SSTI Digest

California Governor Gray Davis has appointed Joseph A. Raguso as Deputy Secretary for Strategic Technology for the Trade and Commerce Agency. Mr. Raguso currently serves as President and CEO for the San Diego Regional Technology Alliance (SDRTA), a position he has held since 1997. Mr. Raguso will begin serving in his new capacity on January 31.

From 1996 to 1997, Mr. Raguso was manager of the Science and Technology Policy and Projects for the University of California, San Diego. From 1994 to 1996, he served as acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for the United States Department of Commerce.

The Sacramento Bee recently ran a story showing there is a downside for California being home of the Silicon Valley phenomenon: 20 percent of the 6,600 computer and telecommunications positions within the California state government are vacant. Some local governments are reporting even higher vacancy rates.

According to the story, the result for California residents is that they do not have the World Wide Web convenience of government service delivery now offered in many other states — such as online vehicle registration or fishing license purchases.

More serious information needs such as tracking child support payments also are not being addressed because of the lack of trained workers. Other sites, once created cannot be updated because the trained staff have left for positions in private business.

Slow government hiring processes and noncompetitive civil salaries and benefits are cited as the reasons for the problem.

Earlier this year, Michigan initiated plans to spend $1 billion over the next 20 years for life sciences research, development, and commercialization. With this commitment, Michigan became the first state to use its tobacco settlement funds to bolster technology-based economic development programs.

Other states and localities are considering using their share of the tobacco settlement funds for science and technology programs as well.

Recent proposals include:

Maryland: Governor Parris Glendening proposed that the state allocate $500 million, or $50 million per year for 10 years, to develop a statewide cancer care network, build world class clinical and research programs, construct new cancer-fighting infrastructure, and develop specific plans for cancer education, prevention, research, and treatment.

The 1999 Advanced Technology Program National Meeting, Nov. 15-17 in San Jose, Calif., will feature more than 30 workshops for industry, academic and government researchers to discuss current ATP work in high-risk, high-potential technologies and future R&D opportunities. The meeting also will feature general information presentations on ATP and a showcase exhibit of a broad array of successful ATP-sponsored technologies. More details can be found on the meeting web site: http://www.atp.nist.gov/nationalmeeting.

Steve Jarvis resigned as the director of California Trade and Commerce's Office of Strategic Technology. Jeff Newman has been named as acting director.

The number of technology degrees awarded have declined by 5 percent since 1990, according to a new report issued by the American Electronics Association (AEA). The one area in which there has been a significant increase in degrees conferred is business information systems, which increased by 24 percent.

The report, CyberEducation: U.S. Education and the High-Technology Workforce, A National and State-by-State Perspective, examines technology education trends in both K-12 and higher education.

At the college and university level, the report examines the number of students awarded associate, bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees in six core technology fields (engineering, engineering technology, computer science, business information systems, mathematics, and physics).

The top five states, ranked by technology degrees conferred are:

The State Science and Technology Institute (SSTI) has released its most recent publication, California's Regional Technology Alliances. This is the third in a series of Program Briefs designed to highlight states' experiences with various initiatives.

The Regional Technology Alliances (RTA) program was initially designed to provide matching funds for California projects applying for funding from the Technology Reinvestment Project. The RTAs have since developed into organizations that provide technology-based companies with access to technical and business service providers, information on current and upcoming state and federal funding opportunities and technology assistance programs.

California is considering expanding its network of Regional Technology Alliances (RTA), which is a component of the Goldstrike Partnership. The Goldstrike Partnership, a program of the California Trade and Commerce Agency's Office of Strategic Technology (OST), supports the development, application, and commercialization of technology to create jobs, respond to industry changes, and foster competitiveness.

The program’s goal is to leverage existing regional, state, and federal resources to maximize assistance in the formation and growth of technology-based firms. The RTA model is an industry driven, non-profit private/public partnership. There are currently three RTAs, located in the San Francisco Bay area, Los Angeles, and San Diego. OST is looking to establish a statewide network of RTAs that develop and manage technology based industry-driven initiatives.

NASA announced the award of cooperative agreements to establish new technology business incubators at three NASA Centers: the Goddard Space Flight Center (MD), the Langley Research Center (VA), and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), combined with the Dryden Flight Research Center, (CA).

The incubators will provide U.S. start-up or small existing technology firms and U.S. educational institutions with a wide array of critical business development support services for the primary purpose of commercially applying NASA technology.

Each new business incubator will receive funding from NASA in the amount of $400,000 per year for fiscal years 1998 and 1999, and will in turn match (or exceed) NASA's contribution through cash or in-kind funding from non-federal sources.

Job growth in information technology (IT) now exceeds the production of talent, according to a U.S. Department of Commerce's Office of Technology Policy (OTP) study, America's New Deficit: The Shortage of Information Technology Workers. A recent survey of mid- and large-size U.S. companies by the Information Technology Association of American (ITAA) concluded that there are about 190,000 unfilled IT jobs in the U.S. today due to a shortage of qualified workers.

Because information technology is an enabling technology that affects the entire economy, the failure to meet the growing demand for information technology professionals could have severe consequences for the United States' competitiveness, economic growth, and job creation.

Two recent reports indicate the amount of venture capital financing increased in 1996, although the two reports differ on the amount of financing and the most active investors. Both surveys agreed that California and Massachusetts were the lead states in attracting venture capital.

The California Manufacturing Technology Center has begun a search process for qualified applicants to fill a number of economic development-oriented engineering positions. The CMTC seeks applicants with over eight years of hands-on manufacturing experience to: define and develop proposals, present to potential clients, perform and manage projects, and build a network of consultants.

Qualified candidates will have an engineering/science degree (Master's or MBA preferred) and excellent presentation and interpersonal skills. Sales or marketing training and/or experience is a plus. The application process will be open at least through October, 1996. If your qualifications meet the requirements of CMTC, please send your resume to: California Manufacturing Technology Center, P.O. Box 2225, Hawthorne, CA 90250-2225, ATTN: Human Resources

For more information, contact Kathy Pearson at 310-263-3084.