SSTI Digest

The continuous decline of venture capital investing persisted in the First Quarter 2003 with total investments of $3.8 billion, down from the prior quarter of $4.3 billion, according to the latest PricewaterhouseCoopers/Thomson Venture Economics/National Venture Capital Association MoneyTree™ Survey. A total of 623 companies received funding in the first quarter compared to 726 companies in the fourth quarter of last year. Industry leaders cited the uncertainty associated with the war in Iraq and the lackluster economy as prime contributors to the cautious investment pace. Venture capital investing fell sharply starting in 2001 after the correction in the public markets and has steadily drifted downward ever since. In terms of dollars, investment in the first quarter of 2003 was the lowest since the third quarter of 1997. The number of companies receiving funding was the lowest since the third quarter of 1996. Tracy Lefteroff, global managing partner of the venture capital practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers, said, “The reality is that venture capital will not lead the economy out of…

To help build the state's technology sectors, Governor Jeb Bush and the State Board of Education have selected Florida's first three Centers of Excellence. The Centers are designed to foster innovative, cutting-edge technology research at Florida’s colleges and universities, develop commercially viable applications for that research, and recruit high-tech industries and thinkers to the state. The three projects are: Center of Excellence in Regenerative Health Biotechnology to be established at the University of Florida; Florida Photonics Center of Excellence at the University of Central Florida; and, Florida Center of Excellence in Biomedical and Marine Biotechnology at Florida Atlantic University. The Centers of Excellence program was enabled during the 2002 legislative session as part of the Florida Technology Development Act. This Act authorized the use of $30 million to fund up to five Centers of Excellence as recommended by the Emerging Technology Commission, also established under the Act. Each of the Centers will receive $10 million to spur new facilities,…

The National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) is holding on June 4 its fourth telecast on economic development. NARC is a nonprofit membership organization that assists regional councils and metropolitan planning organizations nationwide. Its telecast, "Three Rural Economic Development Strategies," will feature Dr. David Sampson, Assistant Secretary of Commerce, and Mark Drabenstott, Vice President of the Kansas City Federal Reserve to discuss economic development in rural areas. Ernesto Sirolli, founder of the Sirolli Institute, also will be discussing creative entrepreneur strategies. The telecast airs at 3 p.m. For more information, visit http://www.narc.org and click on Economic Development in the left frame.

Richard C. Atkinson, the president of the University of California system since 1995, will receive the prestigious 2003 Vannevar Bush Award from the National Science Foundation for lifetime contributions to the nation in science and technology. Mitch Daniels, the director of the White House Office of Management & Budget, has announced his resignation. Sylvia Goodman is leaving her position as director of technology and innovation at Louisiana Economic Development. Marc Holtzman, Colorado's former science and technology advisor, is taking the position as president of Denver University. The Board of Directors for Virginia’s Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) announced last week their selection of Peter Jobse as the new president of CIT. Jobse has been CIT’s executive vice president and chief operating officer since joining the organization in October 2002. Ed Linsenmeyer, with the Naval Surface Warfare Center, has been elected to serve as the Chair of the Federal Laboratories Consortium for Technology Transfer at the FLC's recent annual meeting. Larry…

Richard C. Atkinson, the president of the University of California system since 1995, will receive the prestigious 2003 Vannevar Bush Award from the National Science Foundation for lifetime contributions to the nation in science and technology.

Mitch Daniels, the director of the White House Office of Management & Budget, has announced his resignation.

Sylvia Goodman is leaving her position as director of technology and innovation at Louisiana Economic Development.

Marc Holtzman, Colorado's former science and technology advisor, is taking the position as president of Denver University.

The Board of Directors for Virginia’s Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) announced last week their selection of Peter Jobse as the new president of CIT. Jobse has been CIT’s executive vice president and chief operating officer since joining the organization in October 2002.

Ed Linsenmeyer, with the Naval Surface Warfare Center, has been elected to serve as the Chair of the Federal Laboratories Consortium for Technology Transfer at the FLC's recent annual meeting. Larry Dickens, with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, was elected Vice Chair.

Bill Madia is leaving his position as director of Oak Ridge National Laboratory to oversee all Department of Energy business for Battelle Memorial Institute.

Larry Moolenaar is the new Executive Director of the Eastern Carolina Council of Governments.