The Saratoga County Prosperity Partnership, the county’s designated economic development agency, announced in June a step forward in advancing its innovative Next Wave Center project.
That step is the formation of an advisory council made up of national and regional technology and business executives to guide the center’s development, launch and operation.
Officials said the Next Wave Center is a physical location that would house companies in the semiconductor supply chain, advanced manufacturing, nanotechnology and clean energy industries. In addition, it would provide education and technical training, a range of business support services, and include a co-working space to serve companies in a wide variety of complementary and collaborative businesses.
The Next Wave Advisory Council will be chaired by Dr. Gary Patton, chief technology officer and senior vice president, worldwide research and development for GlobalFoundries.
The council will provide invaluable guidance and counsel to the Saratoga Partnership and community leaders on the feasibility of the Next Wave Center and other economic development opportunities, officials said. The council will offer input on issues ranging from the scope and level of tenant and program development to leveraging the investment made by GlobalFoundries and New York state in the semiconductor industry to attract additional jobs and companies to Saratoga County.
“GlobalFoundries will provide industry leadership in advanced semiconductor manufacturing to help direct this project and continue to build the ecosystem of supply chain companies that are vital to high-tech growth in the region and state,” said Patton.
“We are thrilled to advance the Next Wave Center through the expertise and guidance of world-class business and technology executives who are committed to expanding economic and workforce development opportunities in Saratoga County and beyond,” said Saratoga County Prosperity Partnership President Marty Vanags. “Under the leadership of Dr. Gary Patton, we look forward to developing a premier space to serve emerging technology companies, and to provide critical training and services that prepare individuals and businesses to grow and prosper.”
The Next Wave Center was identified as a key initiative in the Saratoga Partnership’s Saratoga Strategy. It would provide short-term flex space as a landing pad for companies working with GlobalFoundries, while also serving as a launch pad for those firms to grow their business relationships in the region.
“Similarly, it would enable institutions of higher education and private organizations to access flex space to provide courses and training in advanced manufacturing and technical operations. Additionally, space would be dedicated to incubation services for the design and development of semiconductors serving the Internet of Things (IoT) marketplace.
The Saratoga Partnership is working with Tom Nardacci, founder of the Troy Innovation Garage, to establish a co-working space that would give emerging technology-based businesses access to resources and networking.
Vanags said the Saratoga Partnership will also use the space to provide a variety of economic development services, from land and real estate development, and business retention services to workforce training and talent attraction.
Members of the Next Wave Advisory Council in addition to Patton and Nardacci include: Dave Anderson, president and CEO, SEMI Americas; Brenda Lubrano-Birken, senior legal counsel, SI Group; Brendan Chudy, attorney, GlobalFoundries; Chris Covell, president, SmartWatt Inc.; Miriam Dushane, managing director, Upstate New York, Linium Recruiting; Michael Fancher, senior staff associate, SUNY Polytechnic Institute; Vinny Guerriero, general manager, Process Diagnostics & Control, Applied Materials.
Penny Hill, associate dean, Hudson Valley Community College TEC SMART; Laurie Poltynski, regional executive, National Grid; Noah Shaw, general counsel, NYSERDA; Abe Sultan, vice president of engineering, Apprenda; Bruce Toyama, vice president of product development, BessTech; Matt Veitch, specialist/asset management, Verizon; Rick Whitney, CEO, M+W Group Americas Region; and Shaun Wiggins, co-founder, Soteryx.