SSTI Digest

The fifth installment of SSTI's Tech Talkin' Govs' series includes excerpts from speeches delivered in Ohio, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania. The first four installments are available in the Jan. 11, Jan. 18, Jan. 25, and Feb. 1 editions of the Digest. Ohio Gov. John Kasich, State of the State Address, Feb. 7, 2012 "And today I want to tell you about the best technology resource that you've never heard of. It's buried underground in Ohio. This will set us apart from every other state in America. "It's beyond high speed Internet. And I'm announcing today we're going to increase the speed of OARnet, from 10 gigabytes per second to 100 gigabytes per second and what does that mean? It's not Back to the Future with gigabytes. I mean, this really means something. ... This allows our research hospitals and universities to compete more successfully for the research grants that create breakthroughs in jobs. ... "We're also saying that it's not good enough to do research. If you don't commercialize and create jobs, what's the point? I can find you research on a top shelf in a building 140 years from now. Commercialize. Create jobs. Spinoff companies. "We can get that done, but it's going to take new and renewed focus and so, you know, whether it's graduation, whether it is working together on this issue of, of the fixing of their buildings, whether it is targeting people, getting the universities to target people for jobs that exist, if we create a university system, it would unbelievable. It would be absolutely unbelievable and we are on the verge of being able to do it." Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin, State of the State Address, Feb. 6, 2012 "And on the subject of tax credits, I know a lot has been said. Representative Dank and Senator Mazzei are conducting a study to investigate which credits are effective and create jobs, and which do not. I'm looking forward to the results of that study, and our course of action will be simple: only tax credits that create jobs will stay. For instance, my budget begins the process of restoring the Aerospace Engineer Tax Credit, which brings good, high tech jobs to Oklahoma." Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett, Executive Budget Address, Feb. 7, 2012 "Pennsylvania competes with every other state in the union for factories, offices and corporate headquarters. The shorter we make the journey from the drawing board to the ribbon-cutting, the better our chances of growing jobs. "So, I am bringing before you a new and innovative program to create a robust employment market and a vital economy. We call it Jobs First PA. It comprises four programs: Pennsylvania Inc., The Comprehensive Job Matching System, Keystone Works, and The Targeted Industry Certificate Program. ... "Briefly, Pennsylvania Inc. provides a single point of access between job creators and state government to speed the time between an idea and a business. Keystone Works would allow unemployed workers to continue their benefits while being trained by companies with available jobs. ... The Targeted Industry Certificate program provides increased grants for college and trade school students who are training for high-demand occupations. ... "... At the Department of Community and Economic Development, we are at work finalizing a program I proposed last year, the Liberty Financing Authority. It will merge several programs under a single umbrella. The Liberty Financing Authority will provide the flexibility to direct loans to expanding businesses."

West Virginia coal-mining and farming businessman James C. Justice II confirmed a $10 million donation to Cleveland Clinic Innovations this week, according to an article in the Cleveland Plain Dealer. The gift will be used to establish a chair in medical innovation, to fund patent applications and to provide space and seed funding to early stage businesses. Inspired by the move, Cleveland Clinic Innovations Chairman Thomas Graham announced that he will contribute an additional $1 million for patent applications.

The Idaho Department of Commerce has named Gynii Gilliam as its new chief economic development officer. Gilliam brings more than 20 years of experience to the position. Most recently, she served as executive director of Bannock Development Corporation.

With increasing pressures from state and local policymakers to show a return on investment, universities and colleges across the country are stepping up their efforts to transform innovative ideas into ready-for-market products and develop a new generation of entrepreneurs that will spur regional and state economic growth. Recently, several universities announced new initiatives to foster innovation and build entrepreneurial capacity including: Auburn breaking ground on a new $28.8 million science center; Harvard's Innovation Lab opening its doors; and, The LaunchPad Ohio announcement at four universities in Northeast Ohio.

Louisiana and Texas voters approved measures to provide funding sources for student loans while voters in Colorado rejected a measure that would have temporarily increased taxes to offset cuts for public schools and colleges. Meanwhile, Ohio voters repealed a bill passed earlier this year limiting collective-bargaining rights of state employees. Official results are outlined below:

Jeffrey Brancato has recently joined NorTech as vice president. Prior to joining NorTech, Brancato was the associate vice president for Economic Development at the University of Massachusetts.

We've all heard politicians overhype a development project — it could be the recruitment of a large manufacturer or a new economic development-related public initiative. We cringe as the figures are often unrealistic, under-researched or over-multiplied. A front page article in a recent Wall Street Journal (subscription required) highlighted this problem quite plainly. Public radio program, This American Life, thought it worth an entire hour-long episode.

In what is considered typical for an odd-numbered year, only 34 questions have been certified in nine statewide ballots this election year. Some of those measures include redirecting funds to support higher education, revenue enhancements for states, and repealing legislation that limits collective bargaining for public employees.

No longer limited to a niche group of practitioners, promoting growth through innovation and technology has achieved widespread acceptance as the key to our economic prosperity. You'll find it in blog posts and opinion pages from across the political spectrum, and in virtually every corporate or civic dialogue today on revitalizing America's economy.

SSTI's Annual Conference is the only economic development conference this fall with the senior leaders of the Economic Development Administration (EDA), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) speaking. John Fernandez of the U.S. Department of Commerce, Sean Greene of SBA and Phillip Singerman of NIST will kick off an important dialogue among all conference attendees on how we communicate the value of investments in innovation, encourage collaboration, and adapt to changing economic and fiscal conditions. Prepare for a highly interactive session in a moderated, thought-provoking dialogue on how economic development programs at all levels are (or should be) changing as a result of today's realities. Learn more...

This year's conference will kick off with an Opening Reception hosted by TechColumbus at COSI. Attendees can experience science, technology and innovation at work through more than 300 interactive exhibitions and more than 100,000 square feet of exhibit space while reconnecting with colleagues and networking with conference attendees, speakers and our local host over drinks and hors d'oeuvres. The reception will begin Monday, Nov. 7 at 6:30 PM.

Beyond the numerous breakout sessions and insightful plenary sessions, SSTI's 15th Annual Conference offers attendeesseveral activities that other conferences typically don't offer including networking with other practitioners at some of the city's finest restaurants (Dine A-Rounds), maintaining your normal exercise regimen (a morning 5k run/walk) and sharpening your mind (morning Hatha Yoga).