SSTI Digest

Incubators and accelerators. Angel, seed and venture capital. Research parks. University and industry research. Technology licensing and commercialization. Entrepreneurship assistance. R&D tax credits. Technology workforce development. Regional technology councils. Manufacturing extension. Science and technology advisers. While all have specific functions, collectively, when supported by public funds, these activities are working toward a single goal of transforming a regional economy to be more competitive in the knowledge-driven global market for innovation and growth. These are not the same components used for conventional economic development approaches that strive to improve or maintain economic vitality of a geographic area. Technology-Based Economic Development (TBED) is driven to improve the standard of living of the residents and businesses of an area while simultaneously increasing their capacity to generate new opportunities for wealth creation into the future through targeted strategies and investments focused on encouraging a combination of knowledge, innovation, and entrepreneurship.…

Once again, SSTI's members have assembled one of our finest slates of sessions yet to anchor the 11th annual conference, Oct. 18-19, in Baltimore. Providing the core of the conference, the 19 sessions are structured to allow ample discussion time among participants, something we're told sets SSTI's conferences apart from the rest. Additionally, SSTI uses a two-stage survey process each summer to develop the conference agenda rather than having the agenda set by invitation or call for papers many months in advance. The result is all topics to be discussed were ranked as being of highest interest or most pressing need by SSTI's sponsors and affiliates — your peers from around the country! Given the breadth and diversity of interests and perspectives present among SSTI's membership, the slate of sessions is assured to offer at least one topic of interest for nearly every component of the TBED community during each of the five time slots offering concurrent breakout sessions. In many cases there will be multiple sessions you'd like to attend, making the team approach the best way to participate. Bringing multiple members of your state or local TBED…

Attendees at SSTI's 11th annual conference will be fortunate to participate in plenary sessions led off by keynote addresses highlighting two of the most critical elements of TBED — successful entrepreneurship and engaged institutions of higher learning.  Our opening plenary session provides the opportunity to hear from Kevin Plank, chairman and chief executive officer of Under Armour Inc. Call it an enterprising hunch, a brilliant brainstorm or a stroke of pure genius, Mr. Plank started Under Armour in 1995, when he was special teams captain for the University of Maryland football team. Tired of repeatedly changing the cotton T-shirt under his jersey as it became wet and heavy during the course of a game, he set out to develop a next-generation shirt that would remain drier and lighter and consistently perform under the most extreme conditions. A few tireless years later, Mr. Plank oversaw the company's November 2005 IPO, the first to double on opening day in five years, and the December 2006 move from the NASDAQ to the New York Stock Exchange. In 2006, he was the distinguished recipient of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year national…

SSTI's annual conference is as much a community homecoming as it a unique professional development opportunity. With our latest addition to the schedule, SSTI is making it even more of both! By attending SSTI's annual conference this year, you have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be present for the inaugural-year announcement of SSTI's Excellence in TBED Award winners. The Award recognizes the longstanding achievements made by the TBED community in promoting research, entrepreneurial development, a skilled workforce, and innovation in existing companies. The celebration will be held following lunch on Oct. 18. Strong evidence of the need for a recognition program for the TBED community was provided by the breadth and sheer number of applications SSTI received for the first-ever awards in six categories: Expanding the research infrastructure Commercializing research Building entrepreneurial capacity Increasing access to capital Enhancing the S&T workforce Improving the competitiveness of existing industries Conference participants are certain to be impressed with how the initiatives gained momentum, achieved…

It isn't every conference you consider attending that offers so much content in such a dynamic and fun location - so much that this one warrants extending your stay in Baltimore to play over the weekend. Our conference site is strategically located at the center of the Baltimore's exciting Inner Harbor. The active waterfront is beautiful, offering dozens of options to satisfy all of your cravings — dining, tourist attractions, arts, nightlife, shopping and convenient walking tours. The Inner Harbor is just one of the reasons Baltimore is a perennial destination city. Don't just take our word for it, though. Check it out here:  http://www.ssticonference.org/Conf07/amenities.htm

A fun-filled evening of music, drinks and scrumptious hor d'oeurves awaits participants of SSTI's conference with the opening reception at the Marine Mammal Pavilion of the world-famous National Aquarium in Baltimore. This festive event is possible due to the generosity of Team Maryland, a group of 21 Maryland organizations supporting technology-based economic development in their state and region: Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO) University System of Maryland (USM) Forest City Science + Technology Park at Johns Hopkins Battelle Wexford Science & Technology, LLC ANGLE Technology Group Greater Baltimore Committee Greater Baltimore Technology Council The Johns Hopkins University Maryland Chamber of Commerce Maryland Economic Development Association Maryland Economic Development Corporation Mid-Atlantic Venture Association (MAVA) Regional Visioning Group Research Parks Maryland Tech Council of Maryland Toucan Capital Corp. University of Maryland University of Maryland, Baltimore University of Maryland, Baltimore County Just…

SSTI's annual conference is the field's most stimulating and rewarding professional development event of the year. We hope you are planning on joining us in Baltimore, Oct. 18-19. You can expect: In-depth examinations of some of the best state and regional approaches to cultivate a bright economic future Unparalleled networking with the right people within the tech-based economic development community Stimulating dialogue and thought-provoking exchange between great thinkers, old friends and new peers from across the country Renewed energy and personal resolve to address the challenges of strengthening your state or local economy A great social networking opportunity enjoying the vibrancy of all Baltimore has to offer If you have come before, you know that each year's agenda provides the newest perspectives, thinking and approaches to dealing with common problems, new issues and the latest trends and challenges facing your efforts to transform your regional economy. Register today to attend SSTI's 11th Annual Conference, Transforming Regional Economies, at: http://www.ssticonference.org/

In addition to the 21-member Team Maryland, led by the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development, the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO) and the University System of Maryland, SSTI's 11th annual conference is made possible by the support of its national partners. SSTI extends its appreciation and thanks to the generous support received by the following exemplary organizations: Greater Oklahoma Chamber of Commerce ASME Center for Engineering Entrepreneurship & Innovation Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer GSP Consulting Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) MEP Utah National Centers of Excellence NorTech The Trent Lott National Center of Excellence for Economic Development & Entrepreneurship Ben Franklin Technology Partners Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development Oak Ridge National Laboratory SZD Whiteboard  WestCAMP Descriptions of all local and national partners, including links to their individual websites for more information, are available at: http://www.ssticonference.org/Conf07/partners.htm …

California California lawmakers reached a budget agreement last week, preserving brief funding for an initiative aimed at supporting high-tech research and innovation. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger unveiled the $95 million Research and Innovation Initiative in January to provide funding to several university-based projects focused on clean energy, biotechnology and nanotechnology research and commercialization (see the Jan. 8, 2007 issue of the Digest).   The fiscal year 2007-08 state budget includes $70 million in lease revenue bond funding for the Energy Biosciences Institute and the Helios Project at the University of California (UC). UC Berkeley will receive $40 million for the Energy Biosciences Institute to focus on the development of alternative fuel, and $30 million is allocated for the Helios Project, an initiative by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to create sustainable, carbon neutral sources of energy. Lawmakers also approved $6 million for UC labor research programs.   Not included in the budget is $15 million in operating funds for the California Institutes for Science and Innovation…

Last week, the National Science Foundation (NSF) announced that the Arkansas Science & Technology Authority (ASTA) would receive $9 million through the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) to enhance the state's research capabilities. The new funds will be used to support a broad range of activities, from attracting world-class scholars to fostering entrepreneurship, in select technology areas.   The program, dubbed the Arkansas Advancing and Supporting Science, Engineering and Technology (ASSET) Initiative, will provide additional research funding to three of the state's university campuses: the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. These schools will receive financial support to establish two new research centers and to promote interdisciplinary and multi-institutional research in promising fields.   The first center will investigate the nexus of agricultural, energy, environmental and health sciences in the use of plant materials for energy generation. The Plant Powered Production (P3) Center will…

Implementing successful technology-based development initiatives in rural areas is an ongoing challenge for many parts of the country. Earlier this month, New York Gov. Elliot Spitzer signed legislation establishing a new program to stimulate employment and income growth by promoting cluster-based strategies in rural regions of the state. Sponsored by Sen. George H. Winner Jr., chairman of New York’s Legislative Commission on Rural Resources, Senate Bill 3234 outlines the Cluster Based Industry and Agribusiness Development Grant Program, which will provide seed grants of up to $25,000 on a competitive basis to community-based economic development corporations.   The initiative will be administered by New York’s Rural Revitalization Program while the funds will be dispersed by the Empire State Development (ESD) Corporation, the state’s lead economic development agency as part of its comprehensive rural revitalization program. Clusters are expected to be organized around the existing strengths in certain regions, as well as the emerging technologies and research under development at the universities and colleges dotting the landscape of rural New…

University technology transfer efforts have been the subject of considerable discussion of late, moving all the way to hearings on Capitol Hill. Whether or not broad changes may be afoot as debate continues on the merits of the Bayh-Dohl Act, but several universities are already tweaking, modifying or stepping up their efforts to establish new businesses in emerging fields through innovative approaches.   The incentive for university direct involvement in tech transfer can be significant as administrators seek new sources of revenue because the payoff to universities and local economic impact can, on occasion, be quite lucrative. Last year, the University of Massachusetts (UMass) generated its best take yet from commercialization of its intellectual property, a record $41.4 million across five campuses, according to UMass officials.   In 2005, university technology managers across the U.S. reported more than $42 billion in R&D expenditures at U.S. academic centers, 628 new spinoff companies created, 4,932 new licenses signed, and an increase in patent applications filed over the previous year, according to the…