The annual New York State Innovation Summit is known for its “wow” factors showcasing research breakthroughs and novel applications of technology.
But for attendees, the biggest takeaway isn’t always a powerful product or intriguing information. It’s the new, or renewed, relationships that they formed in two short days.
Professionals driving the innovation economy in New York — from entrepreneurs sharing their work and competing in FuzeHub’s Commercialization Competition to researchers, center directors and project funders — have this unique opportunity to gather each year at the Innovation Summit. A single conversation at the Summit can lead to a discovery or evolve into a partnership.
“In addition to reengaging on a personal level with colleagues, the Summit show floor provides an opportunity to meet new companies and learn about new technologies,” said David Hamilton, interim center director of the Center for Integrated Electric Energy Systems (CIEES) at Stony Brook University. “This engagement at an industry level is critical for centers to stay in touch with what is happening across the state and provides an opportunity for new collaborations and projects within the centers to occur.”
We asked members of the NYSTAR Network for their favorite stories of connections and synergy from past Innovation Summits. Some payoffs came immediately. Others proved beneficial down the road. All highlighted the power of in-person connection within the innovation community.
From a ‘free form’ discussion to a partnership for federal funding
In 2023, Jim Acquaviva, center director of the Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center (AERTC), met Dr. Shay Harrison, CEO of Free Form Fibers. The two connected over a shared background and interest in chemical vapor deposition (CVC). Through conversations over the course of the Summit, Acquaviva saw the unique value of Free Form Fibers’ approach to producing novel material for power electronics. That sparked ongoing calls as AERTC and Free Form Fibers solidified their relationship, leading to a joint proposal that is currently under review by the U.S. Department of Energy for a funding opportunity.
Research stemmed from an unearthed business card
The annual Commercialization Competition, held at the Innovation Summit, has been a must-attend event for many, including Donna Howell, industrial outreach director at the Cornell Center for Materials Research (CCMR). In 2022, she handed out her business card to companies at the competition working with advanced materials. About a year later, Chris Thomas of Chimera Bio Works (now RETRN Bio) pulled out that business card while planning a visit to Cornell and set up a meeting with Howell.
At the time, Thomas’s company was working on technology to use agricultural waste as a replacement for the petroleum-based plastic liners in coffee cups, takeout containers and other consumer products.
“I showed him around, introduced him to our facility managers, and he saw some of our high-technology instrumentation,” Howell said. “I let him know about some of our programs and encouraged him to apply to our Jumpstart Program, where he ultimately had a project in the Fall of 2023 with Professor Juan Hinestroza to investigate upcycling of agro-waste streams into biodegradable polymers for next-generation sustainable packaging.”
It’s all fun and games
Participating in the Summit’s agenda can help centers amplify the work they are doing — something The RIT MAGIC Spell Studios (Center of Excellence in Digital Game Development) discovered when they were part of a discussion on the growing video game industry in New York State.
“This was the first opportunity to really tell our story,” Jenn Hinton, director of Games Industry Relations at RIT, said. “The session was very well attended with representation across multiple sectors, resulting in new contacts, relationships, and a greater understanding of the role the games industry plays in the state.”
Stories from the Exhibition Floor
The Exhibit Hall at the Innovation Summit features companies that are developing, commercializing, or producing cutting-edge products and technologies in New York State. And it provides some of the best opportunities for introductions between NYSTAR assets and the current innovation ecosystem.
Some connections require cultivation. At the 2022 Innovation Summit, Brian Apkarian, director of business development at the Center for Future Energy Systems (CFES) at RPI, took a stroll around the exhibition floor and stopped to talk with Norma Powell Byron of Ashlawn Energy. Intrigued by her innovative Vanadium Redxox Flow Battery technology, Apkarian gave her an overview of CFES and potential collaborations. Though they didn’t find a fit that year, Apkarian continued to stay in touch, and in July 2024 the right opportunity for collaboration came along. Through NYSERDA’s Long Duration Energy Storage Technology and Product Development Program Opportunity Notice, Ashlawn worked with CFES research professor Chulsung Bae on a collaborative proposal.
Connections have also been made via introductions on the exhibit hall floor. In 2023, Dr. Rong Zhao, director of the Center of Excellence in Wireless Information and Technology (CEWIT) at Stony Brook University, met the leaders of ReVert Technologies at their booth. Dr. Zhao then fostered an introduction with the company Iota Communications, also exhibiting at the Summit and a partner with CEWIT. The two companies began working together on a prototype and new product. Once the initial testing is completed, ReVert plans to work with CEWIT to run a pilot project at Stony Brook University to further develop the analytics capabilities of this new product.
Don’t sleep on the wrap-around events
Pop-ups aren’t just for retail, as proven by The Shipley Center for Innovation at Clarkson University. The center organized a pop-up showcase at the 2022 Innovation Summit in Verona. Their event drew KLAW Industries co-founder Jacob Kumpon to his first Innovation Summit.
Not only did KLAW win the funding it needed for new truck — integral to growing their green-concrete startup. Kumpon also connected with SyracuseCoE at the pop-up, finding a partner that would help them prepare for the U.S. Department of Energy’s business plan competition.
KLAW, headquartered in the Southern Tier, has since gone on to work with several other NYSTAR assets, including FuzeHub and the Koffman Incubator, while attracting significant interest from funders and partners both in government and private industry.
This year’s New York State Innovation Summit takes place Oct. 28-29 with registration still available. Come join us in Syracuse and discover new connections that can lead your organization to its next great story.