For immediate release: July 7, 2026 — Empire State Development (ESD) circulated an item noting that ESD President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight authored an op‑ed in Crain’s New York Business arguing that New York City continues to lead the next generation of technology and innovation.
In the commentary, Knight points to recent corporate moves and state initiatives that she says demonstrate sustained investment in New York City’s tech sector, including headquarters and expansion announcements from major firms and a string of technology company commitments tied to state incentives.
The release highlights several examples Knight cites in the op‑ed: commitments by fintech and technology firms to create jobs in the city, announced expansions from companies such as ElevenLabs and Radical AI, and the recent Clay expansion. Knight also points to statewide initiatives tied to artificial intelligence, including the Empire AI consortium — a public‑private effort backed by more than $500 million in funding — and says the Empire AI supercomputer is housed at SUNY Buffalo, allowing researchers across the consortium’s member institutions to access high‑performance computing resources.
ESD’s summary of the op‑ed includes broad sector statistics cited by Knight: growth in the number of technology businesses since the pandemic, large totals for venture capital fundraising in New York City, and a sizable in‑state tech workforce. Knight argues these factors, combined with state investments in AI, semiconductor design, and quantum commercialization hubs, will position New York to “lead” the next era of innovation.
The full op‑ed is available on Crain’s New York Business (link below). ESD’s press office contact listed in the release is pressoffice@esd.ny.gov.
