Partnering with an Ithaca firm looking to make waves in the 3-D printing industry, Cornell is among those leading the charge for revitalizing the New York state economy through Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s economic development initiative START-UP NY.

Incodema3D is a spinoff of Incodema Inc., a rapid metal prototyping firm headquartered in Ithaca since 2001. Expanding Incodema’s business into additive manufacturing – better known as 3-D printing – Incodema3D is among the first companies approved for START-UP NY tax benefits and other incentives, announced by Cuomo June 4.

START-UP NY aims to connect university research and innovation with New York companies in order to create jobs and spur economic growth. Cornell is Incodema3D’s academic partner, and together they will develop new processes and materials for 3-D printing while infusing jobs and capital into the New York economy.

“We are thrilled to be among the first university-company partnerships getting off the ground through START-UP NY,” said Mary Opperman, vice president for human resources and safety services, whose office oversees Cornell’s START-UP NY program. “Cornell’s partnership with Incodema3D, a company with existing deep ties to the local economy in Tompkins County, is sure to result in a mutually beneficial relationship while creating jobs and boosting economic growth within our region.”

Plastics 3-D printing has been around for two decades, but Incodema3D is looking to break into metal additive manufacturing, for which there is little established competition. They’ll work with Hod Lipson, associate professor of mechanical engineering and computer science and an internationally known expert in 3-D printing; and Emmanuel Giannelis, the Walter R. Read Professor of Engineering in materials science and engineering, who will help Incodema3D develop novel metals suitable for 3-D printing.

“It’s exciting to see high-tech manufacturing making its way back to upstate New York,” Lipson said. “We’re particularly happy to see local manufacturers leveraging 3-D printing technologies that Cornell has been pioneering for a long time. It’s the ultimate sign of a rising tide.”

With support from START-UP NY, Incodema3D is planning to expand into 10 Brown Road, the Cornell Business and Technology Park, one of several preapproved tax-free business areas in Cornell’s START-UP NY campus plan. It is projected to create 58 new jobs within five years as a result of its partnership with Cornell.

“Our acceptance into START-UP NY allows Incodema3D and New York state a level playing field against non-tax states such as Texas and Florida,” said Sean Whittaker, chief executive officer of Incodema3D. “Much more significant is being the first START-UP NY business sponsored by Cornell University, one of the most prestigious research institutions in the country. I truly feel this program will create a synergy between industry and education that will foster greater economic success for everyone involved.”

The chief technology officer of Incodema3D is Greg Galvin, M.S. ’82, Ph.D. ’84, MBA ’93, a Cornell trustee and recent winner of Cornell’s Entrepreneur of the Year award.