In 2003, the Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) made a regional commitment as part of its economic development strategic plan to collaborate with area Universities centers (University of Buffalo, University of Rochester and Genesee Community College), state and federal agencies (Office of Community Renewal (OCR), NYSTAR, USDA Rural Development) and private sector partners to enhance the “commercialization capacity” of life science innovation in Western New York.

The GCEDC and its partners embarked upon major infrastructure and workforce development programs over the last eight years focused on developing and making low cost commercialization space available in Western New York.  In the summer of 2010 the 43,000 sq. ft. Dr. Bruce A. Holm Upstate MedTech Commercialization Center (“MedTech Centre”) project was completed.  The MedTech Centre is located in the Upstate Med and Tech Park across from Genesee Community College (GCC) in Batavia, NY.  The center integrates medical and technical education, practice, and commercialization of products under one roof.  The Center currently houses GCC’s School of Nursing, United Memorial Medical Center and Summit’s Physical and Occupational Therapy Programs, First Wave Technologies, and the GCEDC/ GGLDC offices.  Low cost space is available for emerging life science companies that commercialize innovation emerging from our regional universities.

First Wave Technologies (FWT), the first company to locate at the MedTech Center, was established with the objective of generating economic impact from regionally developed technologies.  Initially the company has focused on university based intellectual property in the life sciences sector.  FWT provides human and financial capital to pre-seed/seed-stage companies to bridge the gap between the laboratory and market.  As demonstration of FWT's expertise, its Board includes the former Dean of the Stanford University School of Medicine and former President of one of the largest hospital systems in the U.S.

With the launch of the FWT first medical device, an automated pill crusher for the institutional healthcare marketplace, they have seen tremendous success with forty (40) distributors across the US and international markets.  FWT is also preparing for launch of a second product line it is assisting with for commercialization, an anesthesia system, in the second half of this year.

Without First Wave, these technologies would have been out-licensed to companies outside the region.  And without the public/private partnerships between the FWT, GCEDC, NYSTAR and the NYSOCR, these technologies would not be generating jobs for New York State and local communities.  For example, the pill crusher's manufacturing was transitioned from overseas back to NYS as part of the company's last funding round.

Steve Hyde CEO and President of the GCEDC indicated “Western New York and the GCEDC is fortunate to have kept FWT local and we look forward to working with our partners to ensure that there is a home for more emerging life science, medical device and technology driven companies.  We are also working to ensure that the workforce pipeline can accommodate the emerging opportunities through programs like iSciWNY and the Advanced Manufacturing and Nano-Tech Certificate training program.”

For more information on space or opportunities in Genesee County, Contact Chris Suozzi, VP Business Development at 585-343-4866 ext 11 or email at csuozzi@gcedc.com.