Senator Griffo and Assemblymember Brindisi’s Bill to Create the Cyber Research Institute in Rome Becomes Law

December 20, 2012

State Senator Joseph A. Griffo (R-C-Rome) and Assemblymember Anthony J. Brindisi (D-Utica) announced the bills they authored in the Senate and Assembly to develop a Cyber Research Institute in Rome have been signed into law by Governor Andrew Cuomo (Ch. 503 of 2012.) The New York State Urban Development Corporation will now be able to enter into public and private partnerships with the Air Force Research Laboratory at Rome, creating the institute and establishing a cyber-security research hub for both state and national purposes.

“This project will capitalize on the assets we have and maximize the potential to enhance Oneida County’s cybersecurity future,” Griffo said. “Our efforts to preserve and protect Rome Lab, as well as to attract spin-off jobs and employers, are now resulting in the area playing a lead role in the development of this industry at a time when the cyber threats to business, government, and home computers have never been stronger.”

“The Cyber Research Institute will enable us to help create a number of high-tech jobs and provide a much-needed boost to the Mohawk Valley’s economy,” Assemblymember Brindisi said. “The Institute will help Rome Lab keep our country safe by allocating additional manpower and other resources to further the research and development of cyber security.”

The Cyber Research Institute will provide facilities and infrastructure for partnering colleges within Rome Lab and the Griffiss Business and Technology Park. Educationally, it will allow faculty members to conduct and participate in classified projects sponsored by the Air Force and other governmental agencies. Research assignments will include a wide variety of topics, including cyber security, information management, communications and intelligence analysis, military command and control, and high-performance computing.

Griffo noted that the creation of the Institute reflects strong bipartisan efforts in support of the region’s economy. “Governor Cuomo has been very supportive of our efforts to develop this sector, because he understands that the region has very unique assets, and that a lot of work has already been done to maximize its potential. Assemblyman Brindisi and I worked as a team to ensure passage in both houses of the legislature this past term so that we could move forward on this important venture, which will enhance our region’s ability to grow jobs and attract new activity.”

The Institute, which would be based at the Griffiss Business and Technology Park, will work in collaboration with the Mohawk Valley Regional Economic Development Council and the Empire State Development Corporation to promote increased economic growth in New York State through the development of cyber-based businesses and technologies, as well as training programs in these vital industries.

“By creating the Cyber Research Institute, we are building upon the critical resources we already have with Rome Lab,” Assemblymember Brindisi said. “The Institute will serve to further reinforce our security in the face of the continuing threats of cyber attacks on our government.”

The Institute will collaborate with the Air Force Research Laboratory at Rome, along with businesses, educational institutions, not-for-profit entities, and federal, local, and other New York State government agencies and participants to promote the creation of ongoing linkages between the training, research, development, demonstration, and technology transfer resources of the region’s higher education institutions and private sector businesses. It will maximize federal, state, and private sector resources, deploying them strategically to establish and foster a sustainable program to grow the cyber-based economy in New York State, and to protect the integrity of the cyber-based infrastructure. It will also promote and increase economic activity related to the cyber-based economy, and will facilitate the transfer of cyber technology from the lab to practical market applications, along with expanding the region’s cyber-based workforce, and the promotion of New York State as the leader in cyber-based research and protection.

Rome Lab has been threatened repeatedly from previous Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) cuts. In the 1990’s, BRAC forced the Griffiss Air Force Base to shut down. Senator Griffo and Assemblymember Brindisi have been committed to fighting for the continued protection of local military facilities by voting for the 2012-2013 state budget which allocated $5 million for military base retention efforts, along with another $600,000 for military base redevelopment.

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