Schumer Announces Major Partnership that will Develop and Commercialize Cutting Edge Technologies in Life Sciences, Biotech, and Smart Energy Fields; Long Island Regional Innovation Cluster Key to Unlocking Jobs Potential

Statement

Schumer Brings Leadership of Stony Brook University, Brookhaven and Cold Spring Harbor Labs Together to Create High Tech Cluster and Compete for Federal and Private Support

Partnership has the Potential to Make Long Island the Epicenter of Scientific Creativity by Developing and Commercializing Cutting Edge Technologies That Will Create Thousands of Jobs

Schumer: We Want to Boldly Build the Economy of the Future by Combining the Unique Strengths of These 3 Science and Technology Powerhouses

United States Senator Charles E. Schumer, joined by Dr. Samuel Stanley, Jr, Dr. Sam Aronson, Dr. Bruce Stillman, and Dr. Jim Simons announced today the creation of a major partnership between Stony Brook University, Brookhaven National Laboratory, and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, to establish a regional innovation cluster on Long Island that would create high-paying jobs focused on the development of advanced technologies. A new regional innovation cluster (RIC) for Long Island, championed by Schumer, will coordinate research and development efforts among these major institutions to attract both public and private investment and commercialize cutting edge technologies in the life science, biotechnology, and smart energy fields. As part of his effort to promote the new RIC, Schumer is inviting members of the White House Regional Innovation Cluster's Working Group, to conduct a site visit to Long Island to meet with representatives of the three partnership institutions.

"Long Island is home to three of the greatest research institutions in the country and by combining their efforts in the development of cutting edge research and technologies, these institutions have the potential to create a jobs juggernaut for Long Island," said Schumer. "The collaboration and cooperation between the three institutions will be an attractive source of investment from both the public and private sectors."

A regional innovation cluster is broadly defined as a geographic concentration of firms, suppliers, coordinating entities, and related institutions in a particular field that arises and grows because of the mutual benefits they derive from proximity and the powerful synergies it makes possible.

In his letter to the White House Regional Innovation Working Group, Schumer noted the unique contributions to science and technology from each of the partner organizations. He pointed out that research conducted at Stony Brook University led to the development of the MRI machine; six Nobel prizes have been awarded for breakthroughs discovered at Brookhaven National Lab; and Cold Spring Harbor Lab is renowned around the world as the home for human genetics and molecular biology research. Schumer also noted that the Long Island cluster is unique and ready to hit the ground running since there has been planning over the past few years to form a "Research Alliance" among the institutions with the help of New York State.

Schumer pointed out that there are several federal programs that target innovation clusters designed to foster greater technological development and bring emerging products to market. Last month, Congress reauthorized the America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science Act (COMPETES Act), that includes a new grant program for the development of regional innovation clusters, like the RIC on Long Island. The Regional Innovation Clusters Grant Program (RIC) was established to promote job growth by encouraging the development of these clusters, support their research, and bring new technologies to market and commercialization. Schumer made the case that the newly created Cluster on Long Island is a prime candidate for this program and committed to ensuring the program is funded.

In addition to the Regional Innovation Clusters Grant Program, Schumer noted several other federal funding opportunities that are targeted to collaborative research programs, administered by the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, the Small Business Administration, and the Economic Development Administration. At Schumer's request, the new Cluster has agreed to begin working on proposals for future grant opportunities, namely the new RIC grant -- which may begin accepting applications late this year or early next year -- and the National Science Foundation's Science and Technology Centers Grant Program, a program that could allocate as much as $25 million for new, cutting-edge research centers. Other programs like the SBA's Cluster grant and the EDA's i6 Challenge are also strong areas of potential for Long Island.

Schumer also asked that Stony Brook Foundation President Emeritus and former Renaissance Technologies President Jim Simons coordinate a strategic effort to link the cutting-edge research programs in the Cluster with private fundraisers who support start-up companies. The cluster partnership noted that while the three institutions individually have provided the platforms for the development of 37 start-up companies, only 13 of them were sustained on Long Island. Schumer said that the cluster concept is key to retaining those companies because it will provide the attraction of cross-fertilization of research, science, and technology development in one region as well as connect research to private start-up seed funding.

"This newly created Regional Innovation Cluster we are announcing today is exactly what we need to jump start local economies and put people back to work," continued Schumer. "This Cluster will harness the expertise and resources of 3 unique institutions to create new technologies, attracting investment from both public and private sources, and bring them to market."

Statement from Stony Brook University President, Samuel L. Stanley, Jr., MD:

"This welcome and timely pledge from Senator Schumer to establish the Stony Brook University, Brookhaven National Lab and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory research triumvirate as a target for Federal support is a smart, strategic response to our nation's economic challenges, and advances our country's mission to be more competitive in research and discovery on a global level. Federal support, already important for our institutions, is essential for the next steps toward a strong and viable economic engine for Long Island, New York State and the United States.

"With support over many years from the State of New York, SBU, BNL, and CSHL have shown what can be accomplished through collaboration at this level. Together we have made major breakthroughs in research on cancer, the biomarkers applicable to central nervous system diseases and bioimaging/bioinformatics. Yet this is just the tip of the iceberg of our potential for the commercialization of new technologies. State funding is currently supporting three joint scientific conferences in the areas of energy, neurosciences and cancer.

"We are poised to provide an exciting, powerful new platform of national significance to enhance research and innovation in the areas of diagnostic and therapeutic healthcare as well as alternative and renewable energy and wireless technology. Support from the White House Regional Innovation Cluster initiative would bring a welcome wave of momentum to this collaboration that would build excitement and greatly enhance our effectiveness.

"New York State leadership has long recognized that our research collaborative is uniquely poised to advance scientific and research initiatives. Strategic investment at the Federal and State levels will absolutely move us forward as we pursue the type of leading edge discovery that will result in innovations that will save lives, and technology transfer that will drive the economy, create good jobs, and help create new public and private investment opportunities to Long Island, New York State and the United States."

A copy of Schumer's letter to the White House Regional Innovation Working group can be found below.

Dear Members of the White House Regional Innovation Cluster Working Group,

I write to you today to urge your cooperation and assistance in the development of a new Regional Innovation Cluster effort I am spearheading in Long Island, NY. As you may know, Long Island is home to three of New York and America's great research institutions -- Brookhaven National Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, and Stony Brook University. Long Island is one of only a select few regions across the U.S. that can boast such a collection of world-class institutions located within a relatively small geographic area. The untapped potential for collaboration and cooperation between the three institutions in a Regional Innovation Cluster could very well translate into the innovations, technologies, and high-tech, good-paying jobs of the future in my state. I am happy to report to you today that at my request, the three institutions have agreed to start the process of formalizing a collaborative agreement wherein a new Cluster would be created to focus on cooperative research and commercialization opportunities.

The White House's Working Group has recently noted that an economic cluster strategy is part of the bedrock of the new foundation for American prosperity. I am confident that this new Regional Innovation Cluster in Long Island can be a firm cornerstone of this foundation. This collaboration will create an unprecedented working relationship between research scientists in the areas of life science, biomedical research, and clean energy with the ultimate goal of attracting new businesses and investment opportunities for New York State. Moreover, this new Cluster has already begun enlisting and identifying the region's major institutional private investors to be a part of this effort. Long Island is also a stone's throw from New York City and the existing and future synergies with the world's financial capital are great. The Cluster partners are confident that in these areas of joint research there will be significant opportunity for technology transfer to industry. And quite simply, this means the anticipated creation of jobs in new industries in America.

One can also look at the great track record of the three institutions to understand how bright the future can be. It was research at Stony Brook University that led to the development of the MRI machine. At Brookhaven National Lab, six Nobel prizes have been awarded for breakthroughs discovered utilizing their world-class resources. And Cold Spring Harbor Lab is widely renowned around the world as the home for human genetics and molecular biology research. Today, the story is no different. From battery technology to smart grid development to biofuel research, these three institutions remain at the forefront of the domestic effort to harness the technological developments of tomorrow.

Last month, the 111th Congress reauthorized the very important COMPETES Act, the key legislative vehicle that supports the National Science Foundation, the Office of Science at the Department of Energy, and the Commerce Department's National Institute for Standards and Technology. Within this reauthorization, a new Regional Innovation Clusters Grant Program was created, a major achievement for the Administration and Congress. The goal of this program is to encourage and support the development of regional innovation clusters and facilitate the market development of products born out of discoveries in clusters. The Long Island effort to form a Regional Innovation Cluster is a prime candidate for this program. Moreover, support for regional clusters nationally is vitally important to the growth of the 21st century American economy.

In conclusion, I respectfully request that key members of your Cluster Working Group conduct a visit and field meeting with the new Long Island Regional Innovation Cluster so that you may meet with key stakeholders, learn more about the great facilities involved, and provide an overview of current and future federal Cluster funding opportunities that this Cluster can compete for.

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