Gov. Cuomo Proposes Photonics Attraction Fund

During his 2018 State of the State address, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo proposed a $30 million fund to help the photonics cluster in Rochester. He also endorsed a plan to expand the city's development along the Genesee River.

The proposal brings together a series of projects already on the drawing board, with the state now committed to work with the city as well as private developers to prioritize and fund construction. The photonics money is the last of the state's previously announced $250 million commitment to create a national photonics research hub in Rochester.

"When you talk about investing in our future, we are talking about investing in our infrastructure and jobs for our citizens," said Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren.

Cuomo's proposed $30 million Photonics Attraction Fund would go through the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council.

The proposed funding is possible because the cost of establishing a photonics Testing, Assembly and Packaging (TAP) facility was less than anticipated. The TAP facility is a central piece of the American Institute for Manufacturing Integrated Photonics (AIM) initiative, a $600 million public-private partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense.

According to the proposal, funds would be used to attract integrated photonics companies to set up manufacturing operations in the greater Rochester area.