SSTI Digest

Rice University's Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship has been named the top university business incubator in the world by the University Business Incubator (UBI) Index based in Sweden. The group reviewed 550 university business incubators and studied 150 incubators to determine the top incubators in the world based on their value for the ecosystem, their value for clients, and their attraction rate and past performance. Other U.S. incubators that made the UBI Index Top list include VentureLab, the University of Buffalo Technology Incubator, and Tech 20/20.

While policymakers often tout workers in the field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) as a critical element of U.S. competitiveness in the global economy, the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program claims that a narrow definition of STEM occupations neglects vital employees in these technical fields. In a recent report entitled The Hidden STEM Economy, the authors examined knowledge requirement scores for STEM fields obtained from O*NET (Occupational Information Network Data collection Program) to assess the knowledge, education, and wage needs of the various STEM occupations. They determined that redefining STEM occupations based on knowledge and skill requirements rather than solely educational requirements provided a more comprehensive understanding of the STEM economy and revealed that many economies across the nation benefit from the presence of non-professional, sub-bachelor degree STEM workers.

A new series of briefs from the National Institute of Standards and Technology lays out the argument for federal, state and local intervention in the high-tech economy. Authors Gary Anderson and Gregory Tassey suggest that U.S. economic policy places too much emphasis on macrostabilization efforts at the expense of policies targeted to promote technology development and entrepreneurship. They make the argument that one effective approach to federal intervention is through the support of research consortia and regional cluster development programs. Read the briefs...

While public debate rages over the role of surveillance in our society, one particularly infamous government surveillance technology, drones, is being prepared for private sector deployment in the U.S. Drone-related technologies are predicted to revolutionize commerce in the U.S., with industry projections valuing their initial deployment as an $82 billion boost to the national economy. In preparation for Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rollout of drone-use regulations in 2015, entrepreneurs, multinational corporations and state governments are scrambling to be in a competitive position to benefit.

Seventy-one percent of the rural population had access to basic broadband service compared to 98 percent of the urban population according to a report from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. The report examines the disparity of broadband availability between rural and urban areas based on 2011 broadband availability data. However, as broadband speeds increase, the access gap between these populations grows. When breaking down the population into five groups, the densest population geographies have greater availability at or above maximum advertised speeds, with suburbs surpassing central cities overall.

Compiling SBIR Phase I awards and proposal statistics by state for FY12, SSTI finds the 10 states with the most awards in FY12 were California (724), Massachusetts (415), Virginia (207), Maryland (154), Ohio (138), Texas (138), New York (137), Colorado (129), Pennsylvania (124), and Florida (85). Maryland gained two spots rising to fourth place. Ohio and Texas tied for fifth place, while New York and Colorado both fell from their prior year positions.

Notably, total SBIR Phase I awards granted to small business entities in FY12 increased by 1.4 percent, while proposal numbers were down from 2011 across nearly all of the participating agencies. In FY12, agencies granted a total 3,314 awards, up from 3,268 in FY11. Overall, agencies that reported proposal statistics received 20,305 in FY12, a 12.8 percent decrease from the prior fiscal year.

SSTI Online Events: Every Third Thursday at 3:00 PM ET

Thursday, June 20, 2013, 3:00 PM ETWhile others are waiting on the sideline for the Securities and Exchange Commission to release equity-based crowdfunding regulations, several states and regions already have tapped into the potential of the crowd to support potential high-growth startups. With access to crowdfunding, entrepreneurs are able to gain access to new streams of capital and gauge market demand. Our panel will discuss the results of these early experiments in crowdfunding, share some of the lessons they have learned and explore what states and regions can do right now to unleash the potential of this powerful new tool.

Register today at: http://www.ssti.org/webinars.html

Yuka Nagashima, executive director of the High Technology Development Corp. and center director for the Innovate Hawaii program, has resigned from both posts and will leave the state agency in August. Nagashima will be leaving for Denmark to support her husband's research career. Len Higashi, current senior economic development manager, was selected to become the acting executive director.

Raja Krishnamoorthi has been appointed vice chairman of the Illinois Innovation Council by Gov Pat Quinn.

Jason Hall has been named the St. Louis Regional Chamber's vice president for business development and corporate counsel, effective June 28. Hall's most recent position was as deputy director for the Missouri Department of Economic Development.

Connecticut's General Assembly approved a biennial budget that includes major increases for science and technology research and education at the University of Connecticut and a boost in funding for the state's others higher education institutions. The $44 billion budget also includes continued funding for the state's economic development programs.

Ben Franklin Technology Partners (BFTP), Pennsylvania's tech-based economic development program, released a joint study by the independent Pennsylvania Economy League and KLIOS Consulting, which determined the economic impact of the organization between 2007-2011. These numbers aggregate the impact of the four regional Ben Franklin Technology Partners. In total, the activities of the organizations have resulted in 7,485 new jobs in client firms and an additional 12,715 indirect jobs as a result of these clients' activities, for a total of 20,200 jobs. The activities of BFTP increased the Gross State Product by $6.6 billion. The client companies directly returned $358 million in additional state taxes and a further $144 million in state taxes was received from related client services. In total, $502 million in state tax revenue was received, which represents a 3.6:1 tax return to the state on $137.7 million in state investments during the five year period.

Don't miss this opportunity to impress the entire country with the work you're doing to improve local, state and regional economies through tech-based investments. To apply, send us a five page narrative describing your efforts to: Commercialize and Expand Research Capacity; Increase Access to Capital; Build a Culture of Entrepreneurship; and Improve the Competitiveness of Existing Industries. We will also recognize a promising initiative that has demonstrated innovativeness, creativity and a well-defined action plan. Winners will be honored during our 17th Annual Conference in Portland, OR. Applications due June 11! Learn more and apply at: http://www.sstiawards.org/.

As recently explored in an episode of This American Life, high-tech patent litigation has reached unprecedented proportions, with many research-oriented companies now joining the calls to restructure the patent system. This week, the White House released five executive orders and seven legislative recommendations to add transparency to the system and level the playing field for innovators. The executive orders require patents to name the real party-in-interest (as opposed to shell companies), call for stricter bounds on functional claims, limit the liability of end users, strengthen exclusion orders to ban the import of infringing products and begin a more extensive investigation of the current system. Read the White House announcement...