate their own piece of real estate on the up-coming Multi Project Wafer (MPW) run.

“The AIM Photonics NESCO Conference serves to inform current and potential partners about the institute’s progress and the incredible opportunities still on the horizon,” said  AIM Photonics Leadership Council Chairman Robert Duffy.  “I am pleased that Rochester plays a central role both as AIM Photonics headquarters and NESCO host.  Our membership already features some of the photonics industry’s most recognizable names as New York State solidifies its high-tech leadership in yet another area of advanced research and development.”

“NESCO is a wonderful opportunity for members of industry and others to gain a powerful grasp of the opportunities inherent in the AIM Photonics initiative, and it is also exciting that there is a significant workforce development focus to further catalyze a robust education-to-career pipeline in this burgeoning field,” said SUNY Poly Senior Vice President and COO Dr. Robert Geer. “SUNY Poly is proud to support world-class opportunities for students through its involvement with AIM Photonics and events such as NESCO to consistently provide the resources and capabilities to empower New York State’s technologically-focused future workforce.”

Those in attendance will also be able to learn about the critical AIM Academy workforce, and participants can engage in open discussion with academic panelists from a number of institutes and organizations which are actively supporting the workforce development activities of AIM Photonics. Complementing this effort, an “OSA VIP Industry Leaders Networking Event,” sponsored by Go!Foton and featuring Dr. Liehr and AIM Photonics Corporate Outreach Executive Ed White, will be held Thursday, October 20 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Rochester, Grand Ballroom B-C, where industry executives plan to share their business experience with young professionals, recent graduates, and students, in addition to encouraging discussion related to industry trends, career topics, and other photonics-centered opportunities.

Conference panelists and presenters include executives from OSA, Department of Defense, NASA, NextFlex, Quatela Lynch Intellectual Property, Trillium VC, ESL Federal Credit Union, New York Photonics, and The University of California, Santa Barbara, in addition to leaders from AIM Photonics, Empire State Development, Precision Optical Transceivers, FuzeHub, Samtec Optical Group, SUNY Poly, and Monroe Community College who are also scheduled to participate in a unique NESCO networking opportunity, along with representatives from AIM Academy, the University of Rochester, and Toppan. AIM Photonics, in partnership with ESD, will also provide information to potential partners and interested scientists, business leaders, and others at the largest booth on the show floor of the concurrently held Frontiers in Optics (FiO)/Laser Science (LS) exhibition to further promote New York State’s pioneering role in establishing the resultant opportunities related to the national AIM Photonics initiative.

“As the Optical Society celebrates its 100th anniversary, we are thrilled that a complementary collaboration with AIM Photonics NESCO will serve to inform Frontiers in Optics attendees and inspire integrated photonics progress in New York State and help to chart a national course for the future,” said OSA CEO Elizabeth Rogan. “OSA is proud of its partnership with AIM Photonics and is committed to fostering photonics innovation that will advance research and development in the 21st Century.”

AIM Photonics is one of nine Manufacturing Innovation Institutes, an industry-driven public-private partnership that focuses the nation’s premiere capabilities and expertise to capture critical global manufacturing leadership in a technology that is both essential to national security and positioned to provide a compelling return-on-investment to the U.S. economy. NESCO provides a platform for established photonics supply chain companies, new and emerging innovators, industry leaders, strategic investors, and venture capitalists, among others, to discuss the needs and requirements of the industry’s future growth as well as the strategies that are necessary for mutual success. For more information about AIM Photonics, visit http://www.aimphotonics.com/. For more information about NESCO and to register, visit https://sunypoly.edu/nesco/.

About the New York State Photonics Board of Officers The New York State Photonics Board of Officers coordinates New York State’s significant financial investments with AIM.  The board of officers consists of seven members who represent a wide array of business, programmatic, and technical expertise.  The Governor of New York State appoints the Chairman and two additional members; SUNY Poly Institute appoints two members; and the Rochester Institute of Technology and University of Rochester each appoint one member. The Photonics Institute Board of Officers is comprised of: John Maggiore, Chair (Governor appointee), Anne Kress (Governor appointee), Alexander Cartwright (Governor appointee), Ronald Goldblatt (SUNY Poly appointee), Paul Tolley (SUNY Poly appointee), Ryne Raffaele (RIT appointee) and Rob Clark (U of R appointee).

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