ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) – Rochester, whose fortunes have risen and fallen with the demand for futuristic technologies from former powerhouses like Xerox and Kodak, is looking for its next big breakthrough in the field of integrated photonics, a light science with the potential to transform communications, medicine and national defense.
Federal, state and local officials on Monday announced the city as the national headquarters for a $610 million research and manufacturing hub dedicated to the emerging field, which could mean thousands of jobs for the region.
“You’ve gone from making Brownie cameras to the lenses that are now mapping the far side of Pluto,” Vice President Joe Biden told an audience inside a vacant Kodak building that will serve the photonics hub. “We’ve reached the furthest reaches of the solar system but today’s announcement is a much smaller frontier, harnessing the power of light into the tiniest components.”
Western New York already has about 100 companies focused on optics and photonics, and supporters of the new project say it will bring together government, industry and academia to advance photonics research and its commercial uses.
“This is a huge win that will shape our region’s economy for decades to come,” Rep. Louise Slaughter said.