ETEC Research and Development Complex

Where science, climate, cybersecurity and entrepreneurship collide

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Client
State University of New York at Albany
Location
Albany, New York, United States
Size
246,000 square feet
Status
Completed 2021

Thriving university and industry partnerships can generate massive opportunities for success; they can drive economic growth for a region, stabilize an entire generation of skilled workers, and fuel innovative breakthroughs and a spirit of entrepreneurship. ETEC at SUNY Albany is a testament to how design can play an influential role in this mission.

To accommodate the combined needs of fast-growing academic programs and innovative entrepreneurial resources, ETEC is a LEED Platinum facility programmed and designed with flexibility, shared space and various opportunities for industry collaboration. It is the epicenter of many of the university’s signature research strengths, including climate science, emergency preparedness and cybersecurity. By bringing academia and the business sector together, the building is helping translate new knowledge into innovative solutions to build a more resilient and economically vibrant New York.

SUNY Albany ETEC
A new front door to SUNY Albany's science programs, ETEC brings together faculty, students and entrepreneurial business collaborators under one roof.
A nearly six-foot diameter globe on the main floor is used for tracking hurricanes and other weather systems around the world.
Suny Albany ETEC
The UAlbany Innovation Center occupies part of the first floor, along with the Small Business Development Center and offices for commercialization, technology transfer and private partners.

A new era of research and teaching

ETEC is specifically designed to bring together scientists, students and entrepreneurs to collaboratively find solutions to society’s greatest challenges. An incredible number of once disparate departments now call the building home—promoting interdisciplinary collaboration. They include the first-in-the-nation’s College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity; the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences; the world-renowned Atmospheric Sciences Research Center; the Department of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, as well as the Department of Chemistry.

SUNY Albany ETEC
ETEC is designed to foster interdisciplinary collaborations among students, faculty and entrepreneurs to translate new knowledge into innovative solutions.
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ETEC is designed to foster interdisciplinary collaborations among students, faculty and entrepreneurs to translate new knowledge into innovative solutions.
Suny Albany ETEC
Technologically advanced classrooms enhance the learning experience.

Testimonials

  • Facilities such as ETEC drive cutting-edge research and development, support our entrepreneurs and guide tech startups through commercialization to economic growth.

    Mark Eagan President of the Capital Region Chamber and the Center for Economic Growth
  • As the past few years have made brutally clear, we are in urgent need of collaborative work that brings together government, the private sector, and academia to not only support research and development in climate change, extreme weather, and emergency preparedness but to rapidly bring the best new research to bear on real time operations.

    Jackie Bray Acting New York State Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner

Students, educators, industry leaders and entrepreneurs are working collectively to solve many of the world’s greatest environmental challenges.

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The UAlbany-operated New York State Mesonet is the most advanced statewide early warning weather-detection system in the nation.
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Students and faculty enjoy large projection screens in classrooms that enhance the learning experience.

Astounding partnerships with industry

ETEC is designed to offer opportunities for students and faculty to engage with industry in meaningful ways. The UAlbany Innovation Center occupies part of the first floor, offering incubator space for technology companies working in climate and environmental science, biomedical science and biotechnology, cybersecurity and advanced data analytics. The building also houses the Small Business Development Center as well as offices for groups focused on commercialization and technology transfer, and private partners like TruWeather Solutions. Two Entrepreneurs-in-Residence will help guide faculty, researchers and independent entrepreneurs through the early critical steps of ushering their discoveries to market. The National Weather Service is also expanding its ten-year relationship with the university with its offices now located directly in the building.

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Business development services are located in the building to support research and drive economic growth.
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A large lecture space has become a favorite destination for holding campus-wide events.

Energy efficiency

ETEC is one of UAlbany's largest and most energy-efficient buildings and represents a significant milestone in SUNY's commitment to sustainability. Heated and cooled by 190 geothermal wells and powered in part by nearly 4,800 solar panels on UAlbany's Uptown Campus, ETEC is an all-electric facility. It is projected to lower annual energy costs by as much as 70 percent compared to similar baseline buildings.

Testimonials

  • Energy efficiency meets high-tech innovation with the opening of ETEC—and will continue to put New York State on the map.

    Kathy Hochul New York State Governor
SUNY Albany ETEC
The project has achieved LEED Platinum certification.
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A geothermal heat pump system uses 190 vertical bores to transfer heat between the building and the earth, eliminating the need for gas-fired boilers and reducing the building’s carbon emissions.
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