Westchester County and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) recently hosted the RPI + Westchester County Advancing Technologies Summit, which drew more than 160 technology leaders and innovators to explore how organizations can build the capacity, governance, workforce readiness, and strategic alignment required to lead through this next era of technological transformation. Empowering attendees to embrace the growth of AI and quantum were leading minds and featured speakers from Griffiss Institute, IBM, LTIMindtree, NNL, NVIDIA, Regeneron and RPI.
The event, which featured welcoming remarks from Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins, kicked off with an overview of RPI’s presence in Westchester County presented by Rebecca Doerge, Ph.D., Provost, RPI. Attendees enjoyed dynamic presentations, interactive workshops and engaging panel discussions on a host of AI and quantum-driven topics, including: Building an Ecosystem of Advancing Technologies; AI to Enterprise Impact: Strategy, Governance & Business Value; Preparing for the Next Computational Era; From AI Strategy to Enterprise Execution; Turning Strategy into Workforce Capability; Preparing for the Quantum Era: Strategy, Use Cases & Talent; and, Building an Ecosystem of Impact.
Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins said: “Westchester County is a growing hub for quantum and AI innovation. From national and international corporations at the forefront of groundbreaking technologies to a robust network of tech entrepreneurs, our economy is embracing the innovation and economic impact that quantum and AI growth have to offer. The Advancing Technologies Summit solidified the importance of these technologies across a broad range of industries and brought together experts and innovators leading the implementation of these innovations to further educate and engage our local workforce.”
Westchester County Director of Economic Development Bridget Gibbons said: “Since launching the partnership with RPI in 2025, we have seen a steady increase in the number of companies embracing AI and quantum learning initiatives to support their workforce. Quantum and AI are key players in leading economic growth and innovation, and Westchester County is at the forefront of ensuring our businesses have access to the resources they need to educate their workforce about these impactful innovations.”
Rebecca Doerge, Ph.D., Provost, RPI, said: “The rapid pace of technological change demands collaboration across sectors. Universities, industry, government, and community partners each bring unique strengths that, together, can drive innovation and opportunity. As we deepen RPI’s presence in Westchester County, we look forward to working alongside regional partners to advance research, prepare the next generation of leaders, and strengthen the connections between discovery, workforce development, and economic growth.”
Throughout the event, speakers highlighted the accelerating convergence of artificial intelligence, advanced computing, and quantum technologies and the profound implications these innovations will have across every sector of the economy. Discussions focused on moving beyond awareness toward action—helping organizations understand how to develop workforce capabilities, establish governance and implementation strategies, identify emerging use cases, and prepare for future technological disruption. The summit reinforced a shared commitment among Westchester County, RPI, and regional industry leaders to build an ecosystem that supports innovation, talent development, and long-term economic growth.
Through its RPI at Work programs, RPI offers online, project-based professional development led by industry experts. These programs prepare the workforce for high-demand sectors, including life sciences, advanced manufacturing, technology, clean energy, and quantum computing. To learn more about the Westchester County partnership with RPI, visit: https://westchestercatalyst.com/rpi/.
