3 reasons Rochester is a top 25 innovative city in the U.S.

James Senall | For the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

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Recently, 24/7 Wall Street published in USA TODAY a report of the 25 most innovative cities. Rochester's ranking at number 19 might be a surprise to some, but not to hundreds of people who participated in NextCorps’ Innovation Week Nov. 12 through Nov. 17.

Events showcased what’s being done locally to help entrepreneurs launch new products and services, along with the companies that will bring sustainable economic growth to Rochester and the Finger Lakes Region.

NextCorps (formerly High Tech Rochester) helped drive innovation in the Rochester region by providing programs and services to more than 700 Rochester area startups since 2010.

Helping startups

These entrepreneurs have different needs. Some need help developing their business plan or finding their first customers. Some need to raise money to grow their business, while others need access to resources, such as manufacturing help, to get their products made.

Having this type of support available is critical to innovation and progress. Without it, many inventions never make it off the paper they were sketched on and into the market.

NextCorps and many other organizations — the University of Rochester, Rochester Institute of Technology, RIT’s Venture Creations and Center for Urban Entrepreneurship, and Monroe County’s TEN program (The Entrepreneurs Network), for example — are working to make sure Rochester doesn’t make “the most innovative cities” list solely for the number of technology patents it produces; rather, that the area continues to be recognized as the birthplace of innovative companies that are making an impact on industry and on society.

Here are three reasons why Rochester deserves to be on the list of the 25 most innovative cities in the U.S., and more about the events during Innovation Week that highlighted our efforts in these areas:

1. Rochester is still a world leader in optics, photonics and imaging.

On Wednesday, Nov. 14, 21 of the most promising optics, photonics and imaging (OPI) companies from around the world came to the Dryden Theatre to compete for a spot in Luminate NY. This program, funded by the Empire State Development Finger Lakes Forward Initiative, is the only business accelerator in the world for startups with OPI enabled applications.

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Each year, 10 companies come here to take advantage of the area’s OPI-rich resources to fine-tune their technologies and get funding to grow. In return, they’re setting up aspects of their operations here, including manufacturing. This is attracting new attention to our area for the breakthrough technologies being developed here —from devices that enhance virtual and augmented reality and materials that reduce energy consumption in consumer electronics like mobile phones, to imaging that enables early and non-invasive disease detection and treatment monitoring.

2. The talented and the young are staying here and thriving.

We hear a lot about brain drain, with talent choosing to go elsewhere for growth opportunities. But on Thursday, Nov. 15, young professionals came out in full force to the Rochester Young Professionals’ Entrepreneur Fair. During the event, more than 300 attendees met with 50 startups, all run by those who are making the choice early on to own their own businesses. This gave the founders the chance to share their innovations, talk with potential customers and connect with available resources.

3. Innovative programs are making a positive impact on our economy.

While programs like Luminate NY are bringing more companies to Rochester to set up business, programs like NextCorps’ Manufacturing Extension Program (MEP) are helping long-standing companies drive new growth. Since 2010, MEP alone has helped hundreds of small and mid-sized manufacturing companies retain 2,282 jobs and create 761 new positions.

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This is helping our manufacturing community evolve so it ready to produce emerging technologies that often require new equipment and processes. It resulted in an overall economic impact of $440,824,284.

These are just some of the examples of how innovation beyond technology offerings is changing our city and our region. To get involved or learn more about the programs and support available to entrepreneurs, visit www.nextcorps.org.

The author, James Senall, is president of NextCorps (which formerly was High Tech Rochester).