SSTI Digest

Witnessing the success experienced by its neighbor, West Virginia is creating a university R&D matching endowment program similar to Kentucky’s. The legislature approved $50 million for Gov. Joe Manchin’s “Bucks for Brains” initiative to be allocated from lottery surplus funds (see the Jan. 16, 2008 issue of the Digest). The West Virginia Research Trust Fund will receive $50 million to match research endowments at the state’s two research universities, West Virginia University (WVU) and Marshall University. Another $30 million will fund the “Training Bucks” program establishing two community-college affiliated training centers throughout the state.   Lawmakers appropriated more than $200 million in budget surplus funds during a special legislative session that adjourned Sunday, including $10 million for economic development loans and $7.1 million for expansion of allied health programs recommended by the governor.   Not all of Gov. Manchin’s proposals survived the legislative process. The effort to transform the Promise Scholarship into a loan forgiveness program for students who remain…

Using one-time lottery surplus funds available for fiscal year 2008, Gov. Joe Manchin wants to invest $80 million in world-class research and specialized job training to propel the state toward a knowledge-based economy. The proposal was unveiled to lawmakers during Gov. Manchin’s State-of-the-State Address last week in conjunction with the fiscal year 2009 budget recommendation. Citing a skilled labor shortage for West Virginia companies, Gov. Manchin said that to improve the workforce, the state must target higher education and workforce development investments. The governor’s plan, dubbed “Bucks for Jobs” is twofold. First, he proposes the state create a $50 million education research trust fund modeled after Kentucky’s successful “Bucks for Brains” initiative. The state’s leading research universities – West Virginia University and Marshall University – are the proposed recipients of the endowment, which will require a dollar-for-dollar match by private donations. Funds will be used to simulate world-class R&D and attract venture capital, which will eventually lead to jobs in emerging, high tech and high-wage industries, Gov. Manchin said…

The Putnam County Development Authority (W.Va.) has appointed Heather Lewis as its new economic development project director.

Ernest Andrade, director of the Charleston Digital Corridor, announced he is stepping down as a city council member, effective Aug. 30.

The 82nd Annual Congress of Cities in Charlotte, N.C., elected Jim Hunt, a councilmember of Clarksburg, W.Va., as the new president of the National League of Cities. Hunt follows Washington, D.C., Mayor Anthony A. Williams.

The West Virginia Venture Connection has named John Hale as executive director.

Technology specialist David Levine, hired by Gov. Joe Manchin in March, is leaving the governor's office to become executive director of the Robert C. Byrd National Technology Transfer Center.

As rural America undergoes economic restructuring and communities strive to make the transition from traditional to knowledge-based economies, nurturing innovation is an important strategy that is helping rural areas create an environment for business growth and job creation. On July 17–19, 2005, the Appalachian Regional Commission will hold Incubating Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Supporting Business Incubation and Knowledge-Based Enterprise in Appalachia to help tech-based economic development professionals in the region to better address the issue. The conference will provide an in-depth look at business incubation, best-practice technology commercialization efforts, and entrepreneurial support initiatives that have proven effective in rural communities. Cosponsored by the Charleston Area Alliance and the West Virginia Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (WV-EPSCoR), the event will be held at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Charleston, W.Va. Conference agenda and registration information is available on the conference website: www.wvincubation.org/Welcome.…

West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin signed last week legislation establishing the Department of Commerce and streamlining the support operations for the state’s economic development efforts. Senate Bill 1002, approved during the recent special session of the West Virginia Legislature, renamed the Bureau of Commerce the Department of Commerce. The bill encompasses all of the divisions, offices, boards and commissions under the former Bureau, with the exception of the Water Development Authority and Economic Development Authority – two agencies that become independent. S.B. 1002 also establishes the governor as chairman and board member for seven agencies: the Economic Development Authority, the Public Energy Authority, the Water Development Authority, the Jobs Investment Trust, the Infrastructure Council, the Housing Development Authority and the School Building Authority. With the reorganization, the Council for Community and Economic Development, which provided oversight for the West Virginia Development Office, becomes an advisory board. The executive director of the Development Office, appointed by…

West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin has appointed Nancy Sturm and Jay Cole to serve, respectively, as the state’s education technology coordinator and governor's liaison for education policy, both new policy positions.

West Virginia University’s plan to develop strong research capabilities in a number of focused areas, creating hundreds of new jobs, may be completed in half the time originally anticipated. Gov. Bob Wise announced last week a $24.4 million funding package to jump-start the implementation of new research facilities and laboratories on the WVU campus. In addition to building new research infrastructure, funds will allow the university to attract and recruit top researchers, leading to increased federal and private sector funding, said Robert D’Alessandri, vice president of health sciences. The plan includes a new laboratory at the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center, new neuroscience laboratories, and research space at the new Health Sciences Library. Originally scheduled for completion in 12 years, officials are now hoping the up-front financing will enable them to complete most of the facilities within the next 6-8 years. Specialized research will be focused in the areas of health and biosciences, including neurosciences, cancer and heart disease. According to the governor’s office, up to…

Implementation of the Global Grid Exchange, a state-sponsored open public computing grid in West Virginia, is underway. Hewlett Packard will provide the infrastructure technology that will power the grid, an initiative of the West Virginia High Technology Consortium (WVHTC) Foundation. The Global Grid Exchange utilizes the Internet to aggregate idle or unused computer processing resources throughout West Virginia. HP will furnish hardware such as desktop personal computers for customer service personnel and robust, reliable high-end servers. With access to such resources, the grid reportedly will be the largest open public computing grid in the world. The nonprofit WVHTC received a $14.7 million grant from the West Virginia Economic Development Authority to launch the grid, according to the Associated Press. The project's first phase cost $2.8 million, the AP reports. Using Frontier, a grid computing solution from strategic partner Parabon Computation, the Global Grid Exchange enables a cost-effective computation infrastructure that could drive innovation globally, WVHTC says. Users…