SSTI Digest

Alabama 

To help rural Alabama communities work with existing industries toward job training and creation, Governor Don Sielgelman is creating a Center for Economic Growth within the Alabama Department Office. The new initiative is intended to help businesses in the rural communities cope with pressures to keep and retain qualified workers once the recently announced $1 billion Hyundai automotive plant begins hiring up to 2,000 employees. The center also will help the areas develop industrial recruitment strategies, according to the Associated Press. 



Arlington, Texas 

The Arlington Technology Incubator opened April 1 at the University of Texas at Arlington in cooperation with the Arlington Chamber of Commerce, according to stories in the Dallas Morning News and Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The center, to be housed in a building to be constructed in downtown Arlington, will help spin off research from the school's nanotechnology program. Former Mayor Richard Greene will serve as the first director, and the chamber's foundation will help secure grants to fund operations. 



Loudoun, Virginia 

The Loudoun County Department of Economic Development has named an official science adviser, the first such county-level position that SSTI knows of. The March 28 Washington Post reported that Terry Sharrer was named to the volunteer position in January, along with a 10-person advisory cabinet that includes several prominent science and technology leaders. The team is tasked with helping cultivate science and tech-based economic development in the largely rural county. The county has made innovation, research and tech business recruitment an integral part of its strategic plan and promotional activities. 



Massachusetts 

Acting Governor Jane Swift introduced legislation this week to create a Massachusetts advanced materials and biotechnology tax benefit certificate pilot program. An April 5 Boston Globe article reported the program would allow biotech and selected other tech firms to sell tax credits earned by increasing their R&D expenditures. The credits, applicable to corporate income taxes, would be equal to 10 percent of the increased R&D investment and could carry over for up to 15 years. The state's exposure from the pilot would be limited to $5 million annually. House Bill No. 5005 has been referred to the House Committee on Taxation. The Boston Globe points out supporters predict passage is unlikely this session since the state is facing a $2 billion deficit for the next fiscal year. 



Pennsylvania 

Governor Mark Schweiker has announced the creation of a new Ben Franklin Technology Center to serve northwest Pennsylvania from the campus of Penn State Erie. The initial focus of the fifth Ben Franklin Technology Center will be on expanding the application and development of electronic supply-chain management. The center — in cooperation with Penn State Erie, Gannon University, Allegheny College, Edinboro University and Carnegie Mellon University — also will work to establish a Center of Excellence, focusing on the development of next generation information technologies, such as remote diagnostics. The state will invest $3 million annually in the center. 



Organizational Name Changes 

The information technology council of the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce in North Carolina has been renamed Information Technology Charlotte. The press release says "the new council name was created to inextricably link the Charlotte region and the words information technology, helping to brand the region as a hotbed of IT activity, both to potentially relocating technology workers and to customers looking for IT services."



The Southwest Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center, which provides advisory services to the region's small and medium-sized manufacturers, has changed its name to Catalyst Connection. According to the press release, the "brand-building campaign focuses on organization’s manufacturing expertise and leadership; strives to raise awareness of vitality of regional industry." 



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Gov. Don Siegelman has named Anne Payne to director of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs. Payne has been serving as ADECA's assistant director since last August.

Alabama

Senate Bill 130, which would create $80 million in tech-based venture capital funding if passed, was introduced during the current special session of the Alabama state legislature. Using the certified capital company or CapCo model, the bill allows insurance companies to redirect tax payments into qualified investment firms. According to a recent Birmingham Business Journal article, backers of the bill concede the current fiscal environment and short session will probably lead to the bill’s reintroduction when the regular session begins in January.



Atlanta, Georgia

The Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce has created a task force to develop a strategy to position the region as a center for biotech innovation, capital, talent and business. Working in conjunction with the Georgia Research Alliance, the task force includes leaders from the business community, academia, public health organizations and research. Implementation of the Atlanta region biotech strategy is expected to begin later in 2002. More information is available at: http://www.metroatlantachamber.com/

Alabama

The State Legislature recently approved income tax relief for small businesses who locate in 23 economically distressed counties and in areas previously known as Enterprise Zones, according to The Associated Press. The counties are said to have "high employment, low incomes and no growth," and the bill gives breaks to companies investing $500,000 and hiring at least five employees. The state reportedly will rank the counties according to their population change, per capita income and employment and will revise the list annually.



Arizona

Chairmen of the Governor's Strategic Partnership for Economic Development (GSPED) recently launched the Arizona Technology Industry Development Association (ATIDA) — a non-profit organization formed to unite organizations interested in developing technology industries in Central and Northern Arizona. ATIDA's membership is comprised of representatives from GSPED's five technology clusters and foundations, economic development organizations, and university and community colleges.



California

The Monterey Bay Education Science and Technology Center (MBEST), a research park on 1,100 acres at the University of California, was established September 17, the San Jose Mercury News reported. Part of the center, the Marina Small Business Incubator, will rent space and provide mentoring to young businesses whose tenancy will be held to two years. Comprised of two 5,700 sq. ft. buildings, the incubator sits on 500 acres of land not retaining natural habitat.



Virginia

Tech leaders and companies looking to give rise to incubating and mentoring high-tech businesses anticipate creating a seed fund in 2002 for technology start-ups, according to The Virginian Pilot. Funding would go to start-ups needing less than $1 million, the article reports. Plans for the seed fund are part of a greater effort to link Hampton Roads with Charlottesville, Roanoke and Richmond, bringing to the region the start-up success that Northern Virginia has had.

If the corporate leaders, educators, scientists, and technology entrepreneurs who make up the Birmingham Area Technology Task Force have their way, Birmingham, Alabama in the 21st century will be a mecca for technology-based businesses and jobs. A cooperative effort of the City of Birmingham Mayor Bernard Kincaid and the Birmingham Area Chamber of Commerce, the “BATT Force” is charged with developing a strategic plan aimed at fostering the start-up, growth, attraction, and retention of technology industries to the Birmingham area. 



At its initial meeting in late August, the 150-member BATT Force divided into six Work Groups, each of which will spend roughly the next nine weeks studying a specific area related to technology-based business development. The Work Groups will issue reports on their findings, including up to 10 recommendations for action. The Work Group reports will be the basis of the Birmingham Area Strategic Plan for Technology Development, to be presented to the City and the Chamber of Commerce by mid-November. 



The areas to be studied by the BATT Force Work Groups are: 

Birmingham, Alabama

A $90 million building and as many as 2,000 more jobs are in the works for the University of Alabama at Birmingham, reported The Associated Press July 25. Construction costing up to $125 million would provide more than 1.4 million sq. ft., doubling the university’s research space. The new building is among the university’s plans for an additional three buildings that would add up to 500,000 sq. ft. and 2,000 jobs. The announcement of the building follows Gov. Don Siegelman’s $35 million recent pledge to build the Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research Institute — an 11-story building and $90 million project expected to create 1,400 jobs. School officials anticipate the project also will create $100 million in new research dollars annually.



Franklin, Virginia

Local officials in Franklin have announced plans including $2.3 million in renovation costs to develop a business incubator center, according to a July 19 article in the Virginian Pilot. State and federal grants will help fund the renovation of nearly 40,000 sq. ft. on four floors of a former buggy factory, the article reports. In addition, Virginia’s Center for Innovative Technology is supplying a $50,000 grant from its Advanced Communications Assistance Fund to help link the center to Franklin’s fiber optic communications network.



Portland, Maine

The Bayside neighborhood soon may be revitalized. New offices and possibly manufacturing space are included in an $11 million plan to use 400,000 sq. ft. to build a business and technology park, The Associated Press announced August 1. Expected to spur hundreds of new jobs, the park would replace a brownfield site in the Bayside neighborhood. The first phase of the park, $1.5 million, is being funded by the U.S. Economic Development Administration. Another $1 million to buy the property is being provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Governor Don Siegelman has named Norm Davis as the director of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs. Mr. Davis had been serving as the State Banking Superintendent. Jim Hayes, director of the Alabama Development Office, has announced his resignation.

Editor's Note: The sixth and final installment in our review of the Governors' inaugural addresses, state of the state addresses, and budget messages for 2001. Previous weeks' installments are available on our website http://www.ssti.org/Digest/2001/headlines01.htm 

Alabama

The Alabama Commerce Commission, appointed by Governor Don Seigelman last year, has released an executive summary report of recommendations for a long-range strategic plan for economic development in the state. The Commission recommends the creation of a scholarship program with no minimum grade point average requirements to provide free tuition to high school graduates who enter targeted vocational and technical programs in two year colleges or technical schools. The Commission also recommended the creation of privately run Alabama Research Alliance involving the state’s six research universities. The Alliance would distribute an unspecified amount of funding for research projects designed to produce new products, businesses, and jobs.

Technology-based businesses and investors in Alabama may be eligible for several new tax credits if legislation recently introduced passes the state legislature. The Incentives for Targeted Growth Act of 2000, Senate Bill 571, was introduced April 19 to encourage the growth and expansion of Alabama’s technology community. The bill was developed after the Alabama Commerce Commission, while developing a new economic development strategy for Alabama, found the state’s current capital investment tax credit program was not particularly attractive for research firms, start-ups, and technology-based businesses.

Terri Adams is serving as Chief of the Science, Technology and Energy Division of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs. Martha McInnis resigned from ADECA in January.

Position descriptions for three new positions have been posted on the Institute's home page (http://www.ssti.org). The KPB Economic Development District in Alaska is seeking a Chief Executive Officer. The Associate Director position of Iowa State University's Center for Advanced Technology Development is open. Auburn University is accepting applications for the Associate Director of Industrial Programs and Technology Transfer position.