SSTI Digest

On June 13, President Obama's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness presented their initial "progress report" on their ongoing projects to catalyze short-term job creation in the U.S. Eleven ideas were offered at the meeting, including working with community colleges to train and employ advanced manufacturing workers, building public-private partnerships to graduate and retain 10,000 new engineers, expanding the EB-5 visa-for-entrepreneurs program and simplifying the process for Small Business Administration loans. Read the Ideas Factsheet...

In an effort to persuade foreign and domestic companies to set up shop or expand operations in the U.S., President Obama signed an executive order establishing the SelectUSA initiative. A major component of the initiative includes a searchable database of federal programs and services such as information on grants, loans and tax incentives. The website also provides a clickable map of the U.S. directing companies to individual state economic development agencies and an industry snapshot page showcasing innovative sectors of the U.S. economy poised for global growth. The announcement was made today during the Business Roundtable in D.C. Visit the website...

The Council on Competitiveness in partnership with Deloitte released Ignite 2.0: Voices of American University Presidents and National Lab Directors on Manufacturing Competiveness, the second installment of a three-part series on improving U.S. manufacturing competitiveness. According to the report, talent-driven innovation, education and advanced skills development coupled with research, science, technology and full life-cycle commercialization are the necessary drivers for a U.S. manufacturing resurgence. Five goals for colleges, universities and the national labs to improve U.S. manufacturing competitiveness are outlined including:

"Investment in science, technology and innovation is increasingly being seen by African countries as an essential element in responding to the continent's socio-economic development needs and challenges," according to a statement by Dr. Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency to announce the release of the African Innovation Outlook 2010. The African Innovation Outlook 2010 is "first in a series of reports that are intended to inform the people of Africa and other interested parties about the status of science, technology and innovation activities in African countries." Using survey response and data from 19 members of the African Union, the report is the first African-led, politically authorized effort to generate a comprehensive and comparative survey of science, technology and innovation (STI) on the continent. NEPAD Agency's African Science Technology and Innovation Indicators (ASTII) Initiative collected data for the report. The six-chapter report examines:

Maine Gov. Paul LePage has nominated George Gervais, the acting commissioner of the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development as commissioner. His nomination must be reviewed by the Joint Standing Committee on Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development and confirmed by the Senate.

Ned Staebler, former vice president of entrepreneurial services of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, has taken the position of vice president of economic development at Wayne State.

Much of the recent economic recovery plans coming from governors across the country have focused on growing and nurturing existing businesses through a regional approach to economic development. The idea is that by identifying and defining the unique needs of a region, policymakers and practitioners can then provide the necessary tools and resources to grow industries likely to succeed within a given region, thus improving the overall economic landscape of the state. This approach is happening both in states and at the local level.

The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that the Bayh-Dole Act does not grant universities the unlimited right to patents resulting from federal research grants. In a 7-2 vote, the Court found that a professor could sign over the right to intellectual property (IP) that resulted from collaborative research with a private company. Stanford University argued that Bayh-Dole granted universities a right to IP that could not be signed away by the inventor. The ruling means that universities will have to clarify their claim to IP rights in their contracts with inventors, according to an article in The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Michigan state agencies in collaboration with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and several private industries and organizations will offer economic development incentives, startup capital, and support services valued around $3 billion to help grow Michigan-based small businesses in emerging industry sectors. The Pure Michigan Business Connect initiative matches people with resources and strengthens relationships to fuel economic growth, according to a press release. Incentives offered by some of the participating organizations include $2 billion in lending over four years from Huntington National Bank and $100 million for second stage funding for Michigan businesses with innovative technologies to accelerate large-scale commercialization. Consumers Energy and DTE Energy also pledged to dedicate an additional $250 million each over five years to purchase goods and services from Michigan-based suppliers. The initiative builds on Gov. Rick Snyder's economic development plans centered on regionalism and economic gardening outlined during his State of the State address.

In the 2008-2009 academic year, nearly 66 percent of all degrees awarded by the State University of New York system were in fields related to the 16 clusters identified as key to the state's future growth, according to a new study — How SUNY Matters: Economic Impacts of the State University of New York. The 64-campus SUNY system is comprised of research universities, university colleges, community colleges and specialized institutions from across the New York state. The report authored by researchers at the Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government and the University at Buffalo's Regional Institute found that the system has not only had a significant impact on state's current economy, but will provide an even more important contribution to its future innovation economy.

The number of annual U.S. patents of all types increased from 82,586 in 2005 to 121,179 in 2010, according to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). After falling in 2007 and 2008, and making only minor gains in 2009, patents jumped by 27.5 percent last year. Overall, the number of patents grew 46.7 percent between 2005 and 2010, while patents per capita increased by 40.6 percent. California continues to have the highest number of annual patents in the country, generating about one quarter of all U.S. patents in 2010. Vermont, however, led in patents per capita last year, followed by Washington state. Over the past five years, Hawaii has exhibited the highest rate of growth, increasing its number of patents by 148.3 percent and its patents per capita by 131.1 percent.

Job Corner
The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (A•P•L•U) is seeking applicants for the position of director of Innovation and Technology Policy. The individual in this position will serve as the director for the APLU Commission on Innovation, Competitiveness and Economic Prosperity as part of his/her responsibilities as a member of the staff of the Office of Research, Innovation and STEM Policy.

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) will be armed with $100 million for efforts to attract new businesses and help existing businesses grow in the coming year — an additional $50 million above Gov. Rick Snyder's request. Another $25 million was approved for a new innovation and entrepreneurship program.

Funding for the job creation initiatives comes partly from redirecting funds previously dedicated to the 21st Century Jobs Fund, which received $75 million last year. Lawmakers agreed with the governor's proposal to replace business tax credits with a new incentive program aimed at dedicating resources to helping existing Michigan businesses grow, known as economic gardening. MEDC also is slated to receive $25 million for tourism promotion and $25 million for a film incentive program.

An initiative aimed at stemming Michigan's brain drain was left out of the final budget. The governor had proposed $5 million to develop programs encouraging immigrants with advanced degrees to move to the state.