Leading researchers working on advancements in quantum science and technology came to Oneida County this week.

It’s work that advocates say is helping national security, New York state and the upstate localities.

A lot of the work is done at the Air Force Research Lab in Rome. It is designated as the Air Force and Space Force’s Quantum Information Science Research Center.

Companies such as IONQ arrived in the area because of the work being done there. One of the things they’re working on is creating free-space optical links to uncrewed aerial systems.

“The competition is intense. Worldwide, as you can see, the geopolitical situation that we have, and advancing these technologies, the competition, advancing technologies, is critical to the success of and the future of our country,” said IONQ representative Jeff Knight.

Something evident at the conference is that companies in the field are looking at New York state.

One company representative said they were specifically are coming to the area because they are encouraged by the STEM programs offered in New York state, and intend to partner with SUNY schools and Griffiss Institute.

They want to teach students about protecting intellectual property.

“Good STEM education has always been a priority in this part of the country. And so, we just want to complement that with giving people the understanding about IP, IP ownership and how to create value from your IP,” said Global IP Ecosystem Development Senior Director of Engineering Ram Krishnan.

The area in Rome used to serve as an Air Force base. It hit the area hard when it was realigned and decommissioned in the 1990s.

Then-mayor Joe Griffo called it “akin to economic Armageddon.”

But with a lot of work, persistence and investments, it’s now bustling with researchers and businesses.

“We have over 90 tenants and over 7,800 employees total within the park. That actually probably has gone up a little bit since the last time we checked. But you’ve also seen over $1 billion in public and private investment within the park. I think a lot of that is based in the types of defense-related technologies that you see here,” said Mohawk Valley EDGE Chief of Staff Marc Baracco.