Two of Syracuse University’s major centers of technology will be hosting NEXT, a one-day conference in Liverpool on Thursday. The conference, which is in its fifth year, is a collaboration between members of the local technology and manufacturing communities.

Carly Signor, program coordinator of the New York State Science and Technology Law Center at SU’s College of Law, has been overseeing the center’s collaboration with NEXT 2018. There are four other organizations involved in the conference: SU’s Center for Advanced Systems and Engineering, Train Develop Optimize, Central New York Biotech Accelerator and the Empire State Development’s Division of Science, Technology and Innovation.

“The four of us, instead of competing with each other, we decided to come together and pull our resources for the conference,” Signor said.

Jack Rudnick, professor of practice at SU’s College of Law and director of NYS STLC, is one of the panel members of NEXT’s Technology and the Law tracks. He will be discussing “Innovation & Intellectual Property — Decision Points for Startups.” Biotech Innovation, Manufacturing Excellence and CNY Drone Industry Update are some of the other tracks that will be highlighted at the conference.

NYS STLC provides legal analysis and feedback to entrepreneurs. NYS STLC also collaborates with the Martin J. Whitman School of Management and the Blackstone LaunchPad to provide a platform for students to realize the commercial value of their products in the market, Rudnick said.

This year will mark NYS STLC’s third year at NEXT. Rudnick said the center is a combination of law, business and engineering.

The biggest problem for a startup today is money, Rudnick added. Even if these startups get the patent, it’s hard to get the funding they need to continue. NYS STLC helps people network with angel investors and funding houses.

Rudnick’s panel will explore issues such as patent filing strategy, trade secret protection and post-grant options offered by the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act, according to NEXT’s 2018 agenda.

Registration is $25 and includes meals, parking and a cocktail reception, according to a NEXT brochure. Rudnick said he’s excited about the level of expertise and depth of knowledge each panel speaker will bring to NEXT, because ordinary professionals charge much steeper rates for similar advice.

SU’s Center for Advanced Systems and Engineering is the second technology center participating in the conference. CASE bridges the gap between SU and businesses in the market by providing access to research laboratories and expert advice from faculty, according to its website.

Pramod Varshney, director of CASE and professor in SU’s Electrical Engineering and Computer Science department, will be hosting the “Drone Industry Update” with panel members from places including SRC Gryphon Sensors, CenterState CEO and NUAIR Alliance.

Central New York has earned the title “hub for national drone research,” according to Syracuse.com. Researchers at SU have used the Center of Excellence to improve drone safety.

“(NEXT) is to try to expose people in the central New York region to new ideas, specifically for the workforce development,” Varshney said. “We want to bring university and industry resources together so the industry flourishes. They need to grow with our help.”

Published on November 11, 2018 at 9:11 pm

Contact Sajida: skkunjum@syr.edu