SSTI Digest

Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad signed Iowa House File 590 into law, establishing a new economic development public-private partnership. The Iowa Partnership for Economic Progress (IPEP) will be comprised of two separate entities — the Iowa Economic Development Authority and the Iowa Innovation Corporation. IPEP replaces the embattled Iowa Department of Economic Development. The passage of the bill achieves one of Gov. Brandstad's top campaign priorities to shift the state's economic development efforts away from government and more toward the private sector. The Iowa Business Council (IBC), a nonprofit organization, also released a new report that looks at the Iowa competitive advantage relative to other states over a 10-year period. Researchers found that Iowa has increased only slightly relative competitive advantage since 2001. Read more...

Recruiting bioscience faculty to universities and investing in R&D infrastructure tops the list of strategies recommended for Iowa to capitalize on a growing bioscience economy. A report commissioned by Innovate Iowa also finds that while significant progress has been made in growing the state's bioscience industry over the last 10 years, declining state funds to build research capacity and provide seed and venture capital remains a challenge for bioscience companies and entrepreneurs to compete regionally and globally. The report, which updates a 2004 strategic roadmap for bioscience development, finds employment in Iowa's bioscience sector grew 26 percent between 2001 and 2008, and Iowa's academic bioscience R&D expenditures totaled more than $450 million in FY08. The industry also remained resilient during the first year of the recession, continuing to create jobs while national private sector unemployment rose. However, the state's academic bioscience R&D base has not kept pace with growth at the national level, the report finds. Between 2004 and 2008, academic bioscience R&D grew 13.8 percent in Iowa compared to a 22.3 percent…

Deep cuts to higher education and reorganizing economic development efforts are common themes in executive budget proposals across most of the country as governors seek to both reduce spending and create jobs. Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad recently introduced legislation to replace the state's existing economic development agency with a public-private partnership. Meanwhile, his budget eliminates the Iowa Power Fund, established by the legislature in 2007 to invest in private sector renewable and alternative energy industries. In Massachusetts, Gov. Deval Patrick recommends $10 million to continue state support for the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, but also plans to collect $25 million from the state's quasi-public agencies and defer $5 million in tax credits slated for life science companies to help fill a projected deficit totaling up to $2.5 billion. IowaGov. Terry Branstad outlined his administration's five-year goals in the 2012-13 budget presented to lawmakers last week. Although the state currently operates on an annual budget, the governor recommends funding levels for FY12 and FY13 consistent with his proposal to institute a biennial budgeting…

The Iowa Innovation Council, a 29-member state advisory board, released a strategic plan focused on entrepreneurship and targeted industries (e.g., advanced manufacturing, biosciences and information technology) to grow the state's innovation economy. The council believes this plan will create high-skilled, high-wage jobs through several new initiatives including: A private seed capital investment fund; New strategies to accelerate technology transfer and commercialization; and, Expansion of services available to businesses including a source for best practices and standardized due diligence processes.   Ted Crosbie, chairperson of the council stated, "The strategic plan signals the start of an integrated effort to move Iowa's innovation economy forward. Innovation is what will help Iowa's economy stay competitive in the global marketplace." The council also is asking the state Legislature for permission to become a nonprofit organization. The council contends this transformation would be beneficial because it allows them to have more "operational flexibility and the ability to raise private funds". Read the press release ...

Lawmakers in Idaho, Iowa and South Dakota recently passed budgets for the upcoming fiscal year providing funds to help stabilize higher education funding, support research projects related to renewable energy R&D, and provide temporary operational support for an underground deep science laboratory. Idaho Gov. Butch Otter signed into law HB 544, the Higher Education Stabilization Fund, setting up three accounts to help protect higher education funding from economic downturns. The bill redirects interest on revenue from tuition and fees at Idaho's state colleges and universities to a new strategic interest account within the newly established Higher Education Stabilization fund. The fund includes $114,000 in interest earnings available now, and lawmakers can appropriate money directly to the fund when a surplus is available in the future, according to a press release. The appropriations bill signed into law for the Department of Commerce includes $29.5 million in FY11 funding and reduces the FY10 general fund appropriation by $321,900. Lawmakers approved $30.3 million for the department last year. Earlier this year, Democratic legislators introduced the…

Gov. Chet Culver last week signed legislation creating the Iowa Innovation Council to advise the state's Department of Economic Development on policies that enhance innovation and entrepreneurship in high-growth industries such as advanced manufacturing, bioscience, and information technology. The council will be led by a group of volunteer private business leaders with expertise in the targeted industry sectors and charged with creating a strategic plan for implementing specific policies and coordinating state government applications for federal funds related to R&D. Three of the state's existing councils, the Bioscience Alliance, Advanced Manufacturing Council, and Information Technology Council are consolidated within the new policy group. The enrolled version of HF 2076 is available at: http://www.legis.state.ia.us

Entering its tenth year covering governors’ State of the State, Budget and Inaugural Addresses, SSTI’s Tech Talkin’ Govs series highlights new and expanded TBED proposals from across the nation. The first edition includes excerpts from speeches delivered in the following states: Arizona Gov. Janice Brewer, State of the State Address, Jan. 11, 2010 “… I am taking the following specific actions to make Arizona even more competitive in creating jobs. First, I am announcing the formation of a Governor's Jobs Cabinet. This team of key state agency directors will cut through the red tape and the green tape to speed job creation. “Second, I will be allocating a significant portion of remaining federal stimulus funds directly to bring new jobs to Arizona. Specifically, I am devoting $10 million in one-time federal stimulus funds for job training. … “… Third, under the leadership of Jerry Colangelo and Commerce Director Don Cardon ... I have created the Governor's Commerce Advisory Council. Working with other Arizona business leaders, they will transform the Department of Commerce into…

People   Lee Cheatham announced he is leaving his position as executive director of the Washington Technology Center and has accepted the position of operations director at the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University. Chris Coleman, WTC's current CFO and director of business operations, has been selected to serve as interim executive director for the organization. The Hawaii Science & Technology Council announced that Keiki-Pua Dancil is the new president and chief executive officer of HSTC and its sister organization, the Hawaii Science & Technology Institute. Dancil replaces outgoing HSTC/HSTI founder and president Lisa Gibson. Paul Frater is leaving his position as the director of Emerging Technologies, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise. Stephan Helgesen is leaving his position as the director of the Office of Science and Technology with the New Mexico Economic Development Department. Iowa Gov. Chet Culver has named Bret Mills as the state's new director of economic development. Keith Stokes, executive director of the Newport County Chamber of Commerce, has been appointed…

Kathy Collins has been appointed as the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Network (WEN) regional director in Madison. Previously, Collins worked as the technology and financial development manager in the Commerce Division of Business Development. Ron Cox has been appointed as the assistant dean for economic development in the engineering college at Iowa State University. He retains his current position as director of CIRAS, the Center for Industrial Research and Service. Frank DiBello, a veteran aerospace consultant who’s been Space Florida’s interim president since May, was named as the permanent leader of the aerospace development agency. Utah Gov. Gary Herbert appointed businessman and philanthropist Spencer Eccles to lead the Governor’s Office of Economic Development. Eccles, son of the former First Security chairman and CEO Spencer Eccles, will be joined by Josh Romney, son of former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney. The younger Romney will serve as the state’s national business recruitment policy advisor. John Hardin has been named Executive Director-Office of Science and Technology, a Division of NC Commerce. Mike…

Iowa legislators adjourned the 2009 session last week after voting in favor of Gov. Chet Culver's multi-million dollar I-JOBS initiative, providing $35 million for broadband access and alternative energy projects. The compromise plan approved by lawmakers allocates $715 million for investments in infrastructure, jobs, the environment, and flood relief through the issuance of bonds paid for with gaming revenue and existing tax revenues, according to the governor's office. To improve the state's telecommunications infrastructure, $25 million will be leveraged with up to $500 million in federal funding for improved broadband access. The goal is to put in place a system worth about $1 billion when combined with private investments to replace the current system of low- and high-speed connections scattered throughout the state, according to a Des Moines Register article. Another $10 million will be used to create a revolving loan program to support alternative energy projects for both new job creation and energy independence. Lawmakers passed a measure that reorganizes the Grow Iowa Values Fund and establishes a Grow Iowa Values Fund assistance program for…

Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell named George Cornelius, the immediate past president and CEO of Arkema Inc., as secretary of the Department of Community and Economic Development. Mark Crowell, head of economic development and technology transfer at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has been appointed vice president for business and technology development at the Scripps Research Institute. Robert De Wit, a former Pfizer Inc. executive, has been appointed president and chief executive officer of the business incubator of Western Michigan University's Parkview Campus. Michael Dockter has been hired as the new associate vice chancellor for research and technology transfer and chief research officer at Arkansas State University. David Edgerly, who for the last two years has headed Maryland's Department of Business and Economic Development, will resign from his post. Jim Fram, the president and chief executive of the Bartlesville Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Bartlesville Development Corporation, is resigning. He will leave Feb. 2 to become the senior vice president of economic development for the Tulsa Metro Chamber. Nate…

Summer camps focusing on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields are typically designed to spark youth interest and introduce students to career options in these critical areas. However, a vital component of these programs is exposure to scientific challenges that many classroom settings cannot provide. Recognizing this exposure as beneficial to both teachers and students, several programs are targeting educators with the goal of enhancing instructional methods in the classroom in order to increase student achievement in the STEM fields. The following are examples of professional development programs for science teachers from across the country offered over the summer months.   Kansas Middle school science teachers in Kansas are moving out of the classrooms and into University of Kansas (KU) laboratories this summer to participate in university-level research with the goal of enhancing their content backgrounds and ability to apply research-based instruction. The Middle School Science Academy Research Experiences program is a three-year, multi-phase initiative funded by the Kansas Board of Regents that targets two school districts…