New York's Nanotechnology Model: Building the Innovation Economy is the summary of a 2013 symposium convened by the National Research Council Board on Science, Technology, and Economic Policy and members of the Nano Consortium that drew state officials and staff, business leaders, and leading national figures in early-stage finance, technology, engineering, education, and state and federal policies to review challenges, plans, and opportunities for innovation-led growth in New York. The symposium participants assessed New York's academic, industrial, and human resources, identified key policy issues, and engaged in a discussion of how the state might leverage regional development organizations, state initiatives, and national programs focused on manufacturing and innovation to support its economic development goals. This report highlights the accomplishments and growth of the innovation ecosystem in New York, while also identifying needs, challenges, and opportunities. New York's Nanotechnology Model reviews the development of the Albany nanotech cluster and its usefulness as a model for innovation-based growth, while also discussing the New York innovation ecosystem more broadly.

Most of the policy discussion about stimulating innovation has focused on the federal level. This study focuses on the significant activity at the state level, with the goal of improving the public's understanding of key policy strategies and exemplary practices. Based on a series of workshops and conferences that brought together policymakers along with leaders of industry and academia in a select number of states, the study highlights a rich variety of policy initiatives underway at the state and regional level to foster knowledge based growth and employment. Perhaps what distinguishes this effort at the state level is most of all the high degree of pragmatism. Operating out of necessity, innovation policies at the state level often involve taking advantage of existing resources and recombining them in new ways, forging innovative partnerships among universities, industry and government organizations, growing the skill base, and investing in the infrastructure to develop new technologies and new industries. Many of these initiatives are being guided by leaders from the private sector and universities. The objective of Best Practices in State and Regional Innovation Initiatives: Competing in the 21st Century is not to do an empirical review of the inputs and outputs of various state programs. Nor is it to evaluate which programs are superior. Indeed, some of the notable successes, such as the Albany nanotechnology cluster, represent a leap of leadership, investment, and sustained commitment that has had remarkable results in an industry that is actively pursued by many countries. The study's goal is to illustrate the approaches taken by a variety of highly diverse states as they confront the increasing challenges of global competition for the industries and jobs of today and tomorrow.

This book examines ways in which formerly prosperous regions can renew their economy during and after a period of industrial and economic recession. Using New York’s Capital Region (i.e., Albany, Troy, Schenectady, etc.) as a case study, the authors show how entrepreneurship, innovation, investment in education, research and political collaboration are critical to achieving regional success. In this way, the book provides other regions and nations with a real-life model for successful economic development. In the past half century, the United States and other nations have seen an economic decline of formerly prosperous regions as a result of new technology and globalization. One of the hardest-hit United States regions is Upstate New York or “the Capital Region”; it experienced a demoralizing hemorrhage of manufacturing companies, jobs and people to other regions and countries. To combat this, the region, with the help of state leaders, mounted a decades-long effort to renew and restore the region’s economy with a particular focus on nanotechnology. As a result, New York’s Capital Region successfully added thousands of well-paying, skill-intensive manufacturing jobs. New York’s success story serves as a model for economic development for policy makers that includes major public investments in educational institutions and research infrastructure; partnerships between academia, industry and government; and creation of frameworks for intra-regional collaboration by business, government, and academic actors. Featuring recommendations for best practices in regional development policy, this book is appropriate for scholars, students, researchers and policy makers in regional development, innovation, R&D policy, economic development and economic growth.

Presents a collection of papers focusing on the theory and modeling of nanoscale materials and structures. This book provides an anthology of papers for the understanding of nanotechnological principles. The topics covered include nanotubes, quantum dots, photonic crystals, sculptured thin films, spintronics, nanomagnetics, and nanobiotechnology.

Selected, peer reviewed papers from the 2011 International Conference on Smart Materials and Nanotechnology in Engineering (SMNE 2011), September 17-18, 2011, Wuhan, China