SSTI Digest

Ben Franklin Technology Partners. Pittsburgh Technology Council. Industrial Resource Centers. Tech 21. Pittsburgh Digital Greenhouse. Whether one is looking for examples of states’ efforts in workforce development, innovative university-industry research partnerships, effective technology councils, or practically any other tech-based economic development program, Pennsylvania is one of the first states to come to mind because of its long-standing tradition of supporting innovative approaches to building a tech-based economy. With so many local, state, university, and federal efforts to cultivate science, technology and economic growth, it is only fitting that Pittsburgh will be the 2001 site of SSTI's annual conference on practical tools and policies for tech-based economic development. Building from the success of last year’s sell-out event in Chicago and the wealth of great resources in Pittsburgh — beginning with our host team of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, the Center for Economic Development at Carnegie Mellon University, Heinz Endowments, Innovation…

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge has promoted Tim McNulty to the new position of Deputy Chief of Staff for Technology Initiatives.

Pennsylvania has been a leader in tech-based economic development for more than two decades. With more than $208 million for tech-based economic development initiatives, the 2001-02 Budget Request submitted by Governor Tom Ridge this week shows why the state remains at the forefront of the field. Coupled with the $61 million in education technology, "Brain Gain," and digital divide initiatives proposed (see Pennsylvania's entry under this week's Tech Talkin' Govs article below), the state is developing a cradle-to-grave strategy for competing in the New Economy.  The technology-based economic development proposals include:  $56.4 million to be provided through a proposed Ben Franklin Technology Development Authority Fund that would merge the four regional Ben Franklin Technology Centers and the Pennsylvania Technology Investment Authority.  Use part of a one-time tobacco settlement surplus to make a new investment in Pennsylvania's health -- a statewide BioTech Greenhouse program to be patterned after the Pittsburgh Digital…

An increasingly recognized and critical component of building a tech-based economy is the integration of university or college research and training capabilities into the local economic development strategy. While considerable attention is paid to the regional impact of large research institutions, not every community is home to an MIT, University of Texas, or Stanford. Cities like Erie, Pennsylvania, – home to several small institutions of higher learning – are providing useful examples of alternative approaches for businesses and the community to benefit from the intellectual resources and talent available through area colleges and universities. Ten years of planning and cooperation among Erie’s business, community and academic leaders, in partnership with the state, resulted in the proposal for a Research and Economic Development Center (REDC) at Penn State Erie to serve as a hub for regional economic development. Last week, Governor Tom Ridge delivered $30 million -- the largest-ever state capital investment in Erie County history -- to construct the…

Continuing to rest on past academic excellence and research achievement would be costly to Greater Philadelphia, according to a new report prepared by the Pennsylvania Economy League. The region's "knowledge industry" must compete with other regions and states to succeed in the New Economy. A comprehensive study benchmarking Greater Philadelphia's knowledge industry was undertaken to gain a better understanding of the area’s colleges and universities and how they contribute to the region’s economic competitiveness. Three main suggestions and potential strategies for becoming one of the nation’s leading knowledge regions were offered in the report's recommendations: Grow the Talent Base: Marketing Philadelphia as a center of higher education; Strategically expand existing institutions with the room and inclination to grow; Establish a new technical, research-based state institution; and, Develop youth-oriented amenities to attract knowledge workers; Grow the Idea Base: Create a research alliance of leading research institutions…

Americans say they take pride in our nation's leadership role in science and technology and believe the U.S. needs to continue investing in scientific research and development (R&D) in order to remain at the forefront of discovery and innovation, according to a Gallup survey conducted on behalf of the Bayer Corporation in partnership with the National Science Foundation. At the same time, many Americans also expressed concern about whether our educational system is preparing students for the challenges that accompany new technologies.  The results of The Bayer Facts of Science Education VI: Americans' Views on Science, Technology, Education and the Future are consistent with the flurry of state S&T activities over the past twelve months and may help provide some directional push for future initiatives:  93 percent say students in their state need a stronger education in science to be prepared for the new inventions, discoveries and technologies that increased investment will likely bring   85 percent agreed that improving pre-college…

The next U.S. supercomputing system operating at speeds well beyond a trillion calculations per second will reside at the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center (PSC) through an expected $45-million award from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Last week, the National Science Board (NSB), NSF's governing body, authorized the three-year award following a national competition. Pending negotiations between NSF and PSC, the Terascale Computing System (TCS) would begin operation in February 2001, reaching peak performance by the end of that year.  The TCS will be incorporated into the NSF Partnerships for Advanced Computational Infrastructure program as a third leading-edge site, joining the National Center for Supercomputing Applications at Urbana, Illinois and the San Diego Supercomputer Center in California. Computational scientists and engineers across the U.S. will access the TCS through a nationwide grid of research networks.  The Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center was established in 1986 by its partners at Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Pittsburgh, and Westinghouse.…

Sue Rhoades is leaving her role as State Coordinator with Ben Franklin Technology Partners in Pennsylvania to take a position in the private sector. As a result, the Ben Franklin Technology Partners are seeking candidates to fill her position. The posting, as well as several other S&T career opportunities, is available on the SSTI website at: http://www.ssti.org/posting.htm

Steven Zylstra, chair of the Technology Transfer Committee of the Arizona Governor's Strategic Partnership for Economic Development, has accepted the position of President and Chief Executive Officer of the Pittsburgh Technology Council and the Southwestern Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center. 

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge has proposed that 15 percent of the Commonwealth’s expected $11 billion tobacco settlement monies be directed toward health-care related research and venture capital. Pennsylvania anticipates receiving between $397 and $459 million each year for the next 25 years. Governor Ridge recommended ten percent of the settlement be spent on broad-based health research with funding targeted to Pennsylvania health priorities and Pennsylvania researchers and organizations. The $1.1 billion funding level is comparable to the amount committed to life sciences research by Michigan from its tobacco settlement funds; a similar proposal is pending in Ohio. Under the Governor’s plan, five percent of the settlement would be used to create a new venture capital fund, capitalized over three years, to provide early stage investments for health-care related business development in Pennsylvania. More information can be found at: http://db.state.pa.us/ctc/data/20000126.000.htm

Dr. Mary L. Good, president-elect of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and former Under Secretary for Technology in the Department of Commerce, has received the 1999 Heinz Award in Technology, the Economy, and Employment from the Heinz Family Foundations. The Award is given in recognition for Dr. Good’s “singular vision in working to build an economy fueled by scientific knowledge and technological know-how.” In the six years the Heinz Family Foundation has recognized outstanding contributions in technology, economy and employment, Dr. Good is the first woman to receive the honor. The award comes with a $250,000 stipend. According to an Arkansas newspaper, Dr. Good may donate some of the money to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, where she is currently the interim dean of the College of Information Science and Systems Engineering. Dr. Good also presently serves as the managing member of Venture Capital Investors LLC, an investors’ group in Little Rock, Arkansas, her home state. More information on the Heinz Award may be found at: http://www.awards.heinz…

This decade saw a significant increase in public and private investment in environmental technologies and programs. Confronting environmental issues will remain a challenge for many years to come. Many philanthropic foundations are focusing their grants and investments toward environmental concerns. From areas of interest as diverse as sustainable agriculture to eliminating industrial hazardous waste, foundations are funding a variety of environmental programs and projects. State-funded environmental science and technology initiatives, and in some cases, their client technology businesses, are eligible to apply for many different foundation giving programs. The following are two examples with links for obtaining more information. The Heinz Endowments The Heinz Endowments have been formally active in the environment since 1994. In 1997, the foundation provided more than $11 million to support various environmental programs. Four strategic themes guide the environmental program’s grantmaking, including: Eliminating waste; Harnessing the power of the market…