CAT Program Goal

The goal of the CAT Program is two fold:

to promote and support collaborative university-industry research and technology transfer programs in New York State in technology fields that are important to the stability and growth of the industries of the state; and

based on the knowledge and expertise developed through the university-industry collaborative research efforts, to support the development and growth of the state's economy through technology outreach and assistance for small and start-up enterprises, education and training programs, and technology awareness activities.

In support of this twofold goal, CATs perform three important functions which strengthen the state's economy:

They perform commercially-relevant research with funding from and in collaboration with New York corporations, thus providing knowledge of strategic value to the sponsors and educating graduate students who are thereby well-versed in the problems and needs of industry.

They transfer technology innovations to industry in a variety of ways, thus strengthening the state's technology infrastructure: through application of the research by corporate sponsors; through the establishment of new spin-off companies to commercialize the results of research; through technical assistance to small and medium-sized technology-based companies; and through incubator assistance to startup companies.

They enhance the quality and productivity of the state's technical work force through technical education and training programs at all levels and through seminars, conferences, publications, and other forms of information dissemination.

In carrying out this array of activities, the CAT's leverage their own resources by working in collaboration with regional and State technology and economic development organizations and other universities and colleges. Of particular significance are the regional Technology Development Organizations, the regional offices of the Department of Economic Development, the Industrial Technology Extension Service agents, and the community and technical colleges of the State University and City University systems.