Rep. Morelle calls for upstate New York to be designated as a tech hub

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Several New York State congressional representatives are calling on the federal government to have upstate New York designated as a Regional Technology and Innovation Hub.

Rep. Joe Morelle and representatives from the Buffalo area, Southern Tier, Syracuse, and more announced their bipartisan support for the New York Semiconductor Manufacturing and Research Technology Innovation Corridor application.

If approved, the region would be recognized as part of the Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs Program. That would provide investment in tech including semiconductor research and advance manufacturing. Morelle spoke about the application.

“The Department of Commerce has to make judgements,” he said. “There will be applications from all over the country and they’re going to pick up to 20 that will be designated as regional technology hubs. That will mean a significant investment from the federal government.”

Only 20 hubs will be chosen across the United States. The U.S. Department of Commerce will select which areas are chosen within the next several months.