SSTI Digest

The Piedmont Triad Research Park laid off Bill Dean, director of the park, and Nancy Johnson, marketing director. Park officials said that the park's project manager and executive assistant also were laid off. Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter announced that he has tapped Don Elliman, director of the Colorado Office of Economic Development, to serve as the state government's first chief operating officer. The Florida STEM Council, funded by a $580,000 grant from Workforce Florida, has been created to connect education, workforce, business and economic development leaders to identify opportunities to build and measure the state's supply of workers with skills and knowledge in these fields to support innovation in existing and emerging industries. Malcolm Kahn has been appointed vice president for enterprise development & licensing at Stevens Institute of Technology. Kansas Technology Enterprise Corporation has named Kevin Carr as interim CEO, replacing Tracy Taylor, who resigned last month. Jill Kline has been named the new Wyoming Entrepreneur.Biz associate state…

W. Steven Burke is the new president of Biofuels Center of North Carolina. Bill Gimson has been named executive director of the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. Gimson recently retired as the chief operating officer of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Jeremy Hill has been named the director of the Center for Economic Development and Business Research at Wichita State University. Hill replaces Janet Harrah, who left the post for Northern Kentucky University. Jack Jewett, a former president of the Arizona Board of Regents and five-term member of the Arizona House of Representatives, was chosen as the president and chief executive officer of the Flinn Foundation. He succeeds retiring president and CEO John Murphy, who has led the foundation since 1981. Jewett will assume the position in June. Judith Krauthamer has been appointed executive director of the Mid-Atlantic Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association. The Angel Capital Association (ACA) and Angel Capital Education Foundation (ACEF) has named William Payne, ACA founder and active participant in four angel groups, as the recipient of the 2009 Hans…

The role of a technology incubator or accelerator for supporting nascent firms generally is regarded with the utmost importance by the tech-based economic development community. Tech incubators provide essential resources for startup companies to develop and commercialize new technologies, leading to the creation of high-quality jobs. With estimates suggesting there could be as many as 5,000 incubators of all shapes and sizes worldwide, finding the latest and best practices for tech business incubation could be a challenge. Fortunately, award programs, such as the currently open SSTI's 3rd Annual Excellence in TBED Award, can help call attention to some of the most successful approaches. The longest running award program for incubation is offered by the National Business Incubation Association (NBIA), which recently announced its top incubation programs, clients and graduates as part of its 2009 awards competition. San Jose BioCenter was named the 2009 Randall M. Whaley Incubator of the Year, the organization's most prestigious honor for technology incubators. The BioCenter and the six other award recipients were recognized at a ceremony during NBIA's 23rd annual…

In the midst of a national economic recession contributing to a record number of job losses in traditional industries, forward thinking states are exploring ideas and committing funds to help grow and diversify their economies and strengthen their renewable energy portfolios. Over the past several months, governors, legislators and economic development groups have announced new initiatives aimed at job growth and energy independence in the new economy. The following overview provides a sampling of green energy initiatives and investments from numerous proposals and announcements across the nation. Arizona Science Foundation Arizona (SFAz) announced a recent investment of $4 million to support five science-based businesses in the solar industry, according to an article in The Arizona Republic. SFAz also formed a new branch called the Solar Technology Institute to further support the industry. Projects approved for funding include development of reflectors that concentrate sunlight on solar panels, expansion of a photovoltaic testing laboratory, and development of software to help determine where to build power plants, storage sites and other energy…

One of the biggest challenges for green technologies and products is breaking into the market. Achieving the critical mass that allows production volume to drive down prices is difficult, particularly when the commodity being sold is, at least initially, more expensive to make because more of the actual cost of production is captured in the green company's business model. Successful state, university and local TBED strategies to grow green(er) companies help fund product demonstrations and early adoption strategies to help with market penetration.  In Toronto, a broad group of CEOs took matters into their own hands.  Greening Greater Toronto has announced the creation of a working group comprised of more than 25 senior executives who will encourage and lead other organizations to buy products and services that minimize environmental impact and create green jobs. The working group, called the Green Procurement Leadership Council, represents approximately $40 billion in annual buying power. In addition to creating the Green Procurement Leadership Council, Greening Greater Toronto plans to: Host the Green Procurements Marketplace event…

Legislators in New York rejected Gov. David Paterson's proposal to consolidate the state's primary organization for supporting and enhancing technology-based economic development into the state's traditional economic development organization (see the Dec. 17, 2008 issue of the Digest). Leaving NYSTAR as a stand-alone entity, the lead TBED agency for New York will continue to administer successful investment, business assistance, and research programs that have helped to create high-wage jobs for nearly a decade. Gov. Paterson signed the FY10 Transportation, Economic Development and Environmental Conservation Budget last week, providing $42.2 million of new appropriations for the New York Foundation for Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR). This is a $6.2 million decrease from FY09. The figure does not include reappropriation carryovers from previous years. The enacted budget also reforms the state's Empire Zone program, mandating increased performance measures from companies that receive the tax breaks. Under the agreement, businesses already participating in the program are required to produce a 1:1 return on investment - far less than the governor's…

As companies across the nation continue to announce massive layoffs during the economic recession, states, localities and private foundations are encouraging entrepreneurial training and providing support services to help create new jobs and assist struggling businesses. Last month, the Kauffman Foundation announced an intensive effort to quickly train entrepreneurs and bolster the nation's economy. The $1 million FastTrac LaunchPad program is a combination of two existing initiatives - the FastTrac NewVenture and FastTrac GrowthVenture - offered in shorter lengths than the normal ten-week courses. The Kauffman Foundation points to U.S. Census Bureau Business Dynamic Statistics data, which indicates that while business startups decline slightly in most of the cyclical downturns, startups remain robust even in the most severe recession over the sample period (in the early 1980s). The following is a sampling of recent announcements in support of entrepreneurship from across the country. New York City New York City, which has suffered major job losses throughout the financial sector, was the first to sign on to Kauffman's FastTrac program. The city's…

Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell named George Cornelius, the immediate past president and CEO of Arkema Inc., as secretary of the Department of Community and Economic Development. Mark Crowell, head of economic development and technology transfer at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has been appointed vice president for business and technology development at the Scripps Research Institute. Robert De Wit, a former Pfizer Inc. executive, has been appointed president and chief executive officer of the business incubator of Western Michigan University's Parkview Campus. Michael Dockter has been hired as the new associate vice chancellor for research and technology transfer and chief research officer at Arkansas State University. David Edgerly, who for the last two years has headed Maryland's Department of Business and Economic Development, will resign from his post. Jim Fram, the president and chief executive of the Bartlesville Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Bartlesville Development Corporation, is resigning. He will leave Feb. 2 to become the senior vice president of economic development for the Tulsa Metro Chamber. Nate…

SSTI's ninth annual Tech Talkin' Govs series highlights new and expanded TBED proposals from governors' state of the state, budget and inaugural addresses. The first installment of the series includes excerpts from New York and North Dakota. New York Gov. David Paterson, State-of-the-State Address, Jan. 7, 2009 "We should also understand that our current Empire Zone program does not work and we need to reform it. ....  That's why we set an aggressive target to have Empire Zone participants produce 20 dollars of benefits for every dollar of state money. With the savings generated by reforming Empire Zones, we will make strategic investments in the job-creating industries of tomorrow, such as biotechnology and manufacturing, and we will offer R&D tax credits to foster innovation. . ". To maximize the extraordinary academic and scientific resources available in the Western, Central, and Capital Regions, we will create an upstate research consortium on hybrid electric batteries and energy storage technologies. This will help reshape the upstate economy and create a clean corridor that includes cities in the Erie Canal corridor built…

Aiming to close a $1.7 billion budget shortfall in the current fiscal year and address a projected $13.7 billion deficit in FY10, New York Gov. David Paterson yesterday unveiled a deficit reduction plan as part of his FY 2009-10 executive budget request. The combined executive budget and deficit reduction plan propose consolidating the state's three economic development agencies and redirecting funds to support a new grant and loan program for targeted investments in select industries. As part of the proposed restructuring plan, the New York State Foundation for Science, Technology, and Innovation (NYSTAR) and the Department of Economic Development will be consolidated within the Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC). The executive budget includes $31.6 million to support the university-based matching grants and high technology and research development programs administered by NYSTAR. Programs slated for elimination include the Centers for Applied Research and Technology and Syracuse University's Sensing, Analyzing, Interpreting and Deciding Center. Reduction of funding is recommended for the Centers for Advanced Technology for a total savings of $10.4 million across…

Gov. Jim Douglas plans to merge the Vermont Departments of Economic Development and Housing and Community Affairs. Douglas's deputy chief of staff Betsy Bishop was appointed commissioner of the Department of Economic Development. She replaces Mike Quinn, who stepped down after serving six years in the position. Linda Brander resigns as program manager of the Montana Technology Innovation Partnership Program to begin a new job as the Restoration Coordinator at the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation. John Collar has been named Executive Director of the Colorado BioScience Association. The Tech Council of Maryland has announced that chief executive office Julie Conns is resigning her post. Matt Dugener resigned from the LEAP (Lansing Economic Area Partnership). Denyse Ferguson, Executive Vice President, has agreed to serve as the interim president. Governor Brad Henry of Oklahoma has been elected chairman of the Southern Growth Policies Board. Saul Kaplan resigned as the executive director of the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation. Kelsey Kohler has left her position as executive director of the…

Complete descriptions of these opportunities and others are available at http://www.ssti.org/posting.htm. The Cornell Center for Materials Research (CCMR) is in search of an individual to serve as industrial programs manager under the supervision of our Industrial Outreach Director. The manager will focus specifically on NY state industry and will assist in all aspects of the industrial outreach program at CCMR. The manager will be primarily responsible for all activities related to NY state Small business program including marketing of the program to NY state companies, facilitating research and technical collaborations between small businesses and CCMR faculty, promoting the use of the CCMR facilities, maintaining and broadening the CCMR network of state partners and providing advice for external funding and referrals to the CCMR network of services providers. A strong scientific background in physics, engineering, or chemistry, excellent communication and presentation skills and a sound business mind The Ohio Department of Development is seeking a biomedical program administrator. The selected candidate will oversee and administer project grants in…