Senator Golden Named Chair of Senate Select Committee on Science, Technology, Incubation and Entrepreneurship

State Senator Martin Golden (R-C-I, Brooklyn) has been named Chair of the newly formed New York State Senate Select Committee on Science, Technology, Incubation, and Entrepreneurship. The 11-member committee will focus on expanding the state’s entrepreneurial culture, by creating economic opportunities for State residents through incubators and economic development programs.

The Chairmanship was awarded to Senator Golden in recognition of his influential efforts to create a Bio-Bat at the Brooklyn Army Terminal, and for his interest and understanding of science, technological, and economic development issues facing New York State.

“Entrepreneurship means taking control of your economic life and future, and being your own boss,” Golden said. “Our focus is to help create opportunities for entrepreneurship throughout New York, by supporting programs, activities, and innovation in all its forms. This not only opens new and exciting choices to individuals and unleashes vast creative energies, it can also help transform communities.

Golden noted that “The concept of business incubation and entrepreneurial development began in New York State, in Batavia in 1959, when Joseph Mancuso began the world’s first incubator in an abandoned factory building. He did it to solve a problem, when Massey-Ferguson, then the largest industry in the town, closed down, leaving vacant an 850,000 square foot complex of multistory buildings and driving unemployment to more than 20 percent. His successful effort created thousands of jobs for the region.

“Success breeds success, and the incubator and business development concept has spread throughout the world.” Golden continued. “There are now an estimated 1,400 incubators in America, and 7,000 in the world. But New York has retained its leadership. Most recently, a Syracuse incubator was named 2012 Incubator of the year by the 1,900 international members of the National Business Incubator Association.”

Golden noted the extraordinary work coming out of incubators in New York. At General Assembly, a co-working space, Golden met with companies that had one employee a year ago and that now employ 15, and with another company that has developed a device that will immediately upgrade all computers in an institution like a school, no matter their age or capacity, for a very low price. This could potentially save schools thousands of dollars and provide better service to students and teachers.

“We have the talent, the know-how, and the ambition to create an entrepreneurial culture from one end of this state to another, and in the process to provide great new opportunities to our people and to reinvigorate communities and to life the state’s economy,” Golden said.

The committee will begin work immediately, Golden said. He is developing legislation on high tech companies and on incubators. A select committee is a committee with a special focus. It conducts meetings, conferences, examinations, and public hearings, gathers information and makes legislative proposals, reports, and recommendations.

It also, in the words of the resolution creating the committee will “provide outreach to and interaction with private and public organizations that provide incubation, innovation, and entrepreneurship programs, and…. make recommendations on efforts to strengthen entrepreneurial and job creation including related legislative proposals and resolutions before the State Legislature in such areas; all with the aim of growing the spirit of enterprise and innovation in New York.”

Other committee members named so far include Senators Patrick M. Gallivan (R,C,I - Elma), Joseph A. Griffo (R-C-IP, Rome), Kenneth P. LaValle (R,C,I –Port Jefferson)., Michael H. Ranzenhofer (R, C, I – Amherst) , Joseph E. Robach (R,C,I-Greece), and David J. Valesky (D-Oneida).