This week, the federal government provided another example of the trust it is placing in the entrepreneurial community to help the country rebound from recession and lead the next generation of innovation. In a landmark partnership between the U.S. Department of Commerce and Cornell University's New York City Tech Campus, students will be provided with direct access to government resources for the first time as they look to expedite production cycles and get their inventions to market faster.

"The groundbreaking partnership among Cornell University, the Commerce Department and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office will help tomorrow's entrepreneurs start innovative new businesses," explained New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. "Arming Cornell grad students with business assistance resources will go a long way toward turning their extraordinary ideas into reality, creating new jobs and growing New York City's thriving high-tech industry."

The federal agency will be installing a permanent staff member on the Cornell campus to facilitate networking between students and mentors capable of advising them on how to source government grants, develop patent strategies and expand operations overseas.

Although Cornell's applied science and engineering campus currently occupies a small portion of a downtown office building, plans are in the works to dedicate 12 acres to expanded facilities on Manhattan's Roosevelt Island over the next five years. With development plans already in place for its first 20 years of operations, the unique institution is poised to be a hub of cross-sector innovation well into the future.