Buffalo is showcasing its burgeoning biomedical industry. Just last week, more than 300 leaders in the bio-med field traveled to Buffalo for a conference on collaboration and growth.
The out-of-towners saw -- first-hand -- how much progress Buffalo has made. Syracuse-based Med-Tech brought its annual conference here to give attendees a chance to experience the bio-med community that has bloomed at the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. Lieutenant-Governor Kathy Hochul says the state's significant investment in Buffalo is paying off.
"I was really proud to talk about the Governor's initiatives, particularly the Buffalo billion and how it is transforming the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus," Hochul said. "There's so much going on."
Hochul says she was told by one bio-med insider that what he saw in Buffalo rivals what's happening in California. Med-Tech President Jessica Crawford said the industry is creating thousands of high-paying jobs.
"Engineers coming out of college earn $65,000 to $75,000," Crawford said. "It's a high impact industry. You get a bigger bang for the buck. It's an economic driver."
Crawford said Med-Tech is already planning to bring its conference back to Buffalo in 2017. With all the cranes in the air today, Crawford said she expects to find a much different Medical Campus with an even more vibrant bio-med sector.