SSTI Digest

A Blueprint for Prosperity and Jobs, a comprehensive strategic plan to foster and sustain job growth, business success and community vitality in Missouri, has been released by the Missouri Department of Economic Development. The product of two years of research, the plan addresses Missouri's need to focus its resources on building a knowledge-based economy, with emphasis on businesses that generate key technologies and have tremendous growth potential. The Missouri blueprint began with Governor Bob Holden's Economic Prosperity Summit in April 2001. Since that time, the department gathered input and recommendations from business and community leaders, educators and citizens from across Missouri. A series of roundtable discussions were held with leaders from three industries that hold promise for long-term growth – life sciences, advanced manufacturing and information technology – and additional insight was contributed through six regional dialogues. Missouri needs to strengthen “traditional” business mainstays while keeping companies in-state, the blueprint suggests. The state's…

Layoffs are an expected, yet difficult, aspect of the U.S. economy as companies shift employment needs to reflect changes in demand, technology, competition and trade. During a down economy, the number of workers facing layoffs can be particularly difficult for a region to reabsorb. Research has shown that experienced workers with long tenures in a particular job or sector endure substantial long-term earning losses once they find new work. In other words, the jobs older, more experienced workers take after being laid off typically pay substantially less than their original positions. Returning to school for even a one-year equivalent at a community college can positively change that, however, if the older worker pursues courses in science, technical and math, according to a recent working paper of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Louis Jacobson, Robert LaLonde and Daniel Sullivan, the authors of Estimating the Results of Community College Schooling for Displaced Workers, find "courses teaching quantitative or more technically oriented vocational subject matter generate earnings gains that…

Academic R&D expenditures grew 8.9 percent in 2001, according to the National Science Foundation's FY 2001 survey of research and development expenditures at universities and colleges. Reported in Academic Research and Development Expenditures: Fiscal Year 2001, the survey finds 609 institutions of higher education in the U.S. collectively spent $32.732 billion in FY 2001. The figure for FY 2000 was $30.042 billion. Federal sources of R&D funds accounted for a significant majority of the growth, climbing to $19.191 billion in FY 2001 — 9.6 percent higher than the $17.508 billion reported for the previous year. State and industry sources of R&D expenditures at academic institutions grew 5.4 and 3.8 percent, respectively, over the year and together account for just over $4.5 billion. Of the sources, institutional funds experienced the greatest percentage growth, rising nearly 10.5 percent to $6.553 billion in FY 2001. All other sources, such as foundations or individuals, provided $2.430 billion in FY 2001. With 74 detailed statistical tables, Academic Research and Development…

NorTech is interested in hiring an Associate Director who will be responsible for all activities associated with one or more initiatives and ongoing high level support for the initiatives. The mission of NorTech is to ensure economic growth and leadership in Northeast Ohio by promoting entrepreneurially based globally competitive technology development and commercialization. For each assignment, the Associate Director would be responsible for planning; convening and coalescing support from CEOs; advocacy at the local and state levels; launching the initiatives; and maintaining an active governance or advisory role post launch. NorTech seeks highly qualified individuals who have demonstrated success as entrepreneurs, senior business development assignments in growth organizations, or leadership experience in public-private initiatives. More information is available at http://www.ssti.org/posting.htm.

For the second time in three years, the Lilly Endowment is demonstrating its strong commitment to Indiana University's role in life sciences education and research by awarding $50 million to advance the Indiana Genomics Initiative (INGEN). INGEN was launched in December 2000 with a $105 million grant from the Endowment — the largest grant ever made by the Indianapolis-based philanthropic organization and the largest received by IU. The goal is to propel IU forward as a world-class biomedical research institution and to serve as the foundation for a robust life sciences enterprise. The Endowment presented the $50 million grant with the stipulation that it be used in areas of greatest need involving INGEN. "By helping IU attract top-flight researchers and strengthen its role in this highly competitive area, this grant will build the intellectual capital of our state, so vital to Indiana's future prosperity," said N. Clay Robbins, president of the Endowment. According to IU School of Medicine Dean D. Craig Brater, M.D., the most immediate need for INGEN is research space. The…

Convincing politicians to make a multi-year investment in a state's economic future is challenging, particularly when commitments made in one budget cycle or administration can be forgotten or ignored so easily in the next legislative session. The FY 2003-04 funding struggle for Michigan's $50 million-per-year-for-20-years life science initiative provides ample evidence: $50 million dropped to $45 million and eroded to $32.5 million because of budget problems. For FY04, the governor has requested only $20 million for the line item and added several other demands on the shrinking pot of funds. Getting a state's General Assembly to stick to it for 20 years, as Pennsylvania's Ben Franklin Technology Partners (BFTP) has seen since 1982, takes strong gubernatorial and legislative leadership across terms, administrations and parties — and results worthy of the increased public funds. And BFTP has delivered, according to an independent impact analysis. The analysis reported that  $311 million in public investments, resulted in 23 to 1 return on the public investment, or a $7.9 billion…

Increased funding for equity investments and a new university-industry R&D partnership program are among the pieces of legislation New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson signed this week, greatly expanding New Mexico's portfolio of programs to grow a tech-based economy. Most of the initiatives were included in the economic development agenda Gov. Richardson outlined during his first State of the State address in January. They are: As much as $300 million from the state Severance Tax Permanent Fund may be invested as equity in New Mexico venture capital funds and New Mexico business. HB 918 raises the maximum cap to 6 percent of the Fund's market value that is available for equity financing. A Technology Enhancement Fund is created in House Bill 391 to provide matching funds to state research universities to support collaborative applied research done in partnership with corporations or non-profit organizations. Supported research must lead toward the creation of new products and production processes in the fields of agriculture, biotechnology, biomedicine energy, materials…

In response to state and regional requests for assistance in identifying factors that influence regional innovation and competitiveness, the U.S. Department of Commerce's Office of Technology Policy (OTP) released this week an annual report measuring science and technology indicators in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The third annual edition of The Dynamics of Technology-Based Economic Development contains data to help policy makers and regional leaders better understand the factors that influence economic outcomes at the state and local level. Areas such as R&D investment, number of patents issued and education levels are among the categories measured. "Technological innovation and commercialization are the new drivers of economic growth, both in the U.S. and around the world," said Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy Bruce Mehlman. "As state business and government leaders attempt to fashion appropriate economic development strategies, many first try to measure and understand their existing science and technology assets and strengths. This…

The Mississippi Technology Alliance has released a second annual index focusing on the process of innovation, the links between innovation and technology-based economic development, and activities that government, academia and the private sector provide to support innovation and economic development. First published in January 2002, the Mississippi Innovation Index presents technology goals, targets and annual performance levels for Mississippi, using data from the Institutions of Higher Learning, the Mississippi Development Authority, the Mississippi Employment Security Commission, the Mississippi Tax Commission and other national databases. The 2003 index updates data for the most current years published by the agencies and the previous 3-5 years. Eight innovation goals, or areas of focus, are the subject of the Index. Using a standardized scoring system, the index shows Mississippi's overall index value among the areas is 325, up slightly from the baseline index value of 300 — an improvement of 8 percent. The 10-year goals include: wealth creation - increase high tech…

More than 1,000 economic development professionals, business and government leaders, nonprofit organization representatives and university officials from across the U.S. will come together when the Economic Development Administration (EDA) holds its national conference on May 6-9, 2003. Overseen by the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA serves to generate and retain high-skill, high-wage jobs in economically distressed areas of the nation. Its conference, Engines of Economic Growth for the 21st Century, is expected to provide participants the opportunity to discuss market-based strategies to compete in a global economy. Participants also can look to discuss economic development as it relates to "the Administration’s highest priority issues — winning the war on terrorism, protecting Americans here at home, and restoring robust economic growth." Twenty-five speakers will make presentations at EDA's conference, to be held at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington D.C. The list includes presidents, directors, chairpersons, secretaries, vice-chancellors and at least one pastor. Complete…

The South Carolina Women's Business Center has opened its doors and already has 30 customers, the South Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (SCMEP) recently announced. Headquartered in Columbia, S.C., the Women's Business Center will focus on serving only manufacturing facilities in 2003 but will add services to other types of businesses in 2004. More than 64,000 existing women-owned businesses in South Carolina figure to benefit from the center, which will provide such services as business start-up assistance, marketing, training and access to financing. The center also will collaborate with other organizations including Small Business Development Centers. Almost 85 percent of women-owned firms are sole proprietorships, compared to about 73 percent for all businesses, according to recent data released by the U.S. Small Business Administration's (SBA) Office of Advocacy. SBA established the Women's Business Center Program in 1988, and in late 2002, SCMEP applied for and was awarded a 5-year grant to fund its center. Today, nearly 100 centers nationwide are funded by more than 80…

Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty recently announced the formation of a Biodiesel Task Force to accelerate development of the state's biodiesel industry. The nine-member group will advise the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) on methods to increase production and use of biodiesel in Minnesota. Legislation passed by the 2002 Minnesota Legislature requires that 2 percent of Minnesota’s diesel fuel be replaced with biodiesel by June 2005. This requirement will take effect on the condition that the state has developed by that time an annual biodiesel production capacity of at least 8 million gallons. To help reach that production capacity and ensure a smooth introduction of biodiesel into the marketplace, the new task force will help promote and educate possible biodiesel developers, marketers, consumers and manufacturers. Governor Pawlenty said the task force will play a key role in making biodiesel use widespread in Minnesota. “The task force will be an important tool for spurring biodiesel production in Minnesota,” the governor said in a press statement. “It will…