SSTI Digest

The second installment of SSTI’s Tech Talkin’ Govs series includes excerpts from speeches delivered in Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont and Virginia. The first installment is available here.

Georgia Tech has launched a crowdfunding resource for university-based students and faculty. Originally announced in the spring, Georgia Tech joins several other universities that are using crowdfunding to finance commercialization and the development of startups based on university research. The field has become common and relevant enough that an online community has started tracking this growth.

Rebecca Blank, the acting U.S. secretary of Commerce, is expected to be the next chancellor of the University of Wisconsin at Madison. The Board of Regents is scheduled to vote on the recommendation April 5.

The second installment of SSTI's Tech Talkin' Govs series includes excerpts from speeches delivered in Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin. Our first installment was in the Jan. 9 Digest.

On November 6, in addition to the presidential election, eleven state and two territorial gubernatorial contests will be decided. Seven of these races (Delaware, Missouri, North Dakota, Puerto Rico, Utah, Vermont, and West Virginia) include a sitting governor running for re-election, while the remaining six (American Samoa, Indiana, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina and Washington) are open races.

Gov. Peter Shumlin introduced a plan to invest $8 million in university programs designed to address a shortage of skilled workers. Under the plan, the University of Vermont and Vermont State Colleges each would receive $4 million in one-time funding to implement university-industry partnerships, facilitate re-entry of science and engineering professionals, and expand dual enrollment for high school seniors. In his Budget address to lawmakers last week, Gov. Shumlin cited a disparity between high-quality jobs that are available and skilled workers to fill those positions as inspiration for his higher education proposals. Funding would come from the state's Higher Education Trust, which received $11 million in FY11 from the estate tax, bringing its balance to $29.5 million, reports The Burlington Free Press. The University of Vermont (UVM) would use its $4 million in one-time funding for the following initiatives: Expanding successful university-industry partnerships to provide seniors the opportunity to get hands-on job experience with businesses and nonprofit organizations; Creating an international center of excellence in complex systems at UVM to enhance economic growth; and, Developing a program to facilitate re-entry of science and engineering professionals back into the workforce specifically by targeting women who temporarily have left the field. Meanwhile, Vermont State Colleges would invest $4 million to: Allow more students to enroll full-time in college during their senior year in high school; Create an applied educational institute supporting agriculture and food production; and, Improve access to Vermont community and technical colleges in the southern portion of the state by supporting a consolidated academic center. The governor also asked legislators to increase support for the Vermont Economic Development Authority by up to $30 million to increase access to capital for entrepreneurs. The FY13 executive budget is available at: http://finance.vermont.gov/sites/finance/files/pdf/state%20budget/FY2013...

SSTI's Tech Talkin' Govs series has returned for its 12th annual edition. The series highlights new and expanded TBED proposals from governors' State of the State, Budget and Inaugural addresses across the nation. The first installment includes excerpts from speeches delivered in Georgia, Iowa, New York, Kentucky, South Dakota, Vermont, and Virginia. Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal, State of the State Address, Jan. 10, 2012 "... I want to announce two ambitious goals. Georgians deserve a world-class, public medical university, and it will be a priority of this administration to have a medical college among the top 50 nationally. ... "... Also within this push, the Georgia Health Sciences University will seek to become the state's second National Cancer Institute designated Cancer Center ... This designation would mean greater access to research dollars and enhance our ability to recruit top cancer specialists. "... To support this goal of a second Georgia-based Cancer Center, my budget proposal includes an investment of $5 million. ... "... Businesses require a talented workforce and strong infrastructure, but they also require a business environment that allows them to compete in today's global marketplace. "With that in mind, the Georgia Competitiveness Initiative pulled together business leaders and more than 4,000 Georgians across the state to develop a strategy that would improve our business case. ... "... First, I am proposing the elimination of the sales tax on energy used in manufacturing, a move that will align us with many of our top competitors. This will have a dramatic impact on manufacturers' overall cost structure and vastly improve the competitive position of our producers. ... "... A third piece, we are proposing to restructure Georgia's Job Tax Credits and Quality Jobs Tax Credit programs. ... We will modernize our job tax credits to better incentivize small business growth and to help every Georgia community compete with their regional peers." Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, Condition of the State Address, Jan. 10, 2012 "... I am today proposing a four point plan of action — a focused initiative designed to help create the jobs we need today and the careers we need tomorrow. ... "... Last year the legislature directed us to create a replacement for the Grow Iowa Values Fund and we are proposing a new $25 million annual investment in our existing High Quality Jobs Program. ... "In addition, my proposal will be structured so state investments in the program will decline over time so the program will be self-funding within 10 years as a direct result of the jobs it brings to Iowa. "The third component of my jobs and careers action plan will encourage those small businesses that supply key components to our strong manufacturing sector to grow their facilities and create new jobs in Iowa. ... I will offer legislation that removes the barriers that discourage suppliers from bringing their businesses close to their best Iowa customers." Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear, State of the Commonweatlh Address, Jan. 4, 2012 "We need a way to encourage a type of private investment called 'angel investing,' in which individuals help fund new companies. Mid-level entrepreneurs are in particular need of funding, because many are too small to attract big venture capital and too large for other forms of start-up assistance. "Rep. Arnold Simpson has come forward again with a bill to create tax credits for individual angel investors similar to those already offered for investment funds. What this means is that Kentuckians who invest in Kentucky start-ups to create Kentucky jobs would receive a credit on their Kentucky income taxes. "At least 22 states offer a similar credit, and it is time for Kentucky to add this job-creation program to its toolbox." New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, State of the State Address, Jan. 4, 2012 "We know from experience that large investments in growth industries can pay substantial dividends. Twenty-five years ago, the state began investing in the Albany area's high-tech industry. ... We can do it again. We did it in Albany, and we can do it in Buffalo. ... "... So, today, I say to national and global industries: Come to Buffalo. The State of New York is ready to invest $1 billion in a multi-year package of economic development incentives. ... "... Let's empower the Buffalo Regional Council to develop a viable plan to create thousands of jobs and to spur at least $5 billion in new investment and economic activity." South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard, State of the State Address, Jan. 10, 2012 "Today I am proposing an effort we're calling 'South Dakota WINS,' short for 'South Dakota Workforce Initiatives.' South Dakota WINS is a twenty-point plan, in four categories, to get more South Dakotans trained and ready to work in a rapidly growing and changing South Dakota economy. "The first component of South Dakota WINS emphasizes math and science education by rewarding math and science teachers for teaching in this high-demand field. ... " ... The fourth category of our workforce initiative involves recruiting workers to South Dakota. South Dakota WINS when our working population grows by welcoming new skilled workers and encouraging the return of those who have left. ... "... Today I am announcing an innovative and first-of-its-kind relationship to attract a new generation of skilled pioneers to our state. The 'New South Dakotans' initiative will partner state government with South Dakota businesses and with Manpower, the world's largest workforce recruiter. Together we will work to identify and place 1,000 professional and skilled workers from outside of our state into jobs here in South Dakota. ... The program will focus on high-demand jobs in industries without enough in-state professionals to meet demand. ... "... I mentioned earlier the importance of math and science education to our future workforce needs ... Beginning in the 2013-14 school year, the state will pay every middle school and high school math or science teacher a bonus of $3500." Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin, State of the State Address, Jan. 5, 2012 "In my budget address next week ... I will propose significant state investments in higher education and dual enrollment, all aimed at making Vermont students even more competitive and creating opportunities for employers to recruit the employees they are now seeking. ... "... This session, I will propose requiring an affordable and achievable Renewable Energy Portfolio standard that sets a goal to obtain 75 percent renewable electricity in 20 years." Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, State of the Commonwealth Address, Jan. 11, 2012 "This session, I am asking you to put $38 million more into targeted programs that spur job creation. "I have proposed state incentives and initiatives for ... technology, modeling and simulation, cyber security, international marketing, workforce development, advanced manufacturing, and life sciences. ... "... I am also proposing a new investor tax credit to provide working capital to small businesses which create 70 percent of the new jobs in America, and the extension of time during which the major business facility job tax credit may be taken. ... "... I am asking you to invest over $200 million in new funding for our colleges and universities. "Additionally, I am proposing a dynamic new funding model for higher education that ties new general funds to achieving our statutory goals. Institutions will be rewarded for increasing the number of degrees, especially in STEM-H fields; improving graduation rates, and expanding practical research. ... "... We will also continue to pursue the development of alternative sources of energy like solar, wind and biomass, as long as they are cost-competitive for consumers. ... That is why I have included $500,000 in the FY13 budget for research and development to accelerate and assist private development of the Virginia Wind Energy Area."

Maria Haley, the executive director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission passed way Sept. 13 after suffering a brain aneurysm.

Proposals that promise job creation and economic growth have taken center stage in several state legislatures. Lawmakers who recognize the importance of R&D, tech commercialization, access to risk capital, and investment in higher education are fighting for passage of TBED-focused bills in the final months of their states' 2011 legislative sessions. A bill to revive the Missouri Science and Innovation Reinvestment Act, which failed in the legislature last year, recently passed the House with broad, bi-partisan support, restoring hope for the program that aims to grow science and technology companies. Meanwhile, two bills in Connecticut seek to boost technology transfer and lawmakers in Alaska and Florida are pushing for statewide R&D tax credits. An overview of select bills relating to TBED is included below.

Vermont Gov. Pete Shumlin has released a jobs package that includes a number of initiatives that could enhance the state's innovation economy. The jobs bill calls for a new creative economy office that would focus on technology efforts, a mentoring program for entrepreneurs, a statewide internship program, and a tax credit for companies that hire STEM graduates. Gov. Shumlin also has renewed his predecessor's pledge to extend full wireless voice and data coverage across the state.

The fourth installment of SSTI's Tech Talkin' Govs series includes excerpts from speeches delivered in Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, and Vermont. The first three installments are available in the Jan. 5, Jan. 12 and Jan. 19 issues of the Digest.

Gov. Jim Douglas last week signed a jobs bill that distributes $8.7 million in federal stimulus funds to help seed high-tech entrepreneurial ventures, increase broadband access across rural areas of the state, train workers for careers in emerging sectors, and provide low-interest rate subsidies on loans approved under the Vermont Jobs Fund.