Opinion: For New York, International Collaboration Drives Progress
Published by www.jns.org on January 20, 2026.
If New York City hopes to maintain its international reputation as a technological powerhouse, then it must recognize and accelerate the vital role international collaboration plays in its progress. Cornell Tech and the Joan and Irwin Jacobs Technion–Cornell Institute on Roosevelt Island make clear the undeniable local and global benefit of academic collaboration across borders and how its impact extends far beyond the sum of its parts.
In 2010, when the city requested proposals from leading universities to create an academic hub focused on applied sciences, entrepreneurship and job creation, Cornell University and the Technion–Israel Institute of Technology answered the call. In 2011, the world-class partnership won the project with the intention to inject the city with a ripple effect of economic benefits for years to come.
Since Cornell Tech opened in 2012, the economic contribution of the Cornell-Technion partnership has been undeniable: Its incubator programs have produced 130 high-tech startup companies, 94% of which still operate in New York. At the start of 2026, Cornell Tech startups have a combined enterprise value of $1.3 billion, have raised more than $500 million in venture capital, and have created more than 1,000 New York City jobs.
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This op-ed was written by Israel Cidon, the director of the Joan and Irwin Jacobs Technion–Cornell Institute. Photo by Max Touhey.
