Cuomo Announces Creation of Chief Innovation Officer to Make New York City the Global Hub of the Future
New York, NY — Andrew M. Cuomo, candidate for Mayor of New York City, today announced that his administration will establish a Chief Innovation Officer to help ensure New York City remains the global leader in business, technology, and job creation. The Chief Innovation Officer, a senior administration position, will spearhead efforts to support emerging industries, foster public-private collaboration, and help city governments harness new technologies to improve services and efficiency.
“New York has always been the city that leads,” said Andrew Cuomo. “We built the tallest skyscrapers, became the financial center of the world and were the birthplace for the labor movement, the civil rights movement and the LBGTQ rights movement. The next Mayor must make sure we’re also leading in the technologies that will define the next century — AI, blockchain, and biotech. That’s what this position is about: Keeping New York City not just competitive, but dominant in the global innovation economy. I’m excited for the future. ”
The Chief Innovation Officer will be tasked with:
- Building and supporting emerging tech ecosystems across the five boroughs;
- Attracting investment and jobs from high-growth industries;
- Breaking silos and coordinating the work city agencies such as the Office of Technology and Innovation and NYCEDC are doing in applied Artificial Intelligence and other innovation industries in order to ensure programs and funding streams are leveraged with maximum efficiency.
- Helping New York City government adopt and deploy new technologies to deliver smarter, faster, and more transparent public services;
- Coordinating with business, labor, academia, and community groups to ensure innovation benefits all New Yorkers.
Cuomo announced the position will be filled in consultation with the recommendations of an Innovation Council composed of leaders from the three emerging tech fields. The Council will remain active to advise the CIO to help with policy development, industry standards, and consumer protections while ensuring innovation is balanced with responsibility and sustainability.
The Council will be comprised of three advisory committees, each focused on:
- Artificial Intelligence – responsible AI adoption and building the city’s emerging AI research and workforce pipeline.
- Biotech – focused on expanding New York’s life sciences sector and turning innovation into jobs and growth.
- Crypto and Blockchain – establishing New York as the world capital for digital finance and decentralized innovation. This includes exploring ways to replace outdated regulations with a modern framework that protects consumers and encourages responsible innovation.
The announcement reflects Cuomo’s ongoing commitment to economic growth, job creation, and government modernization as cornerstones of his campaign to move New York City forward.
###