A big part of Buffalo’s growth spurt is due to the resurgence of small and medium-sized businesses and innovative ideas. Projects and programs like the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, the Thomas R. Beecher Jr. Innovation Center and 43North not only are creating jobs and boosting the economy, but also fostering leaps forward in research and development, especially in health care, that will benefit everyone.
The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC) brings together health care, life science research and medical education on 120 acres in downtown Buffalo. Its goal is to create a world-class health, science and innovation district, further economic growth and urban revitalization, and build a stronger community. The BNMC has sponsored several enterprise fairs for small businesses that want to provide goods and services to its members. It hosts Startup Grind Buffalo, a series of monthly conversations that connect entrepreneurs for networking and exchange of ideas.
Among the institutions located on the campus are the Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo Medical Group, Kaleida Health, Olmsted Center for Sight, Buffalo Hearing and Speech Center, Center for Genetics and Pharmacology, University of Buffalo Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences, and ZeptoMetrix Corp., a company that provides materials to biomedical and pharmaceutical researchers. The University of Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Studies will be relocating to the campus next year.
The Thomas R. Beecher Jr. Innovation Center, a central hub for small to medium startup companies, is a mainstay of the campus. This small business incubator houses more than 100 companies in a collaborative setting that provides a great environment for businesses to network and grow. Many of the companies located here are startups that work within the health care industry.
43North, also located on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, nurtures startup companies through grants, work space and mentorship. Made possible by Buffalo Billion, a billion-dollar investment by the state of New York in the Buffalo area’s economy, the 43North initiative offers $5 million in prizes to the winners of an annual competition. Winners also get incubator space, mentorship and tax exemptions to nurture their businesses. The organization also sponsors other competitions, like The Pitch, a new-business competition for minority- and women-owned businesses. Competing entrepreneurs will present their business plans at an event Oct. 20 at the Buffalo Museum of Science.
Other exciting projects are taking place outside the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. Solar power is becoming a huge contributor to Buffalo’s economic renaissance. The SolarCity project recently got a $485 million funding boost from the state of New York. The SolarCity factory, projected to become one of the country’s largest manufacturing facilities for solar panels, will be located at the Buffalo High-Tech Manufacturing Innovation Hub at RiverBend in South Buffalo. Development also is revitalizing the city’s waterfront. The Canalside project has led the way through a public-private partnership.
Canterbury Woods Gates Circle, a continuing care retirement community now under construction near the charming and popular Elmwood Village neighborhood, is close to the excitement and energy of a revitalized city. The community is the cornerstone of a unique multigenerational campus that offers a high-quality, active and engaged lifestyle for older adults.
If you’d like more information about joining this unique retirement community, please contact us at (716) 929-5811 or learn more here.
