Gov. Ridge to Keynote SSTI’s Fifth Annual Conference

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge will deliver the keynote address at Creating Opportunity: Tools for Building Tech-Based Economies, SSTI’s Fifth Annual Conference, which will be held September 19-21, 2001 at the Omni William Penn in Pittsburgh. 



Gov. Ridge is recognized nationally as one of the leading governors in technology-based economic development. Under his leadership, the state has implemented a number of technology-based initiatives, including Pennsylvania New Economy Technology Scholarships; the Pittsburgh Digital Greenhouse; the Pennsylvania BioTech Strategy, which includes the creation of three Life Science Greenhouses; and, Lightning Manufacturing. 



With more than 20 sessions and four concurrent sessions running throughout the conference, this year’s conference will be the largest that SSTI has ever held. Topics to be covered include: organizing angel investor networks; slowing the brain drain; extending economic benefits of the New Economy to all regions; developing and implementing a tech-based economic development strategy; creating successful business-university partnerships; and, emerging ideas in tech-based economic development. 



This year, in addition to 12 great sessions on policies and practices for tech-based economic development, two separate tracks of inter-related sessions on critical themes have been added: 



Universities in today’s tech-based economy 

Whether they are educating future workers, conducting basic research, or creating technology that is commercialized, universities and colleges play a vital role in any tech-based economic development strategy. Creating Opportunity offers six breakout sessions this year to explore, develop, and refine the vital contributions of the academic research enterprise to a knowledge economy. 



Resources for building tech-based economies 

A flagging economy puts pressure on a company's bottom line and research budgets can feel the pinch at a time when increasing businesses' future technological competitiveness is most critical. State and local government revenues also tighten. Fortunately, there are billions of federal dollars available to assist companies and communities alike in all aspects of competing in the New Economy. Creating Opportunity is offering six sessions to conveniently learn the nuts and bolts of more than a dozen federal programs -- even veterans can learn something as the agencies discuss the priorities of the new Administration. 



For the full conference agenda and to register, visit: http://www.ssti.org/Conf01/conf01.htm [expired]