Oct 20 2009
For innovative companies – in green tech and other industries – the choice of location for their office, engineering, R&D and production facilities involves more than square feet, says Alan Ginsberg, Chairman of TechCity Properties, which is moving forward with plans to create an eco-village, “community of the future” on a 260-acre site in the heart of New York’s Hudson Valley, approximately half way between New York City and Albany.
These companies, which are going to drive our economy in the years to come, have a number of unique attributes and unique needs, which can best be accommodated in a complex that includes “clusters” of companies that have similar mindsets, growth-oriented business models, entrepreneurial leadership and where the interaction among companies energizes them and creates synergies among them.
“The reason technology corridors have developed historically is because of the value companies see in being located nearby to similar companies,” said Mr. Ginsberg. “Competitors are near each other and so are suppliers. Employees with certain skills gravitate there and services crop up to support both the companies and the individuals who work there. That is the kind of environment we’re building at TechCity.”
Ginsberg also pointed to some of the other crucially important needs of fast-growing companies, all of which exist at TechCity and in the surrounding region:
- Infrastructure that can support high demand. TechCity was built by IBM to a high standard for connectivity and power and is undergoing state-of-the-art upgrades as part of its master plan.
- Supportive community leaders – elected officials ranging from U.S. Senator Schumer to U.S. Rep. Hinchey to state legislators to county and town officials are all making the success of TechCity a priority and have open doors for companies that want to locate and create jobs there.
- Academic institutions. The mid-Hudson Valley is home to seven colleges and universities, making it highly conducive to research and recruitment of highly educated employees.
The 2.5 million square foot TechCity campus is being transformed into an eco-village, a 21st century sustainable development that is the ideal location for clean-tech and renewable energy companies. Currently, TechCity is home to some of the leading firms in solar technology including EarthKind Energy, Inc., and The Solar Energy Consortium (TSEC), New York State’s leading green technology initiative that will be an indispensable resource to the fledgling clean tech, solar companies.
“Clusters offer an opportunity unlike any out there for emerging companies,” added Mr. Ginsberg. “These synergistic communities foster innovation and collaboration among tenants and enable these companies to succeed and grow together. And when the companies succeed, that success spreads out to the surrounding communities. It is a win-win situation.”
Source: TechCity Properties