October 04, 2012

UAlbany NanoCollege Announces Major Statewide Expansion for 4th Annual New York Business Plan Competition in 2013

By: Steve Janack, CNSE Vice President for Marketing and Communications

Source: College of Nanoscale Science & Engineering

Albany, NY – In accordance with Governor Andrew Cuomo’s blueprint for building New York’s innovation-driven economy and encouraging high-tech entrepreneurship, the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) of the University at Albany today announced a major statewide expansion of the New York Business Plan Competition for 2013, with semifinal rounds to be held in 10 regions across the state, and the State University of New York (SUNY) joining SEFCU as Title Sponsors for the contest in which student teams compete for more than $225,000 in prizes.

“We are proud to once again partner with institutions of higher education from across New York State to encourage entrepreneurs to fulfill their dreams and take their business idea from concept to market,” said Michael J. Castellana, President and CEO of SEFCU. “As our region, and the entire state, is working diligently to stimulate economic development, this competition is an excellent example of collaboration through a public-private partnership that encourages the brightest and best to compete for start-up dollars and create their business here in the Empire State, the capital of commerce,” Castellana added.

“This competition gives hundreds of college students a one-of-a-kind opportunity to bring their innovations to market in partnership with some of the top business leaders and investors New York has to offer,” said SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher. “SUNY is proud to be a leadership organization in this exciting competition alongside such esteemed colleagues in higher education and business in New York State.”

“The rapid growth of the New York Business Plan Competition further supports Governor Andrew Cuomo’s leadership in building a world-class nanotechnology economy that truly embodies the new New York,” said Dr. Pradeep Haldar, CNSE Professor and Head of NanoEconomics. “We are grateful for the support of both SEFCU and SUNY as Title Sponsors for this competition, which has grown to be the largest in the state – and one of the nation’s biggest – and recognizes the powerful potential of our colleges and universities, while encouraging student-led innovation that is spurring homegrown high-tech expansion in the Empire State.”

Presented by CNSE in partnership with the University at Albany School of Business, the Lally School of Management and Technology at Rensselaer, and Syracuse University, the New York Business Plan Competition has grown to become the largest of its kind in New York and one of the biggest in the nation. Since 2010, more than 140 student teams from 25 colleges and universities in New York have pitched their business plans at the competition, with over $310,000 in cash and prizes being awarded.

For the first time this year, the semi-final round of competition will take place at higher education institutions throughout the 10 regions of New York, with the final round to be held on April 26, 2013 at CNSE’s Albany NanoTech Complex.

The program encourages student-led start-ups from accredited colleges throughout the state to submit business plans for innovations in the areas that are driving the 21st century economy, including nanotechnology/advanced technology, energy/sustainability, biotechnology/healthcare, information technology/software, products/services, and social entrepreneurship/non-profit. National venture capitalists, angel investors, investment bankers, and seasoned entrepreneurs serve as judges.

The only collegiate business plan competition in the nation that is regionally coordinated through a collaborative network of more than 25 colleges and universities, regional partners include Clarkson University in the North Country; SUNYIT in the Mohawk Valley; the University of Rochester and Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in the Finger Lakes Region; Canisius College in Western New York; Cornell University in the Southern Tier; Marist College in the Mid-Hudson; New York Institute of Technology in New York City; and Long Island University on Long Island.

In 2012, the grand prize winner was Strong Arm Technologies, a company made up of students from RIT that took home $50,000 in cash and $20,000 in in-kind services for developing an advanced, wearable harness system that helps a person lift heavy objects safely.

The deadline for submission of applications for the 2013 competition is Friday, March 1, 2013 at 11:59 p.m. For more information about the program and to submit an application, visit http://cnse.albany.edu/NewYorkBusinessPlanCompetition.aspx.

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About CNSE. The UAlbany CNSE is the first college in the world dedicated to education, research, development and deployment in the emerging disciplines of nanoscience, nanoengineering, nanobioscience and nanoeconomics. With more than $14 billion in high-tech investments, CNSE represents the world’s most advanced university-driven research enterprise, offering students a one-of-a-kind academic experience and providing over 300 corporate partners with access to an unmatched ecosystem for leading-edge R&D and commercialization of nanoelectronics and nanotechnology innovations. CNSE’s footprint spans upstate New York, including its Albany NanoTech Complex, an 800,000-square-foot megaplex with the only fully-integrated, 300mm wafer, computer chip pilot prototyping and demonstration line within 85,000 square feet of Class 1 capable cleanrooms. More than 2,700 scientists, researchers, engineers, students and faculty work here, from companies including IBM, Intel, GlobalFoundries, SEMATECH, Samsung, TSMC, Toshiba, Applied Materials, Tokyo Electron, ASML and Novellus Systems. An expansion now underway, part of which will house the world’s first Global 450mm Consortium, will add nearly 500,000 square feet of next-generation infrastructure, an additional 50,000 square feet of Class 1 capable cleanrooms, and more than 1,000 scientists, researchers and engineers from CNSE and global corporations. In addition, CNSE’s Solar Energy Development Center in Halfmoon provides a prototyping and demonstration line for next-generation CIGS thin-film solar cells, supporting its leadership of the U.S. Photovoltaic Manufacturing Consortium (PVMC). CNSE’s Smart Systems Technology and Commercialization Center of Excellence (STC) in Rochester offers state-of-the-art capabilities for MEMS fabrication and packaging. CNSE also co-founded and manages operations at the Computer Chip Commercialization Center at SUNYIT in Utica and is a co-founder of the Nanotechnology Innovation and Commercialization Excelerator in Syracuse. For information, visit www.cnse.albany.edu.

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Media Contacts:

Steve Janack, CNSE Vice President for Marketing and Communications
(518) 956-7322 | sjanack@albany.edu