SSTI Digest

In just under 50 days, more than 4,000 people have gone to SSTI's website to read A Resource Guide for Technology-based Economic Development. The guide provides insights into three of the most important elements of transforming regional economies: Positioning universities as economic drivers; Fostering entrepreneurship; and, Increasing access to capital. Readers of the guide will benefit from the wisdom and experiences of 58 experienced practitioners who have worked on these issues. Each section of the book provides insight into the characteristics and qualities shared among the best TBED policies and practices. Examples of key strategies from across the country are included, as well as special considerations, cautions or tips for each approach. A Resource Guide for Technology-based Economic Development, produced with support from the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration, is available as a free, downloadable PDF at http://www.ssti.org/Publications/Onlinepubs/resource_guide.pdf or as an inexpensive 90-page bound book (a format still more likely to be perused by most legislators or gubernatorial…

Did your New Year's resolutions involve making a career change? If so and you've yet to fulfill that resolution, 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: Director of technology transfer and commercialization with the Maryland Technology Development Corporation; Senior program officer with Washington State's Life Sciences Discovery Fund; Directors to guide MTECH Ventures and VentureAccelerator at the University of Maryland; Research scientist at Purdue University; and Director of economic and workforce development with Penn State University. Or, maybe you're interested in posting a position. SSTI members are entitled to unlimited, free postings, and a brief mention in the SSTI Weekly Digest. The cost for all others is $95 per ad, which will run for 30 days on the SSTI Job Corner. To place a job posting, contact Noelle Sheets at 614.901.1690. New opportunities include: The Center for Governmental Studies, a unit of Northern Illinois University's Regional Development…

Gov. Martin O'Malley has appointed Clarence Bishop to serve as interim secretary of the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development, replacing Aris Melissaratos. Mike Blouin has stepped down as director of the Iowa Department of Economic Development to become president of the Greater Dubuque Development Corp.. Tucker Fagan announced he is retiring as CEO of the Wyoming Business Council to join his sons in starting a Wyoming high-tech company. Gov. Eliot Spitzer has named Daniel Gundersen co-chairman of the Empire State Development Corp. in New York. Gov. John Baldacci has sworn in John Richardson as the new commissioner of the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development. Chris Roybal announced he is stepping down as senior economic development advisor of the Utah Governor's Office to become president and chief operating officer of the Northwest Research Corp., effective Feb. 2.

Gov. Martin O'Malley has appointed Clarence Bishop to serve as interim secretary of the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development, replacing Aris Melissaratos.

Mike Blouin has stepped down as director of the Iowa Department of Economic Development to become president of the Greater Dubuque Development Corp..

Tucker Fagan announced he is retiring as CEO of the Wyoming Business Council to join his sons in starting a Wyoming high-tech company.

Gov. Eliot Spitzer has named Daniel Gundersen co-chairman of the Empire State Development Corp. in New York.

Gov. John Baldacci has sworn in John Richardson as the new commissioner of the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development.

Chris Roybal announced he is stepping down as senior economic development advisor of the Utah Governor's Office to become president and chief operating officer of the Northwest Research Corp., effective Feb. 2.

With the opportunity presented by a $732 million budget surplus, Gov. Linda Lingle wants Hawai`i to shift its public investment philosophy away from land development and toward encouraging, nurturing and rewarding innovation, creativity, entrepreneurship and risk-taking. Most of Gov. Lingle's State of the State Address on Jan. 22 and her 56-page 2007 Initiatives booklet is dedicated to explaining how she wants the public sector to lead realignment of the state’s economy toward “one fueled by innovation and new ideas generated by our universities and a highly-trained workforce.”   Facing a legislature controlled by Democrats, the Republican governor’s plan embraces several proposals first advanced by legislative leadership last session, including a $100 million Hawai`i Innovation Fund. The privately managed technology-based equity fund would be capitalized from the State Employees Retirement System, under Gov. Lingle’s proposal.  Other proposals include: High school students who successfully complete the science, technology and math curriculum through proposed STEM academies, would receive undergraduate scholarships at the…

Earlier this month, Gov. Janet Napolitano presented Arizonans with a three-part plan to prepare for the 21st century economy in her annual State of the State Address. The One Arizona Plan would support state economic growth by investing in education, physical infrastructure and innovation. During her address, Gov. Napolitano emphasized the need to increase Arizona’s innovation capacity and to build a technologically-savvy workforce. The One Arizona Plan would approach these goals by increasing curriculum requirements for K-12 students, creating incentives to attract and retain high-quality educators, build new academic research facilities, and offer financial support for high-tech researchers and entrepreneurs.   The governor’s Executive Budget Proposal for fiscal year 2008 provides more details about the plan and its implications for state TBED. Under the governor’s plan, the state would dedicate over $75 million in new funding to science and technology initiatives, according to the Arizona Republic.   Science Foundation Arizona (SFAz), a nonprofit public-private partnership established last year by three Arizona CEO…

The Cleantech Venture Network (CVN) announced last week that U.S. venture investment in clean technologies fell 34 percent in the fourth quarter of 2006. Investment in cleantech, which includes products and services that reduce or eliminate environmental impacts, declined to $613 million last quarter -- down from a record-breaking peak of $933 million in the previous quarter. The drop brought to an end nine consecutive quarters of gains for cleantech, but still capped a record-breaking year for VC investment in the sector.   A CVN press release suggests that the lower figures can be attributed to inflated valuations earlier in the year, or common fluctuations in the market. Several large third-quarter deals also had an affect on the figures. In Q3, the top five cleantech deals accounted for 61 percent of total investment. Though the total number of deals grew from 47 to 74 in the fourth quarter, the average size of these deals dropped from $19.9 million to $8.3 million. Even with the drop in investment, the industry managed to post a 22 percent increase over the last quarter of the previous year.   Cleantech was not the…