SSTI Digest

Moving forward with the governor's statewide broadband initiative, the ConnectKentucky Steering Committee and Gov. Ernie Fletcher recently unveiled Phase I Maps to illustrate service gaps and to serve as an economic development resource for communities. The phase is intended to produce maps using Geographic Information System (GIS) technology to provide a comprehensive statewide inventory of existing broadband service and infrastructure. The committee will use the GIS maps and other demand and supply-side incentives toward full broadband deployment by 2007 under the governor's Prescription for Innovation initiative (see the Oct. 25 issue of the Digest). A second phase of the mapping project will identify expansion plans for 2005. To help communities assess their current rates of technology adoption and usage within nine different sectors, ConnectKentucky also developed a community benchmarking tool. The tool will act as a…

While many states are striving to increase broadband availability (see the Kentucky story above, for example), a Providence-based nonprofit released a study this month promoting the feasibility of making Rhode Island the first entirely networked state for broadband wireless. The Business Innovation Factory initiated the Rhode Island Wireless Innovation Networks (RI-WINs) to assess the demand for a statewide broadband wireless network and to determine the technological and economic feasibility of the network. The study also proposed an operating model for RI-WINs drawing on a broad public-private partnership. The study's conclusions were all positive. Rhode Island's concentrated geographic area proves to be a substantial plus for initial network installation, a substantial hurdle for most other states. The report suggests an initial capital outlay of $20.2 million and an annual operating cost of $5.012 million would allow…

The South represents 20 percent of the nation's economic activity but attracts only 9 percent of the total U.S. venture capital invested. In an effort to bring those numbers closer together, the Southern Growth Policies Board recently announced the creation of a multi-state task force dubbed VentureSouth. Virginia Gov. Mark Warner, a former venture capitalist himself, will chair the group as it develops strategies to increase the flow of venture capital in the 14-state region. Membership in the task force will be capped at 100 firms, with participants primarily coming from the private sector - entrepreneurs and professionals in the venture capital industry. The remaining members will be comprised of policymakers - governors, legislators and state government science and technology directors.  The membership fee to join VentureSouth is $500. Task force members will meet for the first time in October to begin developing recommendations for the region…

Sometimes when people are surrounded by others who share backgrounds, beliefs or opinions, they assume everyone thinks that way -- or should. It is one of the negative side effects or symptoms of the phenomenon known as "group think." It could be easy, for example, for Digest readers deeply immersed in building tech-based economies - surrounded by college-educated researchers, scientists, MBAs, lawyers and engineers - to believe that obtaining a degree after high school is a fundamental key to future economic prosperity. Studies support the idea that the higher level of education attained, the higher one's income will be. We assume the only hurdles are affordability or access and set goals then to double the number of college graduates. Gov. Jennifer Granholm announced during her 2005 State-of-the-State Address a plan to create better-paying jobs as the state recovers from a loss of manufacturing jobs and an overall net job…

Encouraging economic growth in rural America is the topic of a recent report, a new $500 million economic development investment program, and an upcoming conference worth further investigation. Capitalizing on Rural America Policy and funding priorities have not kept pace with the economic diversification underway in rural America, according to a study commissioned by the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines. The study, Crafting a Competitive Future, provided the platform for a recent Washington, D.C. forum on rural development issues. It is divided into three major sections: a description of the economic and social drivers and trends affecting rural America; a summary of key federal programs among the 337 identified in the report to provide financial and technical assistance; and a discussion of several strategic options for capitalizing on rural America. The underlying conclusion of the report and…

A child born in the U.S. today who obtains a master's degree directly after college and high school will have been in the job market for only 1-2 years in 2030. Many people in the tech-based economic development community want that girl or boy to study math, science or engineering. A more basic question, though, is where will that child live as a young adult? If you guessed in the West or South, you have a good chance of being right, based on the latest population projections from the U.S. Census Bureau. Thirty percent of the nation's population will live in California, Texas, or Florida if the Bureau's guesses are close. Each of the three states are projected to gain nearly 13 million new residents during the next 25 years. The mix of residents by age is considerably different, as Florida's population aged 65 or over is expected to jump from 17.6 percent, already the nation's highest concentration, to 27.1 percent by 2030. As the editors of the…

The first conference mailer went to the post office yesterday, but we're too excited to delay announcing that the website for SSTI's 9th Annual Conference is now available to accept registrations and provide preliminary information for the tech-based economic development (TBED) community's premier professional development event of the year. The conference will be held on Oct. 19-21, 2005, at the beautiful Intercontinental Buckhead-Atlanta. SSTI is looking forward to this year's event for two particular reasons: our local co-hosts. The Georgia Research Alliance (GRA) and the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC) are two of the most widely respected TBED organizations in the world. That's no exaggeration and worth repeating -- in the world. Both organizations are celebrating anniversaries this year: GRA turns 15 and the venerable ATDC celebrates its 25th. It is the longevity, success and vitality of these two outstanding organizations that…

While Congress and the Administration are looking for ways to flatten or even reduce spending for research, entrepreneurship and innovation, leaders on the other side of the pond are committing hard currency to strengthening Europe's position in the global, tech-based economy. In April, the Commission of the European Communities adopted a proposal to invest $4.2 billion Euros ($5.4 billion US) over seven years in the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP). The creation of the CIP first took root in 2000, when the Lisbon European Council set the objective of making Europe the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world. In 2004, in response to the council's renewed strategy on "delivering stronger and lasting growth and creating more and better jobs," the European Commission prepared an analysis that eventually led to the Framework Programme. According to the commission, the CIP will bring together specific Community support programs critical to boosting productivity, innovation capacity and sustainable growth, while also addressing complementary…

With the recent passage of the state's biennial budget, North Dakota's universities and colleges can now compete for a share of $20 million in matching funds to create Centers of Excellence. The money is the first installment of the state legislature's $50 million commitment to the Centers program, which is the centerpiece of Gov. John Hoeven's initiatives to transform the state's economy toward science and technology. The initiative, unveiled during Gov. Hoeven's 2004 State-of-the-State Address, is designed to pursue academic excellence and spur R&D, new technology, and job creation. Centers will be located on university campuses throughout the state and will focus on technology, aerospace, value-added agriculture, energy, advanced manufacturing, and tourism. Centers must match each state dollar invested with private or non-state public funds. For the 2006-07 biennium, the legislature set aside $16 million of the permanent oil tax trust fund to establish the university-based centers. Senate Bill 2018 also grants authority to borrow up to $5 million…

A ballot initiative designed to bolster the Ohio economy and create jobs by continuing the state’s public works infrastructure program and supporting the commercialization of science and technology-based research was announced last week by Gov. Bob Taft and other legislative leaders. The initiative, to appear on the Nov. 8 ballot, is a second attempt to pass funding for part of the state’s Third Frontier Project, which failed in its first go-round in 2003 (see the Nov. 7, 2003 issue of the Digest). If approved, the ballot initiative would provide operating dollars to bolster the Third Frontier Project, prepare job-ready sites for industrial development, and renew the public works bond fund, including: $500 million over the next seven years for research, development and commercialization projects competitively selected by Ohio’s Third Frontier Commission; $150 million over seven years for “Job-Ready Sites” which will prepare sites for industrial and business expansion to meet environmental and other requirements; and, $1.35 billion over the next 10 years for…

Gov. Donald Carcieri last month announced two new initiatives targeting Rhode Island's science and technology (S&T) and manufacturing industries. On April 12, Gov. Carcieri signed an Executive Order creating the Science & Technology Advisory Council. The council, staffed by a team of tech leaders from local academia, private business and government communities, will advise the governor and General Assembly on the state's S&T priorities, as well as address issues that impact the support and growth of an innovation economy. The council's first task will be to assess the state's current capacity for innovation in S&T and suggest recommendations to strengthen its capabilities. In addition, the council will support the state's pursuit of federal research funding such as the National Science Foundation's Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research. Additionally, Gov. Carcieri announced a new public-private partnership of the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation (RIEDC) and the Rhode Island Manufacturing Summit. The purpose of the partnership is…

Efforts to capitalize Hawaii's $120 million State Private Investment Fund (SPIF) collapsed Friday as a joint conference committee of the state legislature could not reconcile differences between House and Senate versions of the measure. Passage of Senate Bill 1695 was one of Gov. Linda Lingle's top economic development priorities for this legislative session. The SPIF, created by the Hawaii legislature last year but left unfunded, is intended to encourage venture capital investments in state-based tech businesses using the Oklahoma Capital Investment Fund model of state-backed guarantees on private investments. Established in 1993, the Oklahoma program has been widely replicated in recent years. The joint conference committee of the Hawaii legislature met to discuss Senate Bill 1695 six times during the past 10 days before deferring the measure. With the legislature expected to adjourn on May 5, the fund is "on hold indefinitely," reports the April 30 edition of the Honolulu Advertiser. More information on S.B. 1695 is available at: http://www.capitol.…