SSTI Digest

Barbara Schilberg and Gary Kurtzman have been named co-managing directors of the Biotechnology Greenhouse Corp. in Philadelphia. The organization is one of three "greenhouses" established as part of Pennsylvania's $100 million biotech initiative.

The Lehigh Valley Technology Network was launched mid-April in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Organizing efforts were led by the Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, the Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp. One of the Network's potential roles, according to The Morning Call, may be to serve as a liaison between high-tech entrepreneurs and a new angel capital group, the Northeast Pennsylvania Angel Network.

On Wednesday, Pennsylvania Governor Mark Schweiker officially launched Pennsylvania's Life Sciences Greenhouse, an historic initiative to be spread among three regions of the state — Southeast, Southwest and Central Pennsylvania.



The Governor announced $100 million will seed the program, including $33.8 million for the Southeast region, $33.3 million for the Southwest region, and $32.8 million for Central Pennsylvania. The state's financial support, which will come from surplus tobacco settlement funds, is the largest single technology-related, economic development investment in Pennsylvania history, according to a press release issued by the Governor's office.



Pennsylvania's Life Sciences Greenhouse is designed to build on the biotechnology research at Pennsylvania's top universities. The initiative is expected to create 4,400 new jobs, attract or create 100 new biotechnology companies, and leverage more than $150 million in private capital over the next five years.



Renal Solutions Inc. (RSI), an integrated medical device and health-care service company based in Indiana, is the first company to partner with the initiative. RSI will relocate its headquarters to the Thorn Hill Industrial Park in Warrendale, Penn.



The Pennsylvania Life Sciences Greenhouse seeks to replicate the success of the Pittsburgh Digital Greenhouse, launched by former Gov. Tom Ridge in 1999.

To shed light on the strengths and weaknesses of the region's biotechnology cluster, Carnegie Mellon University's Center for Economic Development (CED) has published A Biotechnology Action Plan for Southwestern Pennsylvania. The CED report says the Pittsburgh biotechnology cluster largely depends on the amount of available venture capital and the development of new technologies and that total funding levels must be increased to continue biotech development.



Dividing the biotechnology/biomedical cluster into three sub-clusters — pharmaceuticals, instruments and devices, and tissue engineering — the report draws a comparison with other regions, including Boston, Philadelphia, San Jose and Chicago, and observes that Pittsburgh ranked 165th nationally in 1998 in biotechnology patents per biotechnology employee.



One of the region's strengths, the report says, is the high level of Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) awards in biotechnology received from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, including the National Institutes of Health. Between 1993-1998, these agencies accounted for 32 percent of all SBIR awards made to firms in the region, including nearly $7.3 million in 1998.



Among the region's weaknesses, according to CED, is a level of biotechnology venture capital investment too low to support "a robust biotechnology cluster." Out of more than $1 billion in such funding nationally in 2000, Pittsburgh's biotech firms received only $1.9 million. This level of funding showed an increase over the previous year but reflected a 68 percent decrease from 1998-2000, the report states.



CED suggests two keys to success will be experienced managers for the region's biotechnology workforce and university technology transfer policies that could make the region a center of biotechnology. The region's Life Science Greenhouse initiative, which will receive about $30 million in state funding, is one effort underway to help ensure that success. (see related Digest article at http://www.ssti.org/Digest/2001/051101.htm)



A Biotechnology Action Plan for Southwestern Pennsylvania is available in its entirety at: http://www.pghtech.org/advocacy/clusterbio.pdf

Don Smith has been appointed Vice President for Economic Development at the new Mellon Pitt Carnegie Corporation. MPC, a joint venture of the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University, is intended to coordinate the economic development and tech commercialization activities of both schools.

Telecommunications entrepreneur R. Chadwick Paul Jr. has been hired as chief executive officer of the Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Dallas

The Office of the Vice President for Research and Graduate Education at the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) has created an external advisory council to provide insight into research trends, entrepreneurial activities, government liaison and global outreach. The council, which is composed of members of academia and both the commercial and defense industries, is being asked to help administrators plan the future of the university's research, assist in maintaining a sense of direction and focus in present work research, and interact closely with UTD's internal research council. UTD has a legislatively mandated emphasis in the natural sciences and engineering and management sciences.



Greenville, South Carolina

An unidentified developer has purchased 132 acres near Interstate 85 to build a research park with a $40 million wind tunnel, according to the Associated Press. The park, pending approval by nearby Clemson University's board of trustees, would attract research funding for Clemson and would be geared to the motorsports and automotive industries. Serving as a facility for Clemson's motorsports engineering program, the park's wind tunnel would be used in automotive research to study the effects caused by air swirling around a moving vehicle.



Lancaster, Pennsylvania

The Pennsylvania State Employees Retirement System has promised $20 million to begin venture capital investments in downtown Lancaster, the Lancaster New Era recently reported. Part of a $100 million fund to bring small companies to an incubator, the commitment makes way for a proposed $10 million renovation of three floors in the former Lancaster Press building. Emerald Assets Management, a company overseeing the initiative, is expected to complete investment agreements that could place up to $50 million in the fund by the end of March. Emerald also is looking for assistance from the state's Department of Community and Economic Development to cover the renovation costs.



Roanoke, Virginia

The newly named Business Technology Park at Radford University awaits renovations to the 110,000-square-foot building in which it will be housed, according to the Roanoke Times & World News. Already home to the university's Small Business Assistance Center, the building has space for 10 tenants in offices measuring 4,000-5,000 sq. ft. each. Tenants will have access to the university's offices for international trade expertise, management and leadership development, and technology training, among other shared services. The park is being situated in the former Carilion Health System building on 78 acres of St. Albans Hospital property in Pulaski County.



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The Pittsburgh Technology Council's State of the Industry Report shows the region's technology sector, while continuing its growth, has become a significant driver of southwestern Pennsylvania's overall economy. 



Conducted by Carnegie Mellon University's Center for Economic Development, the report measures the six-county Metropolitan Statistical Area that encompasses Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Washington and Westmoreland counties. The report also includes separate data for the entire 13-county southwestern Pennsylvania region. 



Examining the economic impact that has been created by the region's core technology clusters – information technology, biomedical and biotechnology, advanced manufacturing, advanced materials, and environmental technology – the report assesses the overall sector, considering indicators such as venture capital investment and research and development activities. 



Key findings in the report include: 

SSTI's fifth annual conference, Creating Opportunity: Tools for Building Tech-based Economies, will take place December 3-4, 2001, at the Omni William Penn in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The conference agenda remains intact from the original mid-September dates with almost all speakers reconfirmed. (see the conference agenda on SSTI's webpage: http://www.ssti.org/Conf01/agenda.htm [expired] ) 



More Seats Available! 

While the event was sold out for the September dates, the new schedule allows the conference to accommodate a greater number of participants because of the additional meeting space available. Interested parties are encouraged to register online through the conference web center: http://www.ssti.org/Conf01/conf01.htm [expired]

SSTI’s fifth annual conference, Creating Opportunity: Tools for Building Tech-based Economies, has been rescheduled for December 3-4. The agenda and location of the conference remain the same. At this time, we have confirmed the availability of the vast majority of our speakers; those that have not been confirmed are listed as invited on the agenda web-page (see http://www.ssti.org/Conf01/agenda.htm [expired] for the updated information). 



While the riverboat cruise has been cancelled, we are planning a set of optional post-conference in-depth workshops for the afternoon of December 4. More information will be provided as soon as details are finalized. 



Since the event was sold out and because we've received only a few cancellations for the December 3-4 dates, we will not be printing any new, revised promotional materials. The website remains the best source of information for the event. 



Changing the date does provide us more space at the hotel, allowing us to accommodate approximately 30 more registrants. We anticipate the conference will again sell out soon as people become aware of the availability and the new dates. If you haven’t registered yet and would like to, please visit: https://www.ssti.org/registration01.htm [expired]

Early registration for SSTI's 5th Annual Conference, Creating Opportunity: Tools for Building Tech-based Economies ends on Wednesday, September 5. To lock in the discounted rate, submit your registration by the end of September 5 by fax to 614.901.1696 or online at https://www.ssti.org/registration01.htm Those paying by check are encouraged to submit their registration form by fax or online as well and post the check by regular mail. 



Participation in the conference grows each year; for the 2001 event, we already have registrations for people from more than 40 states, 5 countries and 4 continents. Join us!  



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As with last year's conference, registration has been brisk for SSTI's 5th annual conference, Creating Opportunity: Tools for Building Tech-based Economies. To make sure the event is the quality and caliber expected of an SSTI event, we anticipate once again the event will sell out — possibly before the September 5 deadline for early registration. SSTI encourages interested parties to complete the registration form on their brochure or on the website at their earliest convenience. Please note, registrations are confirmed only after payment is received. 



Registration for the annual pre-conference session, Growing Your Economy: An Intro to Tech-based Economic Development, is now closed to all but SSTI sponsors. Parties interested in a hands-on intro to tech-based economic development in practice are encouraged to sign up for the pre-conference Tech City tour. 



Due to the overwhelming number of registrants for SSTI's annual conference, the Omni William Penn hotel has graciously agreed to increase the number of rooms available at the special discount rate of $138. The additional rooms will be available on a first-come, first-served basis until they are gone, until the hotel sells out, or until September 4. 



Given the number of events occurring on the same days as the conference, the hotel anticipates booking all available rooms; SSTI conference registrants are encouraged to act quickly. The phone number for the Omni William Penn is 412.281.7100. Mention SSTI's annual conference for the special rate. 



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