Part of the economic growth strategy Gov. Andrew Cuomo laid out in his State of the State speech in Syracuse includes the creation of high-tech jobs. Cuomo announced the state will invest $30 million into the Saab company, which will add about 250 new jobs to Syracuse and make its facility their new North American headquarters. Cuomo said the development of radar and sensing technology fits perfectly into drone industry.
"Nationwide, this is an industry that has tremendous potential," Cuomo said. "We want the home of it and the capitol of it to be central New York and it will.”
CenterState CEO President Rob Simpson said to the governor’s credit, Cuomo has been listening to central New York’s Regional Economic Development Council’s push into the drone industry.
“It’s perfectly aligned with our regional strategy," Simpson said. "Here’s a global company based in Sweden that’s making Syracuse their North American headquarters. That’s incredibly exciting.”
Cuomo has tried to invest in different high tech fields across upstate including nanotechnology in Albany, biomedical and solar power in Buffalo and photonics in Rochester.