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The  program — led by the — envisions supporting multiple flourishing regional innovation ecosystems across the U.S. over the coming decade, spurring economic growth in regions that have not fully participated in the technology boom of the past few decades. The Â鶹´«Ã½o has been selected as one of the 29  The program seeks to catalyze and foster innovation ecosystems across the US to: 

Advance critical technologies like semiconductors, artificial intelligence, advanced wireless and biotechnology.

Address pressing national and societal challenges.

Cultivate partnerships across industry, academia, government, nonprofits, civil society and communities of practice.

Promote and stimulate economic growth and job creation.

Spur regional innovation and talent.

WNY becomes a scalable, replicable national model for community-informed, industry-driven AI applications in healthcare, positioning the U.S. as a global leader in AI healthcare innovation.

The Engine builds an integrated ecosystem to accelerate AI-driven advancements from model to market and bench to bedside – expanding care access, improving efficiency and fueling economic growth.

The NSF Engine: Western New York (WNY) AI for Health Innovations will build a leading innovation ecosystem focused on developing artificial intelligence (AI) solutions to address critical national healthcare challenges, including chronic disease management, workforce shortages, access barriers, delivery inefficiencies, system fragmentation and rising costs.

The Engine will bring together academic institutions, clinicians, healthcare administrators, technology and industry partners, government agencies, and community stakeholders to drive innovation in healthcare delivery, operations and supply chains.

Startups will benefit from accelerator training, technical assistance, expert networks, investor access and talent pipelines. Training programs will equip current and future professionals for AI-enabled healthcare roles, focusing on AI literacy, technical skills and real-world implementation strategies.

We’re seeking cross-sector partners to propose and run programs or projects and commit resources that advance key drivers of innovation and address pressing societal challenges in the Western New York region.

UB and SUNY are bringing together a coalition of R&D centers, tech industry leaders, healthcare systems, community organizations, training and workforce development partners, public and private funders and state agencies. We’re currently seeking additional cross-sector partners to propose and run programs or projects and commit resources that advance key drivers of innovation and address pressing societal challenges in the Western New York area.

The SUNY system, which is home to 64 colleges and universities across New York State, generates $1B annually in R&D expenditures, holds >1,500 patents and >800 licenses, has formed 120 startups and has 18 innovation incubators. SUNY and UB alike continue to make strategic investments to advance AI innovations. These are just a few of the AI centers and initiatives underway.

NEW YORK STATE

Empire AI is a bold partnership of New York’s leading public and private universities coming together to establish a state-of-the-art artificial intelligence computing center, housed at SUNY’s Â鶹´«Ã½o.

The following are examples of programs or resources that could be proposed by partners to drive the Engine.