UB entities refresh their brand identities

BUFFALO, N.Y. – The University at Buffalo’s New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences (CBLS) is refreshing its brand identity with a significant redesign that more accurately communicates its collaborative role in the community and emphasizes its efforts to spur economic development and innovation in Western New York.

The branding initiative also produced complementary design elements for UB’s New York State Center of Excellence in Materials Informatics (CMI), UB’s Center for Computational Research (CCR) and UB’s Office of Economic Development (OED).

The CBLS marketing team and agency partners Gluckworks and White Bicycle worked closely with University Communications to develop brand identities that would uniquely position each entity while adhering to established UB brand standards.

“The new brand identities convey the broad and collaborative scope of the university’s economic development role,” said Alexander N. Cartwright, UB vice president for research and economic development.  “Every day, the university is making connections that support groundbreaking research and economic development in our community,” he said.  “Collaboration and innovation are at the heart of these efforts.”

CBLS, for example, was launched in 2001 by then-Gov. George E. Pataki as part of a statewide economic development program to develop high-tech and life sciences expertise in upstate New York by connecting university researchers with industry partners.  

UB’s CMI, established in 2012, creates relationships between private industry and UB material scientists working on breakthroughs in advanced manufacturing, life sciences and clean energy.

UB’s CCR supports economic development by providing local industry with access to its advanced computing resources and the expertise of faculty researchers and students.  And UB’s OED serves as a liaison between the university and local businesses, providing access to faculty expertise, workforce training, business consulting and university facilities.

The new brand identities for each UB entity will build on excitement generated by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s Buffalo Billion, Genomic Medicine Network and START-UP New York initiatives, which are attracting new businesses to Western New York through partnerships with UB and other local institutions, Cartwright said.