READER’S VIEW: From global partnerships to local prosperity: The path forward for New York’s Capital Region

This article originally appeared on The Record

BY Michael Hutchinson

Governor (Kathy) Hochul’s recent semiconductor R&D and workforce
development agreement with the government of Hokkaido, Japan, is just the
latest step in a long and established history of technological development in
the New York Capital Region.

Fondly -and rightly- known as Tech Valley, our region is home to major tech
companies like GlobalFoundries as well as some of the most elite academic
institutions for STEM fields, including Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and
the State University of New York Polytechnic Institute. As global markets and
national security priorities have shifted in recent years, federal promotion of
domestic investment through incentives such as the CHIPS and Science Act
have further established the semiconductor industry in our backyard.

However, these initiatives must be more closely connected to the
communities that support the national strategic effort by retaining the
skilled workforce we developed in upstate New York. To ensure these
initiatives are effective, legislators at every echelon must prioritize regional
talent development, raise awareness and facilitate talent retention to
promote long-term economic growth and resilience.

I’ve seen firsthand the importance of building a robust, resilient economic
ecosystem and its long-term impact on local communities as a Green Beret,
improving outcomes in Afghanistan. Amidst an intractable conflict, one of
the greatest success stories of those two decades was our effort to build a
new micro-economy based on their natural advantage in the transportation
sector peripheral to the international Silk Road network in the southeastern
Afghan provinces. By further developing existing infrastructure and
creating agreements with local tribes to support small businesses like gas
stations, auto repair services and hotels, the entire region saw greater
profitability and stability; all had a vested interest in the broader
ecosystem’s success and were willing to fight to defend it.

For the Afghans of Paktika province, external pressures and threats paled in
comparison to the opportunity to improve their communities and standard
of living based on their relative economic position. Similarly, investing in
our own community here in Tech Valley by strategically investing in small
businesses and startups related to the semiconductor industry and talent
retention will allow us to grow intentionally and sustainably.

Tech Valley currently has 21 institutions of higher learning that directly
produce the workforce that supports the semiconductor industry, biotech,
and quantum computing. Recognized for its research and development
facilities, the region’s challenges in retaining graduates and fostering
stronger industry partnerships have stifled progress. From lack of
awareness about the current opportunities to the residual effects of the
pandemic, Upstate New York has experienced significant population loss,
with 37 out of 50 counties seeing declines in the decade leading up to the
pandemic. Despite Tech Valley’s growth, with companies like
GlobalFoundries and the success of institutions like RPI, the region still
struggles to retain its young talent. Without intervention from state leaders
to invest more in public/private academia partnerships with sustainable
funding to diversify these regional areas, these communities will continue to
rely solely on the success of large-scale corporations.

Successful economic development doesn’t have to be grandiose, but it must
be intentional. In the Capital region, we have a natural advantage over most
of the world in infrastructure and workforce development, which supports
advanced technology sectors. While incentives like the CHIPS and Science
Act are an important step to benefit domestic industries, we must expand
upon them by creating state and local policies that focus on retaining talent
from our institutions of higher learning and incentivize the establishment
and vitality of startups and small businesses in several key sectors: chip
design, lithography and nanotechnology, AI for simulation and testing and
quantum computing. The comparative advantage for each of these sectors
rests right here in Tech Valley. We must harness the innovative spirit that
has long set our region apart to maximize our resources and continue to
grow our capabilities.

Lieutenant Colonel Michael Hutchinson has served in the United States Army
for more than 22 years and is retiring as the Deputy Commander of the 3rd
Special Forces Group. In addition to seven combat deployments, he has
extensive experience in Department of Defense modernization efforts over the
last decade, including leading one of the first AI applications teams in the
government sector. Hutchinson is a resident of Albany.