SSTI Digest

As many stories in this issue of the Digest point out, academic institutions serve a critical role in performing R&D for the nation’s innovation pipeline. While most of the attention of national policymakers is directed toward the size of federal and industrial investments in R&D, the burden of financing the infrastructure to support much of that research activity falls on states and institutions of higher education. And that burden has a steep price tag. For instance, in late August, the School of Medicine and Public Health at the University of Wisconsin-Madison officially opened the first tower of the Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research (WIMR), an estimated $600 million three-tower project which will house 1,500 lab workers by 2015. This first tower is devoted to interdisciplinary work studying cancer, with five floors dedicated to varying fields of cancer research, one floor for core laboratory equipment, one floor of outpatient radiotherapy, and one floor for the medical physics department which will concentrate on medical imaging. Now under construction, the second tower will concentrate its efforts on cardiovascular disease,…

Tony Armstrong, Indiana University executive director for engagement, has been chosen as the Indiana University Research and Technology Corporations new president and CEO. Jeff Costantine will retire this fiscal year as president of the Nashville Technology Council. The board of directors has begun the search for a new president. Joseph G. Danek stepped down as executive director of the EPSCoR/IDeA Foundation. He will continue work at the foundation as its senior advisor and will also remain senior vice president of the Implementation Group, a Washington consulting firm. James B. Hoehn, a senior associate at the foundation, became its executive director.  Monica Doss, the longtime president of the Council for Entrepreneurial Development who stepped down earlier this year, has been named director of the Kauffman Foundation FastTrac program. Mike Edwards, former assistant vice president and director of the Office of Research at the University of Notre Dame, has been named associate vice president for research in the Office of Research and Technology Management at Case Western Reserve University. Liam E. Leightley has been tapped as the new executive director of the…

The University of Missouri System is seeking applicants for the position of intellectual property attorney. This position assists the General Council in many areas, including managing the legal aspects associated with licensing activities, working with General Counsel to manage the enforcement of the University’s intellectual property and contract rights, providing guidance and advice regarding technology investment activities; serving as liaison for intellectual property matters between the University and industry, advising administration on matters of potential scientific misconduct and compliance with federal and state regulations, providing guidance with respect to the procurement, development, negotiation and licensing of the intellectual property portfolio and assisting in the development of intellectual property educational programs. A law degree and five to seven years experience in corporate and intellectual property law is required. A bachelor’s degree in science or engineering and intellectual property and patent law, technology transfer and/or licensing experience is preferred. 

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick recently signed two bills to improve the commonwealth's standing as a leader in environmental protection and to support the growth of the clean technology industry.  Supporters of the Global Warming Solutions Act and the Green Jobs Act believe that the legislation will position Massachusetts as a recognized center for cleantech policy and business. Massachusetts will invest $68 million over the next five years to promote the clean energy industry through the Green Jobs Act. The bill establishes a new clean energy technology center as the lead agency, in collaboration with the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust, in the promotion and development of new jobs in the clean energy sector. Its mission will include funding research and workforce training, supporting new and existing clean energy businesses, attracting capital and fostering collaboration between the state's public and private research institutions. The new center will offer up to $1 million in seed grants to clean energy companies, institutions or non-profits in 2009. An additional $1 million will be available for workforce development grants, and $100,000 may…

Against the backdrop of Northeast Ohio, a region transitioning to a high-tech economy through focused efforts in industry growth and R&D activity, three state economic development directors championing economic growth will provide SSTI conference attendees with answers to the all important question, Where do we go from here? in a highly interactive and future-looking session.   The economy is changing so are the challenges facing scientists, technologists, innovators, and entrepreneurs. To stay ahead, every element of a regional innovation support system must become smarter and more efficient. But how? Exploring the future look of TBED, this plenary conference session will address some of the biggest challenges facing the economic development field, including: How do we best integrate TBED with more traditional economic development approaches? With budgets tightening, what investments are most important to sustain for economic development efforts? How do cluster strategies and industrial recruitment fit into future economic development? Can workforce development, K-20 education and economic development be assimilated into a unified public policy…

An upcoming report finds that Hawaiian high-tech industries contributed $3 billion to the state's economy in 2007. Preliminary data released to Pacific Business News by the Hawaii Science and Technology Council indicates that the state is home to almost 2,000 high-tech companies in ten sectors, including biotechnology, aerospace, energy and information technology. The complete report is due later this summer. Jobs at high-tech firms count for 3.6 percent of the state's total employment. These jobs provide an average annual salary of $69,000, 43 percent higher than the overall average personal income. Public and private tech companies combined created 4,158 new jobs between 2002 and 2007. Private Hawaiian high-tech companies grew at an average annual rate of 3.3 percent during that same period. A report late last year found that Hawaii's High Technology Business Investment Tax Credit has played a major role in encouraging development in the state (see the November 14, 2007 issue of the SSTI Weekly Digest). Forty-five percent of a sample of high-tech business owners said the controversial credit program played a "major influence" in their decision to…

Last week, three contracts between North Dakota State University (NDSU) and research partners at two Department of Energy federal laboratories were announced, building research opportunities within the Red River Valley Research Corridor. They included the following: A $50,000 contract from Sandia National Laboratories to develop water purification membranes through polymer research; A $25,000 contract also from Sandia for solar cell research which will utilize technologies patented at NDSU; and, A $30,000 contract with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory with NDSU researchers to design and build a radio frequency sensor laboratory.  A press release outlining the contracts was released by Senator Byron Dorgan of North Dakota, Chairman of the Senates Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee, can be found at: http://dorgan.senate.gov/newsroom/record.cfm?id=302158

One of the exciting half-day pre-conference sessions at this years SSTI Annual Conference in Cleveland, Oct. 14-16, is tailored to organizations looking to get in on the action of partnering with federal laboratories across the country. Some of the brightest brains from the leadership of the federal laboratory system and state TBED organizations with successful fed lab experience will be at the session to provide specialized help for those in attendance. All registrants will have the opportunity to describe their technological and commercialization needs in advance, which will be used to generate the sessions content. Included in the sessions itinerary will be: An overview of various federal laboratory programs and partnerships; Roundtable discussions on how to create productive relationships between TBED organizations and federal laboratories; A discussion of working with labs associated with different agencies; How to effectively utilize the federal laboratories Technology Locator Service; and, Personal specialized assistance from both state TBED and federal laboratory representatives. More information on the pre-conference session, including the six…

According to National Science Foundation (NSF) data released two weeks ago, companies spent in aggregate $247.7 billion on R&D expenditures performed in the U.S. in 2006. Leading the nation was California, with $58.4 billion in industrial R&D, followed by Michigan ($16.5 billion), Massachusetts ($15.6 billion), New Jersey ($14.6 billion), and Texas ($13.3 billion).   SSTI has prepared a table presenting the state rankings for industrial R&D performed in 2006, the per-state gross state product in 2006, and each state's industrial R&D intensity. The industrial R&D intensity is the ratio of industry-based R&D to the gross state product.   Using these calculations, Massachusetts experienced the largest industrial R&D intensity in 2006, at 4.64 percent. This was followed by Michigan (4.38 percent), Connecticut (4.04 percent), Washington (3.89 percent), and California (3.35 percent). The industrial R&D intensity for the U.S. as a whole was calculated to be 1.89 percent.   The table may be accessed by visiting: http://www.ssti.org/Digest/Tables/082708t.htm   The NSF has released an…

SSTI will be holding its first poster session dedicated entirely to celebrating why states, regions, universities and related organizations engage in TBED.  We want to hear your story to learn about the successes that keep you coming back to work day after day, the reason you believe that technology-based economic development is working in you community - the real faces behind all the data. With each poster, you help to strengthen the TBED community by providing needed information, expand your own network of professional contacts, and receive national recognition at SSTI's 12th Annual Conference. By contributing a poster, you place your organization in the spotlight of the TBED community and join other SSTI members in joining together to build an arsenal of anecdotes backed by hard facts to serve as arguments and evidence for expanding or sustaining funding by your stakeholders. This opportunity is only available to our membership. Join today and participate in the poster session and take advantage of the conference member discounts! To help our members get the most of the…

State, regional and university technology-based economic development (TBED) is at a crossroads. Many initiatives are celebrating major chronologic milestones at the same time new TBED elements – such as incubators, grant programs, research parks, and equity funds – are popping up almost daily in more and more communities and universities.   Still a rapidly growing field, TBED practitioners and stakeholders are asking, “Where do we go from here?” The economy is changing ­ so are the challenges facing scientists, technologists, innovators and entrepreneurs. To stay ahead, every element of a regional innovation support system must become smarter and more efficient.   But how? We will have answers at SSTI’s 12th Annual Conference this fall. Our most complete conference yet, the premiere professional development experience for the community of organizations promoting innovation and entrepreneurship keeps getting better! Just look: Four future-looking special sessions focused on the key TBED partners: industry, universities, service providers and government. We’ll use instant polling and discussion with…

Each year, SSTI members assemble timely, relevant session topics offering practical information with lessons that can be directly applied to issues currently facing the TBED community. Rest assured that when you return from the conference, you will be equipped with fresh ideas to tackle your organization’s most pressing needs. SSTI uses a two-stage survey process during the summer months to develop the conference agenda, rather than having the agenda set by invitation or call for papers many months in advance. Given the breadth and diversity of interests and perspectives among SSTI’s membership, the slate of sessions is assured to offer more than one topic of interest for nearly every component of the TBED community.    Back by popular demand this year, SSTI is offering two full- and two half-day pre-conference sessions. This is your opportunity to learn what is working across the country to transform regional economies through science, technology and innovation. A separate registration fee is required to attend the pre-conference sessions.   New to this year’s conference agenda are four highly interactive plenary and…