The SSTI Innovation Advocacy Council continues to work toward additional appropriations for Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs, Build to Scale, and the Federal and State Technology (FAST) Partnership. This week, the Council facilitated meetings with SSTI members and congressional offices to discuss funding priorities. SSTI also released a letter signed by 70 national and regional entities that support fully-funding the Tech Hubs program.

The idea of changing the 40 hour workweek standard has been floated for decades, and more frequently discussed in recent years as companies confront pandemic-related stress, burnout and the “Great Resignation.” But, even as some smaller U.S. companies (mostly in tech) have moved toward offering a shorter workweek, the idea has not become mainstream, despite some states’ best efforts.

Expanding U.S. innovation capacity sits at the heart of SSTI’s mission, and it was that driving force that guided our response to the Economic Development Administration’s request for information to inform the planning and design of the regional Technology and Innovation Hub (Tech Hubs) program last week. With $10 billion authorized for the program, and $500 million appropriated, the opportunity for growth in the nation demands a thoughtful and actionable plan. SSTI argues that where the country is now has been decades in the making; therefore, a deliberate, well-considered plan providing ample opportunity for regions to both comment on proposed program guidelines and develop local partnerships is needed. In short, EDA should resist the temptation to get the money out the door as fast as possible.

The press release for the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) opens in what has become a tradition for environmental reporting: a dire statistic intended to inspire a desire for action. This time, it’s that average global greenhouse gas emissions for the 2010-2019 decade were the highest levels in human history. The strategy has worked on the world’s young people and the small handful of people out of 100 who vote for and contribute to environmental change each year (less than 4% of American charitable giving went to environmental/animal welfare organizations in 2021). Unfortunately, these crowds are both powerless and too small.

The Advanced Research Projects for Health (ARPA-H) released plans to establish hub sites in three locations across the United States and announced their strategy for site selection. With one site to be located in the National Capital Region (NCR), ARPA-H will issue a draft Request for Consortium Agreement (RCA) to solicit recommendations for the second and third hub sites.  The ARPA-H hub sites are planned to support a network of partners, or spokes, that will form the foundation of a nationwide health network to “accelerate better health outcomes for everyone.”

The White House released the President’s Budget for FY 2024 today, and the administration is making a strong statement of support for science, technology, innovation and entrepreneurship. Highlights from the request include more than $4 billion for the Economic Development Administration (EDA) Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs, $300 million for the National Science Foundation (NSF) Regional Innovation Engines, $277 million for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Manufacturing Extension Partnership, and a total of $30 million for the three primary Small Business Administration (SBA) innovation programs. Congress is not likely to adopt the president’s budget as-is, but the proposal may factor into the negotiations throughout the appropriations process. More information on the president’s budget is available below.

Western democracies are losing the race for scientific and research breakthroughs, and the ability to retain global talent, integral ingredients in developing technologies, according to a recent report from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI). In the project funded by the U.S. State Department’s Global Engagement Center and a grant from The Special Competitive Studies Project, ASPI says that their research reveals that “China has built the foundations to position itself as the world’s leading science and technology superpower, by establishing a sometimes stunning lead in high-impact research across the majority of critical and emerging technology domains.”