Tech chief pushes International Landing Zone initiative By BRAYN F. YURCAN

Les Neumann believes the area between Manhattan and Albany, better known as the Hudson River Valley, can and should be the most prime real estate in the entire world.

Neumann, the managing director of the Hudson Valley Center for Innovation (HVCFI) in Ulster County, says a big part of making that happen is by making the valley an International Landing Zone (ILZ).

An ILZ is not a specific type of program, such as an Empire Zone, but reflects an overall willingness of the Hudson Valley area to host foreign businesses, Neumann said.

“It’s really a beachhead for foreign tech development,” he said. “We’re encouraging regional development, importation rather than exportation of jobs and opportunities.”

Neumann said the ILZ will act almost like a “business accelerator” and aid foreign companies that have ideas or blueprints for new or emerging technology but lack a business plan get off the ground.

The companies, in turn, would be headquartered in the Hudson Valley.

Neumann also sees the ILZ as host to a number of satellite offices for foreign chambers of commerce, who are scouting the United States for business expansion or relocation opportunities for their members.

He said the Hudson Valley could be the premier landing zone for businesses in the world because, “we are in New York and everyone wants to be in New York.”

However, to accomplish this, Neumann said the ILZ needs the time and money of business experts in the Valley to help launch the ILZ.

He said the ILZ will rely upon “the infrastructure, commercialization and business development skills” of members of the business and academic community of the Hudson Valley.

The HVCFI is also partnering with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy and Polytechnic University, which has a campus in Hawthorne.

Neumann said that collaboration will allow the HVCFI to tap into each university’s expansive alumni base to utilize their expertise in emerging technologies to help the business that would be located within the ILZ.

Neumann said the HVCFI has already had conversations with a Ukrainian tech company about the possibility of locating in the region and several other foreign companies have made inquires about the area as well.

“This is happening and it’s happening now,” he said.

Neumann and members of the Rockland Business Association were scheduled to meet with representatives from the Rockland County Legislature and Executive’s Office. The RBA hosted an informational meeting with members of the local government March 22 where Neumann explained the concept of the ILZ.

RBA President and Chief Executive Officer Al Samuels said the initiative could be a boon for the entire state.

“We believe it’s a wonderful opportunity to have a number of technologies perhaps commercialized here in the Hudson Valley and New York state,” he said.

Samuels said the ILZ doesn’t have to necessarily be limited to just the Hudson Valley. For example, if a foreign company was interested in setting up shop in northern New York to be closer to the Canadian border, Samuels could call his counterpart at the Plattsburgh-North Country Chamber of Commerce and refer the company there.

Samuels has a meeting scheduled with Patrick Foye, the downstate chairman of the Empire State Development Corp., to discuss funding opportunities to make the entire state an ILZ.

“This is a great opportunity to make a big statement about Rockland, and the entire state,” he said.

While Neumann agrees that the whole state can benefit from this initiative, he believes the Hudson Valley will be the most attractive area for foreign business, due to its proximity to both Manhattan and Albany.

But, he said, the communities in the Hudson Valley have to think about the opportunities an ILZ can bring to the whole region, and not just their particular county or town.

“We need to think globally, and act collaboratively,” he said. “The Hudson Valley, politically, is fragmented. There’s no great sense of unity here, and that becomes problematic. We need to start acting like a unified entity.”