SSTI Digest

The Piedmont Triad Research Park laid off Bill Dean, director of the park, and Nancy Johnson, marketing director. Park officials said that the park's project manager and executive assistant also were laid off. Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter announced that he has tapped Don Elliman, director of the Colorado Office of Economic Development, to serve as the state government's first chief operating officer. The Florida STEM Council, funded by a $580,000 grant from Workforce Florida, has been created to connect education, workforce, business and economic development leaders to identify opportunities to build and measure the state's supply of workers with skills and knowledge in these fields to support innovation in existing and emerging industries. Malcolm Kahn has been appointed vice president for enterprise development & licensing at Stevens Institute of Technology. Kansas Technology Enterprise Corporation has named Kevin Carr as interim CEO, replacing Tracy Taylor, who resigned last month. Jill Kline has been named the new Wyoming Entrepreneur.Biz associate state…

J. Mike Books is leaving his post with the Indiana Health Industry Forum to become the first economic development director for the city of Columbia, Missouri. He also will serve as president of the Regional Economic Development Inc. Brooks will assume his new responsibilities on July 15. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the appointment of Judith Canales as Administrator for Rural Business and Cooperative programs in USDA's Rural Development agency. Donald Cardon, who has been serving as director of the Arizona Department of Housing since March, was named director of the Arizona Department of Commerce. John Chaffee has assumed the post of president and CEO of North Carolina's Eastern Region Development Commission. His predecessor, Al Delia, left when he was appointed as Gov. Bev Perdue's policy director. Howard Gobstein is now the Executive Officer and Vice President of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. Toronto's MaRS Innovation has appointed Dr. Raphael (Rafi) Hofstein as President and CEO, effective June 8. Jeff Mason, currently senior vice president and chief business development officer for the…

For nearly every budget issue SSTI has prepared during the first decade of the 21st century, our opening paragraphs read like obituaries. The previous administration was ideologically opposed to the government taking an active role to support economic development, even tech-based economic development, beyond increases for university and federally based research. Spending for federal programs that support regional community and economic growth were slashed repeatedly. The memories are fresh of having to fight for every dollar in Congress, and, watching appropriation levels slide. Earmarks grew as programs were forced to fend for themselves. Unless you've been in the TBED field for nearly a decade, those may be your only perceptions of the federal role for innovation. States, counties, communities, universities, civic organizations and foundations stepped in to fill some of the holes left behind as the federal partner for supporting the nation's innovation system withered, but it couldn't be enough compared to the possibilities of establishing a true innovation-oriented partnership between industry, academia and all levels of government. We could wallow in the what…

W. Steven Burke is the new president of Biofuels Center of North Carolina. Bill Gimson has been named executive director of the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. Gimson recently retired as the chief operating officer of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Jeremy Hill has been named the director of the Center for Economic Development and Business Research at Wichita State University. Hill replaces Janet Harrah, who left the post for Northern Kentucky University. Jack Jewett, a former president of the Arizona Board of Regents and five-term member of the Arizona House of Representatives, was chosen as the president and chief executive officer of the Flinn Foundation. He succeeds retiring president and CEO John Murphy, who has led the foundation since 1981. Jewett will assume the position in June. Judith Krauthamer has been appointed executive director of the Mid-Atlantic Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association. The Angel Capital Association (ACA) and Angel Capital Education Foundation (ACEF) has named William Payne, ACA founder and active participant in four angel groups, as the recipient of the 2009 Hans…

Seize the opportunity for recognition of outstanding achievement in tech-based economic development. SSTI is pleased to invite applications for the 2009 awards cycle, a program recognizing exceptional achievements in approaches to improving state and regional economies through science, technology and innovation. The purpose of the awards program is to showcase best practices across a broad spectrum of categories encompassing several elements that have been found in successful technology-based economies. The categories are: Expanding the Research Infrastructure; Commercializing Research; Building Entrepreneurial Capacity; Increasing Access to Capital; Enhancing the Science & Technology Workforce; and, Improving Competitiveness of Existing Industries. Recipients will be selected based on their ability to clearly define a need for the initiative, demonstrate results, and describe how the impact is communicated to key stakeholders. Award-winning initiatives will also stand out among others in its field. As an Excellence in TBED Award winner, you are provided with a forum to showcase your accomplishments during dedicated breakout…

The following overview is a synopsis of select recent announcements from research parks across the nation, including groundbreakings and development plans to support vibrant regional economies based on science, technology and innovation.  The University of Missouri Mizzou Innovation Center is the anchor research tenant in the new Missouri Innovation Park - a 500-acre knowledge-based science and technology park being developed by the City of Blue Springs and the university. The project will support public research organizations, private businesses, and other research-related organizations establishing business clusters that focus on commercializing technological innovations. Initial seed capital is provided by the Blue Springs Economic Development Corporation, the City of Blue Springs and Kansas City Power & Light. Tenants are expected to move into the research park within the next five to 10 years, reports the Columbia Daily Tribune. Plans for a 350-acre biomedical research campus in Kansas City were unveiled last month by Oxford Redevelopment Company. The proposed development, which is called Oxford on the Blue, is part of an overall concept…

Kentucky Highlands Investment Corporation has named Jim Carroll as director of its Center for Entrepreneurial Growth. Catapult Bio, a nonprofit organization designed to help transform emerging research discoveries into business opportunities, accelerating the commercialization of life sciences in Arizona, announced its official launch with a grant of up to $14 million from Abraxis Bioscience. Ohio Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher resigned as the state's development director to run for the U.S. Senate. Gov. Ted Strickland has named Mark Barbash, who had been the state's chief economic development officer and was the former Columbus development director, as interim state director. Fisher will continue in the position of lieutenant governor. The Michigan Economic Development Corporation announced, pending formal approval by the board of directors on Feb. 26, D. Gregory Main will replace James Epolito as president and CEO of the economic development organization effective April 1. Troy Runge has been named director of the Wisconsin Bioenergy Initiative, a public-private partnership in bioenergy research, outreach, training and economic development based in the…

Tech entrepreneurs in Kansas would lose a long-time independent friend and ally in their efforts to expand the state's economy if the FY10 budget proposed by Gov. Kathleen Sebelius passed the state legislature. The governor has proposed many of the functions of KTEC, a program spanning more than two decades as a quasi-public agency developing Kansas' technology-based economic development efforts, would be cut substantially and absorbed by the state Department of Commerce (DOC). In addition, the proposal advanced by Gov. Sebelius eliminates or cuts funding in most other tech-based economic development initiatives funded by the state. Gov. Sebelius unveiled last week her FY10 budget recommendations and revised budget for FY09 based on the most recent revenue estimates that report a gap of more than $900 million. Citing a goal of reducing overhead expenses, the governor recommends eliminating KTEC and Kansas, Inc. as separate agencies and moving select KTEC business development programs to DOC. For FY10, the governor recommends $25.9 million for the DOC from the Economic Development Initiatives Fund (EDIF), which includes $7.5 million for KTEC programs.…

The second installment of the Tech Talkin' Govs series includes highlights from state of the state, budget and inaugural addresses delivered by the governors of Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Oregon and Vermont.  Arizona  Gov. Janet Napolitano, State of the State Address, Jan. 9, 2009 "Arizona must stay on the path toward a greener future..We also must work to limit our greenhouse gas emissions through the Western Climate Initiative, and move forward in building a strong renewable energy sector, particularly with respect to solar energy. The entire nation is going in this direction - and Arizona has much to gain by being a leader." Colorado  Gov. Bill Ritter, State of the State Address, Jan. 8, 2009  "By reviving the Colorado Credit Reserve Program, we can give thousands of small businesses vital access to credit and capital. .. ". By enacting House Bill 1001, the job-creation tax credit I announced last month, we can level the playing field with other states when it comes to attracting new companies and new jobs. ... …

This week, the Department of Homeland Security released its environmental impact statement comparing several locations nationwide regarding the future site of the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF).  After considering factors such as environmental, economic, technical, security and safety concerns, the preferred site is situated on the campus of Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas. The report estimates around 1,500 temporary jobs producing between $138 and $184 million in labor income will be generated during construction. A further 250 to 350 jobs of researchers, technical support, and operation specialists will be employed when the NBAF is functioning. The NBAF will house research, diagnostic testing and training programs associated with diseases that affect livestock, especially viruses and bacteria that can harm agriculture and public health in the U.S. The facility will have the capacity to handle the deadliest and most infectious microscopic entities, as categorized at the highest biosafety levels. The selection process to identify the Kansas site has taken…

The outcome of Tuesday's election resulted in several wins and some defeats for TBED among the more than 150 ballot measures presented to voters across the nation. Outlined below are the unofficial election results of select ballot measures from each state's respective election office and local media reports as of Wednesday, Nov. 5. More detailed information on the measures is provided in last week's issue of the Digest, which is available at: http://www.ssti.org/Digest/2008/102908.htm#election. Arkansas Voters approved 63 percent to 37 percent a constitutional amendment authorizing the General Assembly to establish, operate and regulate state lotteries to fund scholarships and grants for residents enrolled in two- and four-year colleges and universities in the state. Voters also approved a measure to shift the state's budgeting from a two-year cycle to an annual cycle. California Two measures supporting renewable energy were defeated by California voters. Proposition 7, requiring public and private utilities to generate a percentage of their power from renewable energy, was defeated 65 percent to 35 percent. Proposition 10, authorizing the state to…

Technology-focused incubators are an important component to fostering entrepreneurial development in a region by nurturing businesses in the earliest stages of development and helping them grow into larger companies that employ high-wage workers and bring new technologies to the market. The following select announcements provide an overview of new incubators from across the nation, illustrating the vital role of entrepreneurial development in growing high-tech regional economies. Ann Arbor Spark announced last month a new location for its proposed business incubator in downtown Ypsilanti, reports the Ann Arbor News. The 8,500-square-foot incubator, which is expected to open in December, will provide space for 10 start-up technology companies for two years, the article states. Battle Creek Unlimited announced in August they are developing a virtual incubator as a Web 2.0 network to match high-tech start-up companies with universities and public entities. With partial funding from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, the virtual incubator will offer services including quick access to resources, business progress monitoring, and the ability…