SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Le Moyne College is now part of the Griffiss Institute’s Innovare Alliance, an initiative that seeks to advance technical and professional development disciplines and to “nurture a skilled workforce to drive growth and prosperity in the region.”

The partnership aims to expand access to high-quality educational, training, research, and entrepreneurial opportunities in the communities they serve, while “leveraging interorganizational synergies” among upstate New York’s academic, industrial, and defense sectors.

Both Griffiss Institute and Le Moyne College signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Aug. 3. Le Moyne is the 10th member of the Innovare Alliance.

Linda LeMura, president of Le Moyne College, expressed her excitement about the partnership. “At Le Moyne, we believe in providing our students with the best of all worlds — a values-based academic program grounded in the liberal arts and sciences, combined with technical training and essential skills,” LeMura said. “Joining the Innovare Alliance will offer unprecedented experiential learning and venture development opportunities to our faculty, staff, students and alumni, empowering them to thrive in their chosen fields.”

The Innovare Alliance is a consortium of nine entities, including Griffiss Institute; Air Force Research Laboratory/Information Directorate (AFRL/RI); Oneida County; the City of Rome; NYSTEC; State University of New York; Central New York Defense Alliance; Rochester Institute of Technology; and Binghamton University that is focused on accelerating the development and deployment of emerging technologies for national defense and commercial markets.
Heather Hage, president and CEO of Griffiss Institute, welcomed Le Moyne to the Innovare Alliance.

“This MoU represents a significant step in our mission to drive innovation and collaboration,” Hage said in a news release. “Together with our partners, we will explore new and innovative techniques in education and research, with a special focus on critical areas such as cybersecurity, quantum information sciences, machine learning and autonomous systems. Through co-designed programs, we aim to prepare the future workforce to tackle the challenges of our rapidly evolving world.”

With Le Moyne College joining the Innovare Alliance, the collaboration will usher in new, collaborative programs that focus on engineering, computer science, mathematics and other critical disciplines.

The partnership between the two institutions will pave the way for new, collaborative programs aimed at growing the pool of skilled individuals prepared to work in engineering, computer and mathematical occupations in upstate New York. Furthermore, they will provide an environment conducive to the creation of innovative ideas, supported by state-of-the-art facilities and mentorship to accelerate their development into commercially viable technologies.

“The partnership between Griffiss Institute and Le Moyne College holds immense potential for our region’s growth and development,” Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente, Jr. said in the release. “By combining their expertise and resources, they will foster innovation, cultivate talent and drive economic progress in Upstate New York. I commend both institutions for their commitment to strengthening our community and providing our workforce with valuable opportunities.”