SSTI Digest

The Ben Franklin Technology PArtners of Central and Northern Pennsylvania promoted Stephen Brawley to serve as president and CEO.

Alan Brown was named executive director of the Pennsylvania NanoMaterials Commercialization Center, a newly formed economic development initiative.

Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell is set to release his fiscal year 2006-07 budget request later this week, which is expected to significantly redesign the state's investment in biotechnology and life science research, according to materials released by the governor's office. Since passage of Act 77 in 2001, the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PDEH) has used 19 percent of the state's tobacco settlement funds to fund biomedical-related research projects through the Commonwealth Universal Research Enhancement (CURE) program. The program provides formula and competitive grants to universities to support research priorities set by PDEH. Gov. Rendell is proposing that the Commonwealth borrow $500 million to finance a new bioscience research initiative named after the late Pittsburgh scientist, Dr. Jonas Salk. The governor proposes to maintain half of CURE's funding level, but use the other half - or just under 10 percent of the state's share of tobacco settlement funds - to repay the bonds. The move is expected to provide greater flexibility in the use of the funds and hasten any economic…

Dennis "Mickey" Flynn is the new president of Pennsylvania BIO.

The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, in concert with the Pennsylvania State University, are presenting the inaugural Creating Pennsylvania’s Future: A Higher Education, Economic and Community Development Summit, aimed at energizing institutions of higher education, business leaders, economic development organizations, investors, workforce development agencies, government officials, and community leaders to work collaboratively to create a future for Pennsylvania that leverages the Commonwealth’s college and university assets. The summit will take place at the Penn Stater Conference Center in University Park on Dec. 5 and 6, 2005. By generating greater awareness of opportunities and resources, and through learning about the nation’s “best practices,” summit participants will stimulate entrepreneurship, improve the return on investment of technology transfer activities, improve workforce development practices and enhance the quality of life in Pennsylvania’s communities. Much more information on the summit is available at www.creatingpennsylvaniasfuture.org…

Jack Pfunder is the new executive director of the Manufacturers Resource Center in Bethlehem, Pa.

Rebecca Bagley is the new Deputy Secretary for Technology Investment in the PA Dept. of Community and Economic Development.

After nine years as deputy director of the National Science Foundation, Dr. Joseph Bordogna is resigning. He will return to the University of Pennsylvania as Alfred Fitler Moore Professor of Engineering.

Richard Overmoyer, deputy secretary for technology investment at the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, is leaving to join the lobbying group, GSP Consulting.

Chris Capelli, currently director of the technology transfer office at University of Pittsburgh, is leaving to become vice president for technology transfer at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

Richard Lunak is the new CEO of Innovation Works and Ron Bianchini has been named chairman of the organization.

Is Pennsylvania getting enough bang -- or the right bang -- from its investments in promoting a tech-based economy? The state has been one of the nation's leading public investors in technology-based economic development (TBED) for more than 20 years. Programs have evolved and been added over the years as factors affecting innovation and private sector growth changed. The result is now Pennsylvania's researchers and entrepreneurs have a complex portfolio of public-private resources available to them. Understanding the function served by the various TBED policies, programs and TBED initiatives toward transforming the state's economy is a goal of a new report from the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED). Resulting from a collaboration among 35 of the state’s TBED organizations, the 2005 Pennsylvania TechFormation report gauges Pennsylvania’s entrepreneurial position and provides the basis for continued improvement strategies. According to DCED Secretary Dennis Yablonsky, the Commonwealth and its partners will use the report to pinpoint areas for improvement in TBED efforts. …