Voice of Business Blog

Over two years ago in October 2023, the Buffalo-Rochester-Syracuse region was named a federal tech hub as the NY SMART I-Corridor, a prestigious designation created by the US CHIPS and Science Act. Last summer in July 2024, the corridor was awarded a $40 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs program. Today, we’re starting to see the real, significant impact that this program will have on our community. And, the best is yet to come, for our region, its talent, its businesses, and its future.

While our tech hub is the only in the nation focused on semiconductors and microelectronics, the work being done for our tech hub will benefit everyone in our community. Made up of three distinct component projects, the tech hub is designed for long-term economic impact through innovation, workforce development, and supply chain development.

The numbers don’t lie. Over the next ten years, across the corridor, we seek to create over 14,000 new jobs and add $18 billion to the region’s GDP. With this kind of investment and growth, every company in the region will benefit. From bringing new customers into the community to regional investments to support the new families who call it home, this is a transformational project for our region, no doubt about it.

Here in Rochester, we’re working with our partners to build a homegrown workforce that meets a generational opportunity–an opportunity by no means limited to the semiconductor industry alone. Between the new facilities being built to the housing being built for the new workers, the development along the corridor will require a significant increase in the construction workforce. Wraparound services for workers and their families means that investments in transportation, childcare, and more are coming. And of course, with thousands of new jobs being created in the region, cultural, retail, and service establishments will feel the impact of a growing population. Through programs like STEP UP, ON-RAMP, and more, we’re doing this with a personal focus to break down barriers and build a more equitable workforce for the future.

Greater Rochester Chamber is proud to work alongside OneROC and our partners in Buffalo and Syracuse to position our shared region at the forefront of innovation and growth. As the Greater Rochester business community’s voice in this transformative initiative, we’re not just preparing for what’s next—we’re actively shaping it. Our talent strategy work is critical to this mission: building the high-skill, high-opportunity workforce required to power the corridor’s long-term success. From workforce development programs and employer partnerships to regional collaboration and policy advocacy, we’re aligning business needs with bold economic opportunity—so every job created here connects to a stronger future for our region.

And as much as all companies in our region will benefit from this investment, you’ve already helped to make it possible. From the generational legacy optics companies that put our region on the map to the agile startups that continue to ensure innovation is in the DNA of our region, and from the community organizations to the organizational support services, every resident of Rochester and throughout our region has played a role in making sure this opportunity was available for our shared community.

As we celebrate this year’s 2025 Top 100 companies and your growth over the past three years, know that this growth has played a role in securing Rochester’s next legacy for the future. Since the Top 100 Awards were first presented 39 years ago, the program has been about celebrating our region’s shared success. Over those nearly four decades, our region has transformed through shared struggles and celebrated shared wins – together all the while. Looking ahead, we won’t have to wait four more decades for another transformational shift. We’ll be feeling the impact of the NY SMART I-Corridor over the next several months and years and are excited to see the ways our community continues to grow, innovate, and lead the way for our country, all in good company.

Originally appeared in the 2025 Greater Rochester Chamber Top 100 Awards Publication