SSTI Digest

Arizona Legislation to Encourage Tech Transfer Awaits Voters' Approval House Bill 2403, a measure that ultimately would encourage technology transfer, has been signed by Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano and now awaits approval by voters. Passing the Arizona State Legislature in late May, the legislation provides that Arizona's universities may partner with private companies in business ventures. State agencies and organizations would be able to take equity investments in firms wanting to market products developed at the universities. Arizona voters will decide at the next general election whether to approve the change in the state's Constitution. The complete text of HB 2403 is available at: http://www.azleg.state.az.us/ Shreveport, LA Receives $1.05 million for TBED The Biomedical Research Foundation of Northwest Louisiana has secured $1.05 million in federal funding to jumpstart tech-based economic development in Shreveport, The Times recently reported. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Economic Development Initiative Program is providing…

Peter Slate will preside as chief executive officer over the Arizona Technology Enterprises, the newly created limited liability company formed by spinning off Arizona State University's technology transfer office.

Tucson gains Community Investment Business Center, New Tech Park building The Tucson Citizen reports the second incarnation of the Tucson Technology Incubator, which closed in January, has opened as the Community Investment Business Center. The new center, under the auspices of the Community Investment Corp. and funded partially by the Pima County Industrial Development  Authority, offers business assistance with the aid of five University of Arizona interns and limited office space for client companies, according to the article. Tucson-area tech companies in need of more space can take advantage of the new 72,000-square-foot building opened at the University of Arizona Science & Technology Park in February. The park, named as the Association of University Research Park's Outstanding Research Park of 2001, is already home to 30 companies and organizations with more than 6,000 employees working in technology fields including optics, life sciences, aerospace and advanced materials. Florida's Orange County Commission commits $2.2 million for TBED initiatives …

To help formulate the best approach for the state to deploy to help build a stronger technology sector, Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano has established a state advisory group of consisting entirely of high tech business leaders. Created by executive order, the Governor's Council on Innovation and Technology will recommend ideas for energizing the industry.  The Council will include committees on capital formation, technology transfer and infrastructure and supply chain development. The Council on Innovation and Technology will focus on implementing a statewide strategy for a smooth transfer of technology from universities to the private sector; attracting more venture capital to the state to assist growing and new tech-based businesses; and developing Arizona's infrastructure so it can support tech growth. Additionally, the Council will provide ongoing long-term policy input to the Governor. The Governor's press announcement is available at: http://www.governor.state.az.us/press/03_01_31.htm

Todd Bankofier has been appointed president of the Arizona Technology Council.

Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano named Gilbert Jimenez to lead the Department of Commerce and has asked Gail Howard to serve as her policy advisor on economic development. Jimenez was Bank One International's Senior Vice President and Regional Manager for Mexico/Latin America. Howard comes to the administration from Arizona State University, where she has served since 1990 as the University's Director of Economic Development and Constituent Outreach.

Despite, or because of, the continuing fiscal crises facing nearly every state, technology-based economic development remains high on the agendas of most governors, as demonstrated in their recent speeches. Those excerpts pertaining to state efforts to build tech-based economies are provided below. States with Inaugural Addresses during the past 10 days included Kansas, Maryland, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Oregon, South Dakota, and Vermont. Governors in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, South Dakota, Washington, and Wyoming gave State of the State Addresses. Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano, State of the State Address, Jan. 13, 2003 "It is time to stop viewing our universities and community colleges as easy marks to balance the budget. Instead, we must recognize them as epicenters of economic development. They educate the workforces of tomorrow, and their research expands our horizons. "It is time to coordinate our efforts to develop Arizona’s promising tech sector...To achieve the economic…

Several of the key economic development and science & technology positions have been filled by some of the nation's 24 new governors. Many of these individuals will be involved in setting the state's tech-based economic development agenda and determining budget cuts, reorganization plans or program eliminations to handle the money squeeze. In addition, a few other lead S&T agencies have announced top-level changes. Arizona Chris Cummiskey has been named director of the Government Information Technology Agency by Governor Janet Napolitano. Cummiskey served in the state senate since 1994 before running unsuccessfully for secretary of state last fall. Georgia Gov.-elect Sonny Perdue has named Annie Hunt Burriss as his policy and legislative advisor. Burriss is the vice chancellor for economic development for the University System of Georgia and a past president of the Georgia Economic Developers Association. Hawaii Nola Miyasaki, executive director of the High Technology Development Corporation, announced her resignation in December. She…

A new biotech report funded by a private foundation finds Arizona possesses many of the essential elements needed to become a national leader in the biosciences. Now, all the state needs is at least 10 years and a $1.4 billion public-private investment, according to the report Platform for Progress: Arizona's Bioscience Roadmap. The Flinn Foundation is counting on the encouraging findings of its report, the detailed roadmap therein, and the momentum of the planning process to help energize the entire state to make the necessary effort. The planning process was overseen by a 25-member committee of state, business, university and economic development leaders. Platform for Progress argues the biosciences not only would build upon Arizona's strengths in electronics, optics and advanced engineering, but also would bring stability to the state's economy by balancing more cyclical industries. To mazimize the impact of its investments, the study contends, Arizona should focus its near-term efforts on three existing and emerging research fields — neurological sciences, cancer therapeutics…

Some of the 200-plus ballot measures decided in the 2002 General Election held Tuesday were dedicated to promoting tech-based economic development (TBED). The results were generally mixed, however. Promoters of Michigan's Life Sciences Corridor were pleased with the failure of an initiative that would have dictated the allocation of the state's tobacco settlement funds, including a smaller amount than the state is currently spending on life sciences research. However, the stock  market's decline over the last two years may have played a role in voters' rejection of several investment-related measures. Below, SSTI highlights some of the TBED- and university-related measures and initiatives that were addressed by voters in a dozen states. Those that passed include the following: Arizona voters passed Proposition 104, which exempts from aggregate state spending limits the revenue derived from a sales tax rate increase for education approved by voters in 2000. Voters in California gave way to Proposition 47, a measure allowing the state to issue $13.05 billion of general…

The economic downturn and continuing state and local fiscal problems are not stopping most efforts to develop tech-based economies. Here are a few examples of recent groundbreakings from around the country. NASA Helps Launch Education Center in Phoenix Astronaut Carlos Noriega and Estrella Mountain Community College President Homero Lopez recently announced the creation of the NASA Center for Success in Math and Science in Phoenix. Sponsored by NASA's Office of Equal Opportunity Programs and located on the Avondale, AZ, campus of Estrella Mountain Community College, the newly dedicated student academic support center is expected to help students take part in Arizona's knowledge economy. The center was established to inspire and support socially and economically disadvantaged students in their pursuit of higher education in science, technology, engineering and math disciplines. More information is available at: http://spacelink.nasa.gov/NASA.News/NASA.News.Releases/02-10-04.Phoenix.Education.Center.Opens OTCC to Have New Home in Oklahoma City The Oklahoma…

Carl Russell has resigned as president and CEO of Tucson Technology Incubator Inc. Bo Statham, a consultant to UniSource Energy Corp. on new business development and a client adviser at the incubator, has been named interim president.