$22.5 Million in New State Investment for Rochester Data Science Consortium

Rochester, NY - A total of $22.5 million in state support has been announced for the creation of the Rochester Data Science Consortium on the University of Rochester Campus. The consortium will create up to 184 new direct jobs and is expected to leverage more than $285 million in federal research funds and private investment. 

“The global economy is moving towards data science jobs, and the Rochester economy is positioned to play a major role. I commend all of our government and community partners- especially the University of Rochester, Harris Corporation, Danny Wegman and the Wegman Family Charitable Foundation- for leading the way to invest millions of new dollars and create more than 180 new jobs," said Senator Michael H. Ranzenhofer.

Harris Corporation's Space and Intelligence Systems division will be the consortium's first partner. Harris Corporation, a leading technology and innovation company that supports both government and commercial customers, is uniquely positioned to partner with the University of Rochester on this project due to existing relationships in the Intelligence and Department of Defense communities. The company is also committing tens of millions of dollars in its intellectual property to the consortium. 

New York is investing $15 million for the new home of the Goergen Institute for Data Science at Wegmans Hall, with $12.5 million through a new Upstate Revitalization Initiative Grant and $2.5 million for the project previously awarded through multiple Regional Council capital grants. The State is also investing $7.5 million in Upstate Revitalization Initiative funding to operate the Consortium for three years.   
 
In 2014, The Wegman Family Charitable Foundation donated $10 million to help establish the UR's Goergen Institute for Data Science, and the organization has commited another $10 million to the project. The Goergen Institute is located inside the brand new Wegmans Hall, which will also be home to the New York State Center of Excellence in Data Science.
 
The University of Rochester has identified data science as the centerpiece of its strategic plans. Statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor show that data science jobs are among the most in-demand nationally, with positions such as data analyst and statistician expected to grow by 30 percent over the next 7 years.

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