News from Center for Sustainable Energy

In order to provide a crucially need roadmap into the New York City market for sustainable business enterprises and to support commercialization of technologies developed by CUNY researchers and partners, CUNY has established a new Sustainable Business and Technology Incubator. The new CUNY Incubator provides a platform within NYC that brings together academia, government partnership potential, private industry and essential new skill training programs at a public university. This is an essential step to implementing existing and emerging Federal, State and City sustainability initiatives.

Applications for Virtual and Traditional Clients Now Available

The Center for Sustainable Energy is partnering with the incubator and is already assisting its virtual clients. In addition, the Center will soon be co-located with the Incubator in the newly renovated 'Snow House' on the BCC campus. Plans are also underway for a new LEED Gold certified facility that will house both programs and include research and development space for incubator members.
Contact Martin Saposnick, Managing Director, for more information.

Studies have shown that incubator-assisted enterprises, having the benefit of the guidance and networking afforded to them during their tenancy, have an overall 87 percent better chance of successful commercialization. The CUNY incubator will provide a vast array of services, including technical, legal, financial, management, logistical and administrative services as well as providing for cross pollenization among the incubators clients.

While companies and entrepreneurs gain early stage support, the CUNY Incubator will simultaneously provide opportunity and economic stimulation to the surrounding community. The incubator's location within CUNY brings distinct advantages: access to a wealth of resources at its 23 colleges, prestigious professional schools and distinguished faculty located throughout the five boroughs of New York City. CUNY Incubator clients will be able to partner and develop research with multiple cutting edge CUNY institutions such as the Energy Institute, the Institute for Software Design and Development and the Lawrence N. Field Center For Entrepreneurship as well as CUNY's statewide university partners.

CUNY has long been instrumental in forging partnerships and providing expertise to the city, state, and federal governments. Through the Center for Sustainable Energy (CSE), CUNY leads the Solar City Strategic Partnership for the Department of Energy's Solar America Initiative for New York City. CSE has years of experience developing market infrastructure to support emerging renewable and clean energy technology companies and will continue to support market development around the CUNY Sustainable Business and Technology Incubator companies and will expand its resources in conjunction with sustainable companies and share the information through conferences, such as the annual NYC Solar Summit and the Alternative Fuel and Vehicle Conference.

This work has already helped develop the renewable energy market and positions CUNY to provide clients with critical expertise on policy, funding, and "green collar" workforce development, making the CUNY Incubator unique among business incubators in its unsurpassed access to expertise. Beyond New York City, CUNY has a well-established network of businesses, organizations, and academic institutions allowing incubator clients to tap markets and expertise. The incubators location within CUNY will provide extensive opportunities to students, educating the next generation of green entrepreneurs. As major companies shut their doors or reduce staff, the need to start new businesses with products that will reduce energy costs and focus on renewable resources and new technologies is critical. CUNY is working to help America step up the development of a 21st century economy that includes clean & sustainable technologies.