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The Digital Frontier: The BNP Manufacturing Industry Leaders Forum

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June 4, 2024

By 2033, one in four computer chips produced in the United States will be made within 350 miles of the SMART-I Corridor, which encompasses the Buffalo, Rochester, Ithaca, and Syracuse Metropolitan Statistical Areas along with Auburn and Batavia Micro Statistical Areas. Further, 200 firms in the I-Corridor already participate in the semiconductor supply chain, with at least 20% of those firms owned by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals.

Western New York has a generational opportunity to advance as a manufacturing tech leader by adding more companies to the semiconductor supply chain through leveraged resources and inclusive planning. At this transformational point for our regional economy, the BNP Manufacturing Industry Leaders Forum (ILF) convened to discuss the sector’s emerging technologies, operational best practices and regional strategies for the future with a focus on the following questions:

How will smart factory automation continue to change the way manufacturers work?

How can companies best safeguard their digital operating procedures against security threats?

How can manufacturers connect to local talent in an era of industrial automation?

Dottie Gallagher, BNP President & CEO, provided a timely update on Buffalo’s Tech Hub designation and its application for significant federal investment into tech infrastructure. Our region was designated as a federal tech hub in October 2023, giving us the opportunity to submit our $64 million funding application in February. As one of only 31 designated Tech Hubs in the country, this process has brought together regional leaders in business, nonprofits, higher education, in support of a strong application describing how our region would leverage federal investment. For an in-depth summary of the discussion, check out this article from The Buffalo News.

As a key stakeholder, BNP will continue to update the business community.

A panel of manufacturing experts then led a conversation on how regional companies can capitalize on the sector’s constant evolution, with a focus on predictive intelligence:

Elizabeth Callahan, Director of External Relations & Special Programs
Buffalo Manufacturing Works
Dave Kegler, Director of Manufacturing
Sealing Devices, Inc.
Scott Pallotta, CEO
Zehnder Rittling
Stephen Tucker, President & CEO
Northland Workforce Training Center
Alan Rae, Director
SUNY Buffalo’s Center of Excellence in Materials Informatics

The BNP is proud to welcome in Bank of America as the Title Sponsor for the 2024 ILF. Derek Johnson, Bank of America’s VP of Commercial Banking, kicked off the May 23^rd ILF with a welcome.

Learn more about the Industry Leaders Forum  here.

Title Sponsor

Presenting Sponsors

Supporting Sponsors

Headwinds and Tailwinds: The 2023 BNP Economic Development Summit

By growthzone | December 7, 2023

The BNP hosted its first Economic Development Summit on December 7 as the culmination of the 2023 Industry Leaders Forum (ILF) schedule. An impressive group of Western New York business leaders came together to discuss the current status of the economy as we collectively strategize for 2024.