The Capital Region was once a leader in the Industrial Revolution, but over the last 100 years, big industry took a back seat to new technology. We're now home to some of the most advanced technology in the world, truly earning the title "Tech Valley." In part one of the series, 'Tech Valley: A Region Reinvented,' Jon Dougherty shares the history behind the name.

“Business is ups and downs," said Walt Robb.

Robb is a legendary Capital Region businessman who spent 42 years at General Electric in a number of leadership roles, and helped GE advance its x-ray technology.

Over the last 20 years, Robb's become a serial entrepreneur investing at least $24 million in local startups.

“Every one of these 20 startup companies I've been with was a risk and it was fun. Some of them succeeded and some of them are still going to succeed," Robb said.

Robb is considered by many around the Capital Region a pioneer of "Tech Valley." Tech Valley is a region that covers more than 300 square miles throughout the Capital Region, Hudson and Mohawk Valleys.

"At first, at that time a lot of people scratched their heads and said, 'What are they talking about,'" said Capital Region Chamber CEO Mark Eagan.

In the 1990s, the Capital Region was mostly known for state government, health care, and higher education. It was then the region began a transition.

"In the 90s, that's what I remember was that initial start-up feeling. Most of them were around information technology," said Michael Hickey, the Center for Economic Growth (CEG) interim president & CEO.

Hickey was at MapInfo, a software company that was later bought for more than $400 million to Pitney Bowes.

"During that decade or so of trying to recruit executives to come to our region, I noticed a substantial change in the traction to the region," Hickey said.

"We had then gone from sort of an emerging technology sector to a recognizable one," Eagan said.

You might be surprised, however, that some business leaders said Tech Valley's early success was thanks, in part, to the recession.

"People recognizing that you had to have small business growing and developing in this area as well as large businesses that had been here traditionally in order for this to really be a healthy economy," said entrepreneur Bruce Toyama.

Toyama moved from California to the Capital Region during the early years of Tech Valley. He became actively involved in the tech movement and said Tech Valley quickly became much more than just tech companies.

"There was a recognition back then even with those in the entrepreneur community that it would need to be more than just tech that would really help propel this area into a sustainable basis into the future," Toyama said.

Thanks to the emerging tech scene and a mix of public and private partnership, Tech Valley quickly caught the eye of the nation, and world.

"Our region was on the map," Eagan said.

The region would learn, it was only the beginning.