Thank you, Alain [Dr. Kaloyeros], for your very generous introduction and thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for your warm greeting.

Doctor Alain Kaloyeros. Governor Paterson. County Executive Breslin.

Mayor Jennings. Senator Breslin. Doctor John Kelly. President George Philip. Distinguished Guests.

As much as I appreciate the kind words and the applause, it is important that the entire Assembly Majority be recognized for its longstanding commitment both to higher education and to establishing a 21st Century, innovation-based economy here in Albany and throughout the State of New York.

I particularly wish to recognize the distinguished leaders of our Capital Region delegation, Assembly Members Ron Canestrari, Jack McEneny, Tim Gordon and Bob Riley.

Tech Valley could not have more capable or effective advocates and partners in this government, than you have in the Capital Region delegation. They also deserve our appreciation and our respect.

On their behalf and on behalf of the Assembly Majority, let me extend my congratulations to the entire UAlbany Family on the completion of this new office/laboratory/cleanroom facility.

That NanoFab East will support more than a billion dollars in new investment and lead to the creation of 600 jobs, speaks to the efficacy of the university/industry partnership model that we have created here and to the importance of continuing to plant the seeds for technological growth and competitiveness even when the economy is in deep winter.

Let me express my gratitude to our partners: to Doctor John Kelly of IBM, to Michael Polcari of SEMATECH, to Rick Whitney of M+W Zander, and to Papken der Torossian of Vistec, for their continuing commitment to the College of Nanoscale Sciences and Engineering, and for their continuing investment in this extraordinary enterprise.

I cannot tell you how gratifying it is for me to be here on this incredible campus with all of you.

To think, what began nearly a decade-and-a-half ago with a proposal and a pitch by Doctor Alain Kaloyeros and a five-million-dollar commitment from the Assembly (the first commitment of state funds), has not only transformed the University at Albany into a global leader in nanotechnology education, job training, research, development and commercialization, but established here in Upstate New York, the largest, most state-of-the-art, high-tech complex in the academic world; a complex that is attracting the biggest players in the semiconductor industry, the best and brightest talent, spinning off new ventures, and creating and retaining hundreds of jobs.

That is the payoff on our investment. I am proud to be a part of it.

As the song goes, if we make it here, we can make it anywhere.

So, as we continue to invest in Albany NanoTech, we will also continue to employ this highly successful university/industry partnership model to nurture high-tech economic development and job creation in Buffalo and Rochester, Syracuse and Utica, here in the Capital Region, and in every region of our Empire State.

This is the future of economic development in the State of New York and I know that the best is yet to come.

Congratulations.