SSTI Digest

Manufacturers face a growing talent deficit due to an outdated education system based on 19th and 20th century principles, according to the Roadmap to Education Reform for Manufacturing. The report, coauthored by the Manufacturing institute and the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), is a compilation of books and research related to education reform and manufacturing topics available on NAM's website. Two broad recommendations are outlined that may address systemic educational deficits and reduce long-term education costs while developing a skilled workforce able to handle the increasing complexities of 21st century advanced manufacturing. The recommendations include the adoption of competency-based curriculums and increasing industry's role in developing and refining learning standards and assessments.

Using figures provided by the 12 participating federal agencies of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, SSTI has prepared a table showing FY09 Phase II award data for all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. Statistics include award data and state rankings based on total awards. SSTI finds the top 10 states receiving Phase II SBIR awards in FY09 are: California (423), Massachusetts (291), New York (138), Virginia (128), Colorado (115), Maryland (112), Texas (87), Ohio (77), Pennsylvania (72), and New Jersey (66). The table is available here

Looking for more data? SSTI members can receive an expanded table showing additional statistics covering five years of Phase II SBIR award data (FY05-09). For more information, contact Noelle Sheets at sheets@ssti.org. Learn more about the benefits of becoming an SSTI member: http://www.ssti.org/benefits.htm.

The Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development is looking for an executive director who is an ambitious, successful professional that will provide leadership in Kentucky's efforts to develop a knowledge-based economy. The executive director will work in partnership with all levels of government, academia, and the private sector to help create a supportive high-technology environment. The executive director will leverage his or her executive expertise, entrepreneurial background, policy knowledge, and resources to strengthen Kentucky's technology industry-focused business attraction and expansion initiatives.

Steve Biggers, deputy director, Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology has retired after 31 years of service to the state. He has served at OCAST for the last 19 years.

Alex Lawrence has been named vice provost for Innovation & Economic Development at Weber State University. In this role, he will lead the Technology Outreach Center on campus that supports the Utah Science Technology and Research (USTAR) technology economic development initiative. Lawrence succeeds Curt Roberts, who recently accepted a position at Utah State University as associate vice president of regional development and commercialization.

A budget agreement reached last week between Gov. Andrew Cuomo and legislative leaders adopts the economic development reforms set forth by the governor to establish a regional strategy for job creation. The approved budget allocates about $200 million in existing capital funds and tax credits to support 10 regional economic development councils and merges the New York State Foundation for Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR), the state's tech-based economic development initiative, into the Department of Economic Development.

Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin signed the Oklahoma Aerospace Engineer Tax Credit — reestablishing a tax incentive that was put on moratorium during last year's legislative session. The legislation extends tax credits of $5,000 a year for up to five years to engineers who are hired in Oklahoma. Under the law, companies receive a tax credit equal to 10 percent of the compensation paid to an engineering graduate from an Oklahoma institution of higher education. If the individual did not graduate from an Oklahoma institution of higher education, the company receives a five percent tax credit. The law also grants a tax credit of up to 50% of the tuition reimbursed to a new engineer graduate for the first four years of employment. Oklahoma's aerospace industry is a $12 billion a year industry that employs over 145,000 people. Read the press release...

The Department of Energy announced the "America's Next Top Energy Innovator" Challenge — a new initiative intended to give startup companies and entrepreneurs the opportunity to obtain an option agreement to license one or more of the 15,000 energy-related technologies developed by the National Laboratories. Participating entrepreneurs will pay a $1,000 upfront fee for portfolios of up to three patents — a savings of $10,000 to $50,000 on average in upfront fees. Interested entrepreneurs can visit DOE's Energy Innovation Portal to view an extensive list of available technologies. Entrepreneurs must identify the technology of interest and submit a business plan between May 2, 2011, and December 15, 2011, to be eligible for the discounted rate. DOE also is reducing the required advanced payment requirement to use the facilities at any of the National Laboratories to 60 days. Previously, companies were required to make an advanced payment that covered the first 90 days of research work. Read the press release...

Expanding the federal research tax credit and making it permanent could help generate $10 billion per year in research activity, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Treasury's Office of Tax Policy. Treasury also suggests that the enhanced credit could expand use of the credits, which already generate a one-to-one match in research spending and help support almost one million jobs. The current credit, which has been reauthorized temporarily 14 times since its introduction in 1981, is set to expire at the end of the year. Recently, a bipartisan group of House members began advocating for expanded, permanent credits, a policy that the Obama administration has incorporated into its last two budget proposals. The current budget debate, however, could derail that effort since the credits would cost the federal government an estimated $106 billion in tax revenue over the next ten years.

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.

Since 2000, two-thirds of the nation's 51 largest cities have seen on average a 26 percent increase in the number of young, college-educated adults choosing to live within three miles of the urban center — compared to an average increase of 13 percent in the rest of the metropolitan area. In Young and Restless 2011, a new report by Impresa and CEOs for Cities, researchers utilized 2010 Census data to examine the migration of young individuals (between the ages of 25 to 34 year olds). College-educated, young adults were found to be 94 percent more likely than their less educated counterparts to live in close-in urban neighborhoods — up from 61 percent in 2000. In five metropolitan areas (Boston, Chicago, New York, San Francisco and Washington), almost two-thirds of young adults who live in urban centers have at least a four-year degree. Even metropolitan areas experiencing overall population declines (e.g., Cleveland - 17 percent decline; and Detroit - 25 percent decline) saw significant increase in the number of young, college educated adults relocating to their urban centers (e.g., Cleveland - 49 percent increase; and Detroit - 59 percent increase).

Three recent reports from Maine provide insight into the challenges of fostering an innovative economy in a rural state. Overall, the research suggests that Maine has done well in its efforts to support startups, but could do more to help those startups expand and find new markets. By encouraging innovation-based businesses to expand to markets outside of Maine and by offering mentoring services, the state could overcome the stagnation that can occur when companies and states focus on local markets.

Over the past decade, Maine has increased its level of university research and development (R&D) from 35 percent to 70 percent of the U.S. average, according to a report from Maine's Office of Innovation. This growth in academic R&D investment reflects the state's focus on the University of Maine System, which received almost 70 percent of Maine's total investment in R&D in FY09/10. In 2010, Maine's universities increased their number of spin-off companies and their total number of research investments. The number of patents and licenses generated by university research, however, continued to fall well below the U.S. average.

The Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority, a semi-autonomous Hawaii State agency that developed and manages a globally unique and innovative technology incubation and commercial park in Kailua-Kona on the island of Hawaii, currently is seeking an Executive Director. The Executive Director will lead and execute NELHA's mission to develop new and diversified drivers for the Hawaii economy by providing resources, facilities and services for energy technology and ocean science research, education and commercialization activities.

The Illinois Science and Technology Coalition is seeking aProgram Director, Innovation and Special Initiatives.

Key traits of the ideal candidate include:

The ability to analyze technical information. Experience with / knowledge of federal and state government. Experience with competitive funding proposals and grant writing. The ability to review public budgets, administrative rules and legislation.