SSTI Digest

Energy giant BP has announced that the University of California at Berkeley, in partnership with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, will receive a total of $500 million to host a research center dedicated to developing biofuel technologies. The Energy Biosciences Institute (EBI) will conduct both basic and applied biological research relevant to energy. BP and the university plan to launch research programs this summer.  

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has announced that his proposed budget for 2007-08 will include a $95 million initiative to support new and existing facilities for high-tech research. The California Research and Innovation Initiative would provide funding to several university-based projects around the state hosting clean energy, biotechnology, and nanotechnology research and commercialization activities. Gov. Schwarzenegger explained that his initiative would build upon the state’s academic resources and large pool of scientists and engineers to ensure California’s continued leadership in high-tech innovation.  

In late October, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed an executive order designed to stimulate the growth and utilization of broadband networks throughout the state of California. Some the major components of this initiative include:

Two states had measures on the ballot to address energy conservation and encourage alternative energy production and technology. While Washington's measure passed, California's failed.   Washington's Initiative 937 will result in targets for energy conservation and use of renewable energy resources for all electric utility companies that serve more than 25,000 customers in the state. Electric companies will required to provide 3 percent of total electricity to its retail customers from renewable resources by 2012, with that percentage eventually increasing to 15 percent of total electricity distribution by 2020.  Renewable resources include wind farms, solar panels and geothermal plants. This initiative passed 52 percent to 48 percent.  

In a time of tightening budgets and funding shortfalls, many institutions are searching for innovative sources of capital to finance their investment needs. Financial Innovations for Accelerating Medical Solutions, a recent report from the Milken Institute, provides some insight on inventive ways to raise capital for the biotechnology industry.    Milken convened two workshops in the fall of 2005, one in Santa Monica and one in New York City, of various stakeholders in the drug development process. These workshops included patent brokers and intellectual property lawyers, private equity investors and analysts, insurance consultants, biotechnology entrepreneurs, academics, and members of foundations. The report decries the lack of venture capital for early-stage product investments, especially between the preclinical and clinical stages of development.   Six main recommendations are provided to reduce credit risk, attract investors, and accelerate commercialization in a broad range of disease areas:

William Carney is the new president and CEO of the Inland Empire Economic Partnership, a private, nonprofit regional economic development organization in southern California. Carney replaces Paul Hiller, who left earlier this month to take a similar job in Boise, Idaho.

Separate MERIT Study of European Tech Transfer Contradicts Some Conclusions A new study from the Milken Institute confirms the success of California universities in commercializing life science research and reaffirms the international leadership of the U.S. in transfer of biotechnology from universities. Using some of the same data, however, a recent paper from the Netherlands found European tech transfer rates have been generally underestimated and intercontinental comparisons not as easy as one might assume. Milkens Findings

The Clovis, Calif.-based Central Valley Business Incubator selected Craig Scharton as its new chief executive, replacing outgoing chief executive Glenn Patch.

Donald Siegel has accepted a position as professor of entrepreneurship and associate dean with the University of California at Riverside's A. Gary Anderson Graduate School of Management.

[Editor’s Note: The following discussion regarding the research’s relevance to state and regional TBED policy is SSTI’s. It will not be found in the working paper, nor do we mean to suggest these conclusions were drawn by professors Zucker and Darby.]

Like moths to a flame, tech firms over the past 24 years appear to have migrated toward star scientists and engineers, according to a new working paper from Lynne Zucker and Michael Darby. The latest findings by the two UCLA professors suggests the mere presence of star researchers is sufficient power to attract technology businesses to certain regions of the country – regardless of the discoveries made by these scientific superstars or their field of research.

As competition for leadership in stem cell research heats up across the nation, legal battles and the introduction of new legislation are becoming commonplace among many states. Following is a round-up of recent news on stem cell research legalities and legislation in several states.

For the 12th consecutive year, the University of California tops all universities for the most patents for inventions, according to a list recently released by the U.S Patent and Trademark Office. The preliminary list reveals the top 13 U.S. universities receiving the most utility patents during calendar year 2005. All campuses are included in each school's total.

While the University of California's 390 patents in 2005 earned it top honors again, the figure reflects an 8 percent decline from the institution's 424 total in 2004 and 11 percent less than 2003. The California Institute of Technology experienced an even greater drop in patent activity between 2004 and 2005, slipping 25 percent to third overall with 101 patents. Massachusetts Institute of Technology moved into second with 136, a 3 percent increase over 2004.