SSTI Digest

As with every public policy or program to promote economic development, TBED initiatives can fall victim to critics’ concerns regarding the value of these approaches if performance measurement is not an integral component of your efforts. Fair assessment of impact, though, remains a thorny issue for many TBED strategies because of the early stage of investment (e.g. support for university research, entrepreneurship education or even seed capital).

 

Even when one does measure the impact of a specific program or policy, additional potentially legitimate concerns can be raised for how well your performance compares to similar efforts in other parts of the state or country. Or, the lack of any sense of a control group of companies or entrepreneurs who did not participate in the initiative to use to benchmark the difference made by the effort can lead to unwarranted criticism from skeptics.

 

North Canton, Ohio, has been chosen as the site for the nation's newest Department of Defense (DoD) Center of Excellence. Centers of Excellence deal with specific military technology needs that are deemed critical to the nation's defense and security.



The Defense Metals Technology Center (DMTC), to be located at Stark State College, will become the principal repository of data and coordination of the various academic, government and industrial entities involved with highly specialized and strategic metals, including titanium.



The result of the vision and creative effort led by Congressman Ralph Regula (R-OH), the DMTC is being funded by the 2006 National Defense Appropriation Bill and the State of Ohio Department of Development. The center's executive director will be Charlie Clark, who previously served as director of government relations for the University of Akron.

With the goal of improving the competitiveness of their workforces, many states and regions are searching for the best policies to encourage participation in educational opportunities beyond high school. Dual enrollment plans are one type of such policies that enable students to enroll in postsecondary level courses while still in high school.

 

According to a recently released study that examines Ohio’s dual enrollment plan, 47 states have enacted policies related to dual enrollment as of August 2006. A joint publication by the KnowledgeWorks Foundation and the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE), The Promise of Dual Enrollment: Assessing Ohio’s Early College Access Policy is the first report that collects and analyzes available data on the state’s program since its inception 18 years ago. The report provides insight into the participation rates, accessibility, levels of success, and costs of the policy to the state.

 

Together, we’re growing a strong and vibrant tech-based economic development community.



State Sponsors

Virginia Economic Development Partnership

Washington Life Sciences Discovery Fund



Affiliates

Center for Advanced Engineering & Research

City of Dublin, Ohio

Defense Metals Technology Center

Idaho National Laboratory

Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce

Wisconsin Security Research Consortium

With the deadline less than two weeks away, we hope you are putting the finishing touches on your Excellence in TBED Award application.

 

International Recognition, External Validation, and Education and Outreach are just a few of the reasons why you should apply. SSTI’s awards program is designed to celebrate the exceptional achievement in technology-based economic development occurring around us everyday. Nonprofit organizations, local and state governments, economic development councils, and other organizations that promote innovation are encouraged to apply.

 

Please help us make the inaugural Excellence in TBED Awards program a success. The application and complete instructions are available at: http://www.ssti.org/awards.htm.