SSTI Digest

Earlier this month, three universities - Stanford University, the University of Texas at Austin and the University of California, Berkeley - announced partnerships with the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), a graduate-level research university set to open in Saudi Arabia by September 2009. Each of the U.S.-based universities will assist with the development of the following initiatives within specific academic fields of study at KAUST:

The presence of "surrogate universities" - that is, nonacademic institutions able to attract a skilled workforce, produce marketable innovations and cultivate local entrepreneurship - have greatly influenced the growth of the tech-based economy of Boise and Idaho's Treasure Valley. Furthermore, distinctions in these surrogates' culture, innovation model and marketable products may help to explain the development of new technology firms in the metro area. In Boise, Idaho: An Overview of the High-Technology Economy in the Treasure Valley, Heike Mayer of Virginia Tech follows the establishment and business activities of tech firms over the last four decades in a region without a research-intensive university, a factor often seen as a critical driver of economic development.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently announced the recipient universities to conduct security research through five new Centers of Excellence. These centers will develop new technologies to prevent natural and man-made disasters, improve government response to such crises and monitor the nation's shores and borders. The Department's Office of University Programs, under its Science and Technology Directorate, will manage the five new centers, which will each receive multi-years grants of up to $2 million per year for 4-6 years. The five centers include:

State universities and research programs depend on public support to develop and commercialize new technologies, but the actual science involved in these discoveries can seem intimidating and arcane to the layman. How then should a state go about engaging the public in scientific research?   To address the issue, Vermont Public Television and Vermont EPSCoR have joined forces to launch a new television series that will introduce Vermont residents to the research and innovations being developed in the state's universities and labs. The program, Emerging Science, will explore the work of Vermonters engaged in scientific exploration and highlight the successes of the state's scientific community. Each episode will feature a developing scientific field, including nanotechnology, global climate change and remote sensing.  

More information on these opportunities and others is available at http://www.ssti.org/posting.htm. The City of East Lansing, Mich., a residential community of 47,000 people and home to Michigan State University, is seeking a project manager for its New Economy Initiatives. This newly created position will focus on business and economic development, including the Lansing Regional SmartZone, East Lansing’s high-tech incubator/accelerator, arts and cultural entrepreneurship program, and related initiatives. The position also will have some responsibilities with housing and Community Development Block Grant programs. A bachelor’s degree in business, economics, urban planning, community development, geography, or a related field is required; a master's degree is preferred.

The innovation gap between Europe and the U.S. is shrinking by several measures, according to the latest benchmarking study from the European Union (EU). The size of the gap remains significant, however, due in part to factors such as an increasing public R&D intensity in the U.S. and a decreasing public R&D intensity in the EU.   The European Innovation Scoreboard 2007 examines the 27 EU member states, in addition to Croatia, Turkey, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, Japan, the U.S., Australia, Canada and Israel. Prepared by the United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research and Training Centre on Innovation and Technology (UNU-MERIT), Scoreboard 2007 compares these countries using 25 different measurements where comparative data is available.  

Venture capitalists invested almost $2.5 billion in China in 2007, according to a new report from Dow Jones VentureSource. That figure is a 5 percent increase over the 2006, and the highest since 2001, despite a decrease in the number of deals. Though investment is not growing quite as quickly as it is in the U.S., where venture investment rose by 8 percent last year, China is becoming a key global market for venture investment.   The decrease in the number of deals appears to be a sign of a maturing venture capital industry, according to the VentureSource report. Though seed and first-round investments still constitute 61 percent of the country's venture deals, more investors are looking at companies in their second round of financing or later. Fifty percent of total investment went to these later-stage companies. Second-round investment dollars increased by 15 percent over the previous year. Deal size may be decreasing as firms devote more money to investment in relatively mature companies.  

Last week, three venture capital firms were chosen by the Department of Energy (DOE) to participate in its new Entrepreneurship in Residence (EIR) program, a pilot initiative designed to get advanced energy technologies out of the federal labs and into the marketplace. In the program’s design, an entrepreneur affiliated with each venture capital firm will work with the selected DOE laboratory staff in order to identify and evaluate marketable technologies.   The selected venture capital firms and their respective federal laboratories are:

Gov. Bobby Jindal unveiled his fiscal year 2008-09 budget to the legislature last week, focusing heavily on improving the existing workforce and creating a business climate that encourages entrepreneurship.   The governor’s recommendation for the Louisiana Department of Economic Development (DED) is $29.2 million in general funds, down $11.2 million from last year. The recommendation for total funds is $85.9 million, down from $201 million last year. The reduction is largely due to nonrecurring funding and interagency transfers and will not impact the department’s services in the coming fiscal year, according to budget documents. Workforce and economic development initiatives slated for funding include:

Using the state’s regional advantage, the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation (RIEDC) wants to create high-wage jobs in targeted industry sectors and establish new equity and financing programs that provide growth capital to sustain the ventures, the agency announced last week.   RIEDC released an economic growth plan with the goal of increasing the percentage of jobs that pay above the national average from its current 40 percent to 60 percent over the next 10 years. The average private sector wage in Rhode Island is $38,700 -- $4,600 less than the national average and much lower than neighboring states Connecticut and Massachusetts.  

The following overview is a synopsis of selected recent announcements from research parks across the nation, including new tenants, groundbreakings and tools for financing start-up companies.                         The chemical company BASF announced in January a $1 million contribution to the Brazosport College Foundation for construction of a new process technology center at the school’s planned Science Technology Corridor. The new facility will include analytical labs and classrooms for curriculum supporting the petrochemical, energy and nuclear energy. The BASF center groundbreaking is expected this summer as the first phase of the Science Technology Corridor, which will also include a health professions and science technology complex with laboratories, classrooms and department offices for health professions programs.  

The 2008 Excellence in TBED Awards call for applications is right around the corner, and this year, your organization could be recognized as a national leader in the TBED community.   As an award winner, you: