SSTI Digest

On Jan. 17, the U.S. Department of Labor announced 13 regions across the country will share $65 million in the second round of Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) grants.   While the 13 original 2005 WIRED awardees split a pool of $195 million, each 2nd Generation WIRED region will receive an award of $500,000, with the ability to access a $4.5 million balance contingent upon completion of a regional implementation blueprint. Each of the second WIRED regions already received $100,000 after the 2005 competition to prepare talent development strategies.   The 2nd Generation WIRED regions are: Eastern & Central Puerto Rico; Southwestern Connecticut; Northern New Jersey; Delaware Valley Tri-State Area (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware); Appalachian Ohio; Southeast Michigan; Northern Alabama and Southern Tennessee; Southwestern Indiana; Southeast Wisconsin; Arkansas Delta; Rio Grande Valley, Texas; Wasatch Range, Utah; and Northern California.   More information is available at http://www.doleta.gov/.

A recent report by the Florida Legislature’s Office of Program Policy and Government Accountability (OPPAGA) recommends the state’s next steps to develop its biotechnology industry should include the creation of a privately managed early-stage capital fund for investing in start-up companies, to be financed by the Legislature. The report also contends that the state should consider the creation of an “early seed gap” fund to assist university researchers in the commercialization of their discoveries, and it should improve accountability for the performance of state-supported biotech initiatives.   These recommendations come when Florida has made substantial recent investments in the hopes of enhancing the state’s biotechnology industry. Some of the well publicized financial incentives provided by the state to influence laboratory recruitment include $310 million for the Scripps Florida Research Institute, $155 million for the Burnham Institute and $32 million for the Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies. Additionally, Florida has created two biotechnology Centers of Excellence, one in biomedical and marine biotechnology at Florida Atlantic…

Looking for information on individual states or on key statistical indicators? If so, the SSTI Weekly Digest archives are a resource that should prove helpful in your search. By visiting www.ssti.org/Digest/digest.htm, one can browse headlines or view Digest articles dating back to 1996 or use any of these tools: SSTI's State & Local Story Index provides quick access to stories on all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, as covered in the Digest. The Innovation Indices contain a list of Digest articles covering assessment tools. Many states, regions and communities have prepared profiles of their economies using a variety of indicators or metrics. Several national indices also have been prepared during the past few years, and this list provides a quick one-stop resource of the Digest articles we’ve prepared on them. The Useful Stats Index provides direct links to the information and tables found in past Digest issues.  Contact Noelle Sheets, director of membership services, at 614.901.1690, if you have any questions regarding these resources or would like to learn about SSTI’s membership benefits.…

Complete descriptions of the position openings described below are available at http://www.ssti.org/posting.htm. The Life Sciences Discovery Fund (LSDF) Authority was created by the Washington State legislature to promote economic vitality in the State of Washington by fostering innovative scientific research designed to improve the health of the state’s citizens. In support of this mission, the LSDF is seeking a senior program officer to manage its grantmaking portfolios. He or she will be required to structure and maintain relationships with LSDF applicants, grantees and peer reviewers; establish and maintain effective, collegial relationships with applicant scientists and their institutions; travel within Washington State to familiarize applicants with LSDF granting programs and requests for proposals; and perform other responsibilities. The ideal candidate will have a master's degree in a life science or related area and at least eight years of life science research experience. A Ph.D. is highly desired. The Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO) seeks an experienced technology transfer practitioner to direct…

This is the second installment of SSTI’s look at the Inaugural, Budget and State of the State Addresses delivered in the past week. With a heavy emphasis on alternative energy, TBED priorities continue to receive significant time in the speeches delivered by the nation’s governors at the start of the 2007 legislative season. Selected excerpts of new initiatives are provided below: Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe, State of the State Address, Jan. 10, 2007 “Our students deserve the best and the newest learning tools that we can provide. It's essential that all of our students have Internet access and current technology to maximize it. Therefore, we will undertake an up-to-date assessment of all technology resources in our schools, showing us where we need to improve, and how these resources are used. With that, the Arkansas Department of Education and the Department of Information Systems will formulate a timeline to ensure that every child has SAFE access to the online world. ... “... Young people with the talent and the ability to pursue higher education in Arkansas should not be hindered by a lack of resources. Those…

The gradual aging of the American workforce and the domestic migration of young workers may be at fault for slow economic growth in many states that have historically been successful in promoting high-tech business, according to this year’s Index of the Massachusetts Innovation Economy. The 10th anniversary edition of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC) publication reports that the state shows several signs of recovery from the technology bust of the early 00s, but cites accelerating population loss among 22- to 34-year-olds as a major challenge for high-tech industries. The group warns that if Massachusetts continues to lose skilled younger workers, the state will be ill-equipped to capitalize on advances in emerging technologies, such as renewable energy, nanotechnology and the life sciences.   Over the past decade, the Index has monitored key innovation indicators in Massachusetts and other leading technology states. MTC compares the state’s performance in critical technology areas to its peer states, including Virginia, Minnesota, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Illinois, New Jersey, North Carolina, California, and New York. Last year…

Recently, Enterprise Florida Inc. and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development joined SSTI as state sponsors. We are pleased to have 38 state science and technology (S&T) organizations show their commitment to technology-based economic development as state sponsors. Our members see value in the educational opportunities, technical assistance and quality research information SSTI provides. "We share SSTI's commitment to economic improvement through science and technology, which is evidenced by our focus on building Florida's economy through life sciences and other technology sectors," said Enterprise Florida President and CEO John Adams Jr. "The collaboration with SSTI and its members will benefit us in developing Florida as a hub for top level research and technology commercialization." Membership in SSTI allows access to the most extensive network of current and past practitioners, academics and policymakers who are attempting to speed commercialization and encourage innovation. SSTI has active members in 46 states, Puerto Rico and Canada. Visit www.ssti.org/sponsors.htm…

Penn State University is seeking an entrepreneurial leader for its Office of Economic and Workforce Development. This office serves to advance the economic well-being of Pennsylvania, ultimately by helping to create and retain jobs and enhance the skills of the workforce in the Commonwealth. The director of economic and workforce development reports to the vice president for outreach at Penn State's campus in University Park, Pa. A master’s degree or equivalent knowledge and at least seven years of related experience are required. A full description of this opportunity and others is available through the SSTI Job Corner at http://www.ssti.org/posting.htm.

SSTI annually scans the inaugural, budget and state of the state addresses given by the nation's governors to see how TBED priorities fare as the state leaders present their legislative priorities for the year. If the addresses are right, more than a handful of states will be "the" leader for alternative or renewable energy within a variety of time spans. Highlights of speeches available at press time include: Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, State of the State Address, Jan. 8, 2007 "I want to focus on where we go from here, where we will take Arizona in the 21st century. There are three components to this One Arizona Plan – the keys to making our state stronger than it has ever been: The first key is Education … to guarantee that every young person who graduates from Arizona’s schools is truly prepared for a world of competition and innovation...The third key is Innovation. "From our educators, we need a new emphasis throughout our school system that encourages curiosity, discovery and invention. We want technology embedded in our schools – to enhance the learning process and to improve…

Last month, New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine signed a bill that will contribute $270 million to the construction of five biotechnology research facilities across the state. The funding source will be bonds backed up by cigarette tax revenue, as issued by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority. Gov. Corzine believes the state is at a strategic moment to accumulate "a critical mass of scientists, researchers, doctors and physical facilities" ahead of the next presidential administration, which will dictate future federal spending on stem cell research. The proposal includes: $150 million to build and equip a stem cell research institute at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, which will be named for the late actor, New Jersey native, and stem cell research advocate Christopher Reeve; $50 million for a biomedical research facility in downtown Camden; $50 million for an adult stem cell research facility in Newark at the New Jersey Institute of Technology; $10 million for the Garden State Cancer Center in Bellville; and, $10 million for an umbilical cord blood collection program in Allendale. In addition to this…

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has announced that his proposed budget for 2007-08 will include a $95 million initiative to support new and existing facilities for high-tech research. The California Research and Innovation Initiative would provide funding to several university-based projects around the state hosting clean energy, biotechnology, and nanotechnology research and commercialization activities. Gov. Schwarzenegger explained that his initiative would build upon the state’s academic resources and large pool of scientists and engineers to ensure California’s continued leadership in high-tech innovation.   Under the governor’s proposal, the Helios Project, a sustainable energy research initiative at the University of California’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, would receive $30 million in lease revenue bonds to construct a new energy/nanotechnology research facility. The facility would host cooperative research between researchers at academic institutions across the country to incorporate recent advances in synthetic biology and nanomaterials into developing effective and affordable energy alternatives. Helios researchers…

Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle has submitted her budget proposal to the state legislature for the fiscal biennium 2007-09, including significant increase in the amount allocated for certain state economic development entities. The High Technology Development Corporation (HTDC), a state agency that develops and supports Hawaii’s science and technology resources, would grow from average annual expenditures of $4.2 million in the 2005-07 biennium cycle to $9.8 million in the next cycle. Projects funded by HTDC include providing matching grants for Hawaii-based companies receiving SBIR funds, administering high-tech incubators across the state and the state’s MEP program, and managing a renewable energy development initiative.   The Hawaii Strategic Development Corporation (HSDC) also would see a marked change going from a $246,500 budget in fiscal year 2005-06 and $4.3 million in FY 2006-07, up to a proposed $9 million in FY07-08 and $6.9 million in FY08-09. The primary goal of the HSDC is to provide investment capital to Hawaii-based businesses, such as seed capital and venture capital.   The proposed 2007-09 budget contains…