SSTI Digest

Maryland has a new program to provide loans to early stage technology-oriented companies that are affiliated with the incubation network, Governor Robert Ehrlich announced earlier this month. The $500,000 Working Capital Loan Fund, administered by the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO), will offer low-interest, flexible term loans of between $15,000 and $50,000 to companies in underserved parts of Maryland. The U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration (EDA) provided $325,000, which was matched by TEDCO, to capitalize the fund, provide technical assistance and support outreach efforts. The loans are specifically targeted toward incubation-affiliated businesses in Wenstern Maryland, the Lower and Mid Shore and Baltimore City. Loans can be used for working capital. "This loan program will allow Maryland's business incubator network to be more effective in developing high-tech businesses and in promoting technology transfer to areas outside the Baltimore/Washington tech corridor, specifically Western Maryland, Southern Maryland, and on the Eastern…

The growth rates of female sole proprietors in the numbers of businesses, gross receipts, and net income were more than double that of their male counterparts between 1985-2000. However, sole proprietorships were still male-dominated, with male sole proprietors having a larger share of the total number, receipts, and net income, according to a working paper from the Small Business Administration. The study, U.S. Sole Proprietorships: A Gender Comparison, 1985-2000, uses U.S. sole proprietorship data tabulated by the Statistics of Income Division of the Internal Revenue Service to determine information about U.S. sole proprietorship by gender. Some of the categories measured include business size, owner's marital status, industry categories, net income, growth, and business receipts. While women outperformed men in terms of growth, they were behind in wage earnings and total sales. Data from the study indicate that most U.S. sole proprietorships are small, and more than 50 percent of sole proprietors are simultaneously salary and wage earners. In 1999, male sole proprietors earned an…

Nominations for the 2006 National Medal of Technology can be made up until September 30.  The President of the U.S. presents the prestigious National Medal of Technology to individuals, teams of individuals, or companies who have improved the American economy and quality of life by their outstanding contributions through technology. The Medal honors accomplishments in the innovation, development, commercialization and management of technology as evidenced by the establishment of new or significantly improved products, processes or services. The Department of Commerce which administers the award is encouraging nominators to consider the high-impact contributions which colleagues, mentors or associates have made in areas such as: Technology Manpower/Workforce Training/Education Technology Management and Policy Technology Product and Process Environmental Technology Established by an act of Congress in 1980, the Medal of Technology was first awarded in 1985. Past recipients include: W. Lincoln Hawkins (plastics pioneer in telecommunications…

If one of the keys to competing in a flat or flattening world is better integration of universities into the economic system, then one of the best ways to measure success is to examine industry's share of academic R&D expenditures. Based on the National Science Foundation's Academic Research and Development Expenditures: Fiscal Year 2003 (detailed tables available at: http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/nsf05320/htmstart.htm), SSTI has prepared a table showing industry's share of total academic R&D expenditures in 2003. States with the greatest percentage of academic R&D coming from industry in 2003 in rank order are: Alaska, North Carolina, Nebraska, Virginia, Iowa, Massachusetts, Indiana, Vermont, Pennsylvania, and Arizona. States with the smallest percentage of academic R&D coming from industry in 2003 are (starting with the smallest percentage and going up): South Dakota, Rhode Island, West Virginia, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Utah, Oregon, Kansas, Alabama, and Delaware. The stats provoke a number of questions that policymakers and researchers should explore in more depth…

Whether you use Outlook, Palm, Day-Timer, Filofax, or Post-Its to keep track of the items on your "To Do" list, make sure these two items on your lists to be wrapped up by next Tuesday, Sept. 20: The early registration period for SSTI's 9th Annual Conference ends on Sept. 20. The event will be held in Atlanta on Oct. 19-21. Your professional development budget is already limited. Saving the $100 off the registration price for an event you know you need to attend only makes sound business sense. You can register today at: https://www.ssti.org/Conf05/registration.htm The nicely discounted room rate for the luxurious InterContinental Hotel - Buckhead expires on Sept. 20. Booking your accommodations at the hotel site before next Tuesday saves your organization money once again by guaranteeing the incredible $165/night rate and eliminating unnecessary taxi costs staying at some inferior, less convenient property. Note, the room block for this five-star quality hotel could fill before that date so act today. Instructions are available at: http://www.ssti.org/Conf05/site.htm

While biotechnology focused on medical applications garners most of the attention, agricultural biotechnology is a high priority for a number of states. But ag biotech has generated significant concerns in some regions because of its emphasis on genetically modified organisms (GMOs). While three counties in California have banned the use of GMOs, three others rejected a ban in last November's elections; Sonoma County voters will decide whether to enact a moratorium in November. Those concerns were sure to be heightened when the government of the United Kingdom confirmed earlier this week the existence of the first genetically modified (GM) superweed. The superweed is a result of GM oilseed rape crossbreeding with a common weed in a farm scale trial. According to the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA), the study monitored gene flow from Bayer's herbicide-resistant GM oilseed rape to related wild plants during government-sponsored farm scale evaluations of GM crops. Researchers found a GM version of the common weed charlock (Sinapis arvenis)…

Over the past few years, annual surveys from the National League of Cities (NLC) have reported grim findings on the fiscal status of cities across the nation with little hope for turnaround in the near future. In 2003, the NLC survey found that cities faced the worst fiscal conditions for municipalities since NLC began its survey of city finance managers in 1985 (see the May 30, 2003 issue of the Digest). And in 2004, the survey found a majority of cities still suffering from the recession, with 75 percent of respondents from the West and 74 percent of respondents from the Midwest reporting deteriorating fiscal conditions (see the Oct. 4, 2004 issue of the Digest). Homeland security, public safety, education and health care remain top priority for cities, leaving little left over for anything else. As budgets are continually squeezed and expenditures increase, where will municipalities find future funding to finance tech-based economic development? A new report from the Brookings Institution Metropolitan Policy Program finds the challenges to…

The average budgets for local and regional economic development organizations fell nearly 3 percent between 2004 and 2005, according to the second annual survey by ACCRA. The vast majority of the 750 respondents are involved in economic/community development research and traditional economic development activities, including facility and site development marketing, infrastructure development and planning, and community marketing. As economic development organizations (EDOs) continue to broaden the definition of their role in supporting a variety of economic development activities, they will need to develop a greater revenue base and more diverse lines of financial resources. EDOs continue to focus on their core competencies of marketing communities and facilities to businesses. However, data suggests that small organizations do not have adequate resources to implement these efforts effectively. The survey revealed that substantial change is occurring in the profession as economic developers are limited in their access to resources, encouraged to collaborate, and pressured to adopt…

University R&D is considered a fundamental element of innovation and technological competitiveness. If R&D spending equates to more R&D, then the 10 percent increase between 2002 and 2003 as reported by the nation's academic community to the National Science Foundation (NSF) would be a rosy sign for America's future. Aggregate academic R&D expenditures in 2003 totalled $40.077 billion, up from $36.37 billion in 2002. The burden of funding for academic research continues its shift toward government and away from the nation's industrial community. Reaching a level not seen since 1985, the federal total of $24.734 billion represents 61.7 percent of the 2003 total, up from 60.1 percent in 2002. State government-supported R&D rose 5.9 percent between 2002 and 2003, but only represents 6.6 percent of the total. While total state support has increased over the years, the states' share of total academic R&D has continued a generally downward trend since 1950, when it contributed 15.1 percent. Total industrial support…

Over the period 1998-2003, Oregon saw the largest percent change in its academic R&D expenditures funded by industry sources, according to the National Science Foundation's latest survey (see the above story). The northwest state, which had more than one-and-a-half times the amount of such expenditures funded by industry sources in 2003 as it had in 1998, was joined by only Maryland and South Carolina as states experiencing a greater than 100 percent increase over the period. Twenty-eight other states showed increases, while the remaining states and the District of Columbia all reflected a decrease in the amount of their industry-financed academic R&D expenditures. For 2003, the U.S. as a whole had $2.16 billion in the measure. While that figure reflects a greater than 14 percent increase over its 1998 counterpart, it marks the second consecutive year that the U.S. total has slipped from the previous year. SSTI has prepared a table characterizing the above data for all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and outlying areas (i.e. Guam, Puerto Rico, and the…

For more information on the positions below, visit SSTI's online Job Corner at http://www.ssti.org/posting.htm. Research Specialist, Senior - University of Arizona Collect and analyze data and prepare reports on technology-based economy in the Tucson region and in the state of Arizona. Salary: DOE plus University of Arizona benefits. Review begins Sept. 21, 2005, and continues until filled. The University of Arizona is an EEO/AA - M/W/D/V Employer. Executive Director - Arizona Virtual Water University The Arizona Virtual Water University (AVWU) is a proposed collaboration of the Arizona Board of Regents, Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University and the University of Arizona. The AVWU Executive Committee is seeking an executive director to coordinate the development and implementation of the strategic plan for AVWU, working initially with one or more associate directors, who will serve as liaison(s) to the Arizona Department of Water Resources, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, and the Arizona Department of Commerce. Thereafter, the…

Automation Alley has named Thomas Anderson as president of the Automation Alley Education & Research Institute. Mr. Anderson also is director of the consortium's Technology Center. President Bush has nominated Santanu Baruah to be Assistant Secretary for Economic Development for the U.S. Department of Commerce. Mr. Baruah's responsibilities include oversight of the Economic Development Administration. John Gardner has been named the first vice president for research and economic development for the University of Missouri system. David Goodrich announced he will leave his position as CEO of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership at the end of the year. Mike Kazmierski is the new president of the Greater Colorado Springs Economic Development Corp. Sue Strommer has joined the National Association of Seed and Venture Funds as Chief Executive Officer (NASVF) as CEO. Charlie Spies, the former president and CEO, will remain as president of NASVF.