Welcome to the Capital Region!  

We are excited to share with you some of the many reasons that make the Capital District an attractive place to do business.  Among its assets are: a strategic location in close proximity to all major markets of the northeast; an extraordinary quality of life with a mix of suburban rural communities and medium sized cities, including the Capital City; a highly skilled workforce, and our many world renowned academic and research institutions. These intellectual centers provide unparalleled economic development potential—as well as opportunities for companies to grow and expand, especially in high tech and knowledge based industries. 

The Capital District is quickly becoming the center of New York State’s “Tech Valley,” a region based on innovation and invention.  In fact, Forbes has ranked Albany 15^th among "America's Most Innovative Cities" in 2010 and a 2010 report by the TechAmerica Foundation has listed Albany as the third fastest growing high-tech job market in the country.

At the region's core is strategic investment in the emerging New Economy which encompasses the area’s industry clusters: bio life sciences, nanotechnology, chemical manufacturing, semiconductor development and clean energy production.  Our investments in major ventures like GlobalFoundries in Malta and General Electric’s sodium battery plant in Schenectady are creating jobs and positioning the region as a leader in the technology of the 21^st century.  We are proud to be home to a wealth of cutting edge forerunners across these targeted sectors such as AmRI, Angiodynamics and International SEMATECH.

The region also boasts 21 institutions of higher learning with a student population of 65,000.  These are home to some of our most valuable and flourishing research and development facilities such as the Center for Excellence in Nanoelectronics at CNSE’s Albany NanoTech and the Center for Integrated Electronics at Rensselaer.  Partnerships with these educational resources are invaluable and key to the region’s development, allowing for the commercialization of products and technologies and attracting critical private sector investment in the emerging high technology fields. 

The team at Empire State Development’s Capital Region regional office is here to assist you through our wide range of support services and resources needed to successfully establish or grow your company in the Capital Region.  Let us walk you through the various economic development programs available and help you identify and fulfill your business goals. Welcome!

Peter Wohl
ESD Capital Region Regional Director