Rome, NY, November 20, 2025 — Griffiss Institute (GI) announced the findings of its inaugural Economic Impact Report for FY2024, developed in collaboration with Hamilton College student researchers through the Levitt Public Affairs Center. Working closely with GI President and CEO Heather Hage and the GI team, the students conducted extensive economic modeling and data analysis to measure how GI’s technology transfer, workforce development, and startup initiatives contribute to the region’s prosperity. 
“The Griffiss Institute is a driving force in the Mohawk Valley, fueling innovation, empowering talent, and creating measurable economic impact,” said Patricia Baskinger, Chair of the Griffiss Institute Board of Directors. “This year’s results demonstrate how intentional investment in people, partnerships, and purpose delivers tangible value for our community and the nation.”
In FY2024, GI advanced its mission in science, research, and education that translates to our economic impact, by:
Investing $800,000 in early-stage dual-use technology startups developing solutions for national security;
Supporting 197 high-tech internship experiences and 313 regional youth to participate in STEM camps, inspiring the next generation of scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs;
Facilitating 228 partnerships for the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Information Directorate to collaborate with 130 industrial firms and 98 universities, in service to national defense priorities.
The Institute’s work continues to position the Mohawk Valley as a hub for innovation and collaboration. In addition to its direct impact on the regional economy, GI generated an estimated $4.9M in federal, state, and local tax revenue, reflecting the synergistic relationship between government investment and community impact.
“This report is about how government investments in science, research, education, and technology transfer can translate into significant social and economic outcomes for our communities. Beyond the policy and finance layers of economic analysis, it’s the people – the hundreds of interns and scholars, entrepreneurs, academic and government scientists, and our industry partners, who bring real-world challenges to the table and work together, through the Griffiss Institute, to drive innovation forward to the benefit of our country and community,” said Heather Hage, President and CEO of Griffiss Institute. “Their collaboration is what drives our impact. We are proud to be part of a region that works together to create opportunities that strengthen both our local economy and our national security.”
The FY2024 Griffiss Institute Economic Impact Report was researched and authored by Hamilton College student researchers from the Levitt Public Affairs Center: Luke Hanson ’26, Delaney Patterson ’26, Samuel Low ’28, and Ton Somnug ’27, under the mentorship of GI President and CEO Heather Hage ’02. The student researchers analyzed real Griffiss Institute data, built economic models, and collected local insights to trace how each dollar invested circulates through the Mohawk Valley economy.
“When they call, I answer,” said Hage in a recent Hamilton College feature about the collaboration. “This project shows what happens when education and community come together to make a measurable difference.”
Once the site of economic uncertainty following the 1995 closure of Griffiss Air Force Base, the Mohawk Valley is now a growing hub . The report highlights how Griffiss Institute’s work, from nurturing entrepreneurs to supporting national defense research, continues to drive that transformation.
About Griffiss Institute
Griffiss Institute is a 501c3 nonprofit organization based in Rome, NY, accelerating national security innovation through its three-pillar mission of Talent, Technology, and Venture Development. As the steward of the Innovare Advancement Center, an open, unclassified research and collaboration campus, Griffiss Institute fosters and drives partnerships across government, industry, and academia to advance dual-use technologies. Griffiss Institute is committed to strengthening national security through nontraditional STEM education, accelerated innovation, and the commercialization of emerging technologies, with a deep belief in American-made solutions, the reshoring of advanced manufacturing, and the development of a resilient U.S. science and engineering workforce.
About the Levitt Public Affairs Center at Hamilton College
The mission of the Arthur Levitt Public Affairs Center is to strengthen and support the study of public affairs at Hamilton College. The goals of the Center are to enable students to engage in public affairs through research, service-learning, lectures, discussion, and practice; to foster creative, ethical, and informed responses to public issues by providing opportunities for students to engage with the local community, develop leadership skills, and explore careers in public service; and to support interdisciplinary collaboration and discussion, and to encourage faculty to address public affairs in their own research and in collaborative research with Hamilton students.
