SSTI Digest

Are you thinking about making a career change? If so, visit the SSTI Job Corner at http://www.ssti.org/posting.htm. In addition to the new opportunities described below, the SSTI Job Corner has openings for these positions:

Against the backdrop of BIO’s annual meeting, held this week in Boston, Gov. Deval Patrick unveiled a comprehensive, collaborative Massachusetts Life Science Strategy. The plan includes a 10-year, $1 billion investment package to support biomedical and stem cell research. Key to the governor’s Life Science Initiative is passage of legislation yet to be introduced that will strengthen the Massachusetts Life Science Center and, according to the governor’s press release, “charge it with the execution of a life science mission focused on science and economic development, strategic investments at critical stages of the development cycle, and collaboration with the private sector to create innovation infrastructure critical to both researchers and companies.” The governor also announced his commitment to making targeted investments in companies that encourage life science economic development in the Commonwealth. Highlights of the proposal include a $1 billion investment package to provide funds to:

This year, the Florida Legislature focused a great deal of attention on TBED issues, approving and continuing its support for several tech-related programs. Though Gov. Charlie Crist's proposed $20 million investment in stem cell research did not survive the legislative session, initiatives designed to encourage other cutting-edge research, improve access to capital and attract promising companies garnered more than $400 million in the state budget.   Enterprise Florida will manage the state's new Opportunity Fund, which will provide seed and early-stage venture capital to high-tech companies through investments in private venture capital firms. The fund will launch with an initial, one-time appropriation of $29.5 million and will specifically target its investments toward companies in the advanced manufacturing, IT, life sciences, aviation and aerospace, and defense industries. Recipients must be Florida-based companies and have received twice as much as the state investment from other sources.

Indiana's General Assembly adjourned for the year last week, after passing a $29 billion budget that included more than $100 million for TBED-related programs.  

The 2007 Iowa state legislative session has looked very favorably on TBED. One of the centerpieces of Iowa Gov. Chet Culver’s campaign last year was his pledge to "develop the next-generation energy ecomony in Iowa" through a $100 million state fund (see the Feb. 19, 2007 issue of the SSTI Weekly Digest). The Iowa Power Fund was approved by the state’s General Assembly late last month and closely resembles Gov. Culver’s original plan. For the first year, the fund will be capitalized with an initial $25 million from the state and an additional $25 million annually over the next three years.  

A number of crucial TBED initiatives introduced earlier this year by North Dakota Gov. John Hoeven were recently enacted by the state legislature, including a $42 million renewable energy plan, $20 million in new funding for university-based Centers of Excellence, a 25 percent R&D tax credit, and additional investments in research and workforce development.   A comprehensive renewable energy plan aimed at supporting both state and national energy goals was created to help maximize use of the state’s renewable energy resources. The package also includes funding for programs that support the 25 x 25 Initiative, a nationwide goal that calls for 25 percent of the nation’s energy to come from renewable resources by the year 2025.  

University administrators most commonly measure success for their technology transfer efforts by revenue generation. Public institutions, however, increasingly have state legislators, governors and local civic leaders expecting those licenses and spinoffs to occur within their political borders. Tech transfer does not always equate to regional economic development to the degree desired by policymakers.   The carrot and stick analogy plays well to the different approaches states are attempting to keep more of the technology commercialization at home. Ohio's new Technology Commercialization Incentive (TCI) Fund is one of the latest carrots - rewarding the best schools, whether public or private, with cash.   Two weeks ago, the Ohio Board of Regents selected three universities as the first-ever recipients for TCI awards, totalling $500,000. The annual reward is based on an index score, calculated with weighted measures of:

At the 2007 SSTI annual conference, the Trent Lott National Center of Excellence for Economic Development & Entrepreneurship <http://www.trentlottcenter.com/> intends to make an award to the researcher or research team that has made the most significant impact on the field of technology-based economic development in the last five years. The chosen researcher will receive a significant honorarium and will present findings at the 2007 SSTI Annual Conference, Oct 18-19 in Baltimore. Judges will include active researchers who have significant practical experience in TBED. Judges will consider the quality of the research, the applicability and impact of the research findings on TBED policy and practice, and the ability of the selected researcher to present at the 2007 SSTI annual conference.

A big week for big cheeses:

Idaho Gov. Butch Otter selected James Ellick to head the Idaho Department of Commerce. Ellick brings a tech perspective to the department, having run four venture capital backed tech companies in Silicon Valley in his past.

Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher named John Hindman, retired former vice president of strategic communications and public affairs for UPS Airlines, to run the state's Economic Development Cabinet.

John Mengacci, CEO of Connecticut Innovations, announced his resignation.