SSTI Digest

Following President Bush's call for the nation to "be aggressive about the deployment of broadband," the Technology Administration within the U.S. Department of Commerce recently issued Understanding Broadband Demand — a 25-page paper examining the state of broadband demand and usage in the U.S. and identifying successes, challenges and actions to promote more aggressive uptake. After several expert roundtables, TA concluded that, while significant supply side issues such as regulatory considerations remain, "(T)he factor most likely to accelerate broadband demand is the creation and deployment of easily understood, value-adding business and consumer applications at prices that meet the needs of the market." TA points to December 2001 research that reveals the U.S. ranked sixth internationally in the percentage of total households with broadband usage at 10.4 percent. South Korea led the world with 51.7 percent, followed by Hong Kong (26.0 percent), Canada (19.7 percent), Taiwan (18.2 percent) and Sweden (13.4 percent). Broadband usage and demand is heavily skewed toward higher…

Joined by actor Christopher Reeve and several of California's leading biotech researchers, Governor Gray Davis Sunday signed legislation designed to promote stem cell research in California. "Stem cell research is responsible research that could potentially save millions of lives," said Gov. Davis. "With world-class universities, top-flight researchers and a thriving biomedical industry, California is perfectly positioned to be a world leader in this area. I am determined to keep California at the forefront of medical research and scientific innovation." Stem cells are cells that have the ability to divide for indefinite periods in culture and to give rise to specialized cells (such as brain tissue, blood, skin, or any organ). These cells can be found in a variety of sources including human embryos, adults, umbilical cords, and placentas. Stem cells can be used to generate cells and tissue that can be used for cell therapies. Researchers say this may lead to the cure or effective treatment of diseases, conditions, and disabilities affecting more than 128 million Americans (including…

On Thursday, Illinois Governor George Ryan announced nearly $3 million in state grants for eight Illinois Technology Enterprise Corporation (ITEC) centers, quadrupling the number of ITECs. Funded by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs (DCCA), the centers assist technology-based start-up businesses and serve as incubators for the new ventures. The grants announced for the centers will continue to fund operations at Northwestern University in Evanston and the University of Illinois in Champaign and support six new centers in Chicago, Naperville, Lemont, Peoria, Carbondale and Springfield. Based at or partnering with universities, each ITEC is expected to stimulate development of advanced technology enterprises by transforming innovation into enterprises. To meet their missions and goals, each center will measure results in terms of stimulating the formation of technology-based businesses, nurturing and incubating these new ventures, and creating new jobs in the advanced technology segments of the economy technology occupations. Open since May 2000, the state's…

A $500,000 state grant approved Thursday by South Dakota Governor Bill Janklow will help create a center in Sioux Falls for fledgling technology businesses. The center — termed the technology business accelerator project — is being developed by Forward Sioux Falls, a joint-venture economic development partnership between the Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce and the Sioux Falls Development Foundation. The center will offer leased space and provide business development services such as accounting, legal assistance and business planning. To date, Forward Sioux Falls has raised approximately $2.5 million for the project. The funding includes the new state grant, a federal grant of $800,000 and $1.2 million of Forward Sioux Falls IV funds. The state grant comes from the South Dakota Future Fund. The goal of the accelerator is to diversify the regional economy by helping entrepreneurs establish the next generation of technology-related businesses. The project’s task force is in the final stages of completing architectural, construction and organizational planning. In October,…

Cluster-based economic development policy has gained wide acclaim in recent years as interest has grown in utilizing “cluster theory” in economic development. Some have found this idea to be appealing while others have been a bit less receptive of its ideas. Three recently released papers address cluster-based economic development from different angles. The first article explores options for utilizing cluster-based economic development in less advantaged regions. The second examines into evaluation techniques of cluster policy, while the third addresses concerns about “cluster theory” in general. Each is summarized below. Creating Smart Systems: A Guide to Cluster Strategies in Less Favoured Regions In Creating Smart Systems: A Guide to Cluster Strategies in Less Favoured Regions, released in April 2002 and written by Stuart Rosenfeld, strategies are presented to apply cluster-based economic development policies in lesser advantaged regions. One of the basic questions that is often asked in regional economic development is, “Why do some regions have the ability to develop and…

A regional partnership of economic development organizations, led by the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), announced the launch of the Northwest Technology Investor Network last week. The network is an online forum that links investors and entrepreneurs in the high-tech sector. "Technology-based businesses and manufacturers from throughout the Northwest can post their business plans on the Web site, connecting them to a nationwide network of accredited investors. Investors have one-stop access to quality business plans in the high-tech sector," said Gary Spanner, manager of PNNL's Economic Development Office. The network is hosted by LocalFund, a nationally recognized company that hosts investor networks throughout the U.S. In addition to the efforts of PNNL, partners in making the network available to entrepreneurs and investors include the Tri-Cities Enterprise Center, the Tri-City Industrial Development Council, the CH2M HILL Technology Education Center, the Applied Process Engineering Laboratory, Washington State University Tri-Cities…

True technology growth for Orange County hinges on a broader, more supportive infrastructure, argues the latest research report by the Los Angeles Regional Technology Alliance (Larta). Raising the Curtain: The Technology Economy of Orange County examines the state of the region's health and stability, the obstacles that curtail its growth, and the strengths that will help move it forward as a leading economic and technology destination. Backed by technology industries in electronics, computer hardware, bioscience, telecommunications and computer software, Orange County's diverse economy positions it "to be more stable and resilient than many other well known technology regions, such as Silicon Valley," the report states. Industry clustering in Irvine, the mid-county area near Fullerton, and the South County area near Lake Forest and Aliso Viejo, according to the report, has allowed for greater networking opportunities and more efficient sharing of resources, "leading in turn to greater degrees of innovation and specialization." Orange County clustering efforts also have…

From angel capital to university technology commercialization, there are myriad facets to technology-based economic development (TBED). The key to success lies in a solid understanding of your respective element of the field — from grasping the policy issues to developing effective programs and practices to implementing sound evaluation techniques. While the SSTI Weekly Digest and SSTI's annual conferences are designed specifically to help you in your quest for economic growth through science and technology, we recognize there are additional tools you need for your job. So, we've compiled a catalog of 116 of the best titles currently available to assist the TBED community. Descriptions in SSTI's 20-page publication catalog are grouped in 15 categories organized by specific TBED goal. For instance, there are five titles for growing a bio-based economy, 13 covering the local aspects of TBED, 12 for engaging higher education in your TBED quest, and eight for encouraging entrepreneurship. Books selected for inclusion are geared to varied audiences from practitioners and policy makers to…

The SSTI Weekly Digest and Funding Supplement will not be published next week as the office will be closed during SSTI's 6th Annual Conference, Building Tech-based Economies: From Policies to Practice on October 1-3. The next issue of the SSTI Weekly Digest will be released on October 11.

"California must continue to increase funding for science and technology in its university systems or risk losing one of its most important comparative advantages," warns the Milken Institute in the State Technology & Science Index: Comparing and Contrasting California. Commissioned by TechVentures Network and the California Technology Trade and Commerce Agency's Division of Science Technology and Innovation, Milken set about to develop a series of indicators to measure the performance of California’s high technology-based economy against the rest of the country. The result is a set of 73 indicators arrayed across five composites: R&D inputs; risk capital and infrastructure; human capital investment; technology and science workforce; and technology concentration and dynamism. Based on the aggregate scores, the Milken Institute reports Massachusetts, Colorado and California are in the best position to succeed in the technology-led information age. California's success at attracting scientific and technology talent from other regions of the country help offset a "…

The relaxation of international trade barriers and increased emphasis on globalization have had significant effects on the world's high-tech manufacturing industry. Two recent papers look at the phenomenon. An Infobrief from the National Science Foundation focuses on the growth of high-tech manufacturing in Latin America and a working paper released by the National Bureau of Economic Research considers the changes in the composition and character of the U.S. manufacturing industry in light of globalization. Brief summaries and links to download each report follows below. Latin America: High Tech-Tech Manufacturing on the Rise, But Outpaced by East Asia High-tech manufacturing has grown substantially over the last decade in Latin America according to an August 2002 InfoBrief by Derek Hill for the National Science Foundation. Latin America: High Tech-Tech Manufacturing on the Rise, But Outpaced by East Asia states that the combined high-tech manufacturing production of seven Latin American countries has increased 93 percent between 1991 and 2000 to a total of $52 billion by the end of…

Many states and communities are working to be leading participants in the rapidly growing biotech industries. Investments in academic research facilities and college scholarships to encourage more students to pursue biology and science degrees are among the strategies states are pursuing. A report released last week by the National Research Council (NRC) suggests significant changes are needed to overhaul biology education, however, in order to ensure majors in these disciplines are prepared for the new demands of biotech. Bio 2010: Undergraduate Education to Prepare Biomedical Research Scientists reports a better understanding of DNA, new laboratory techniques, and greater computer power have revolutionized the field of biology in recent years. This revolution has also changed the way biologists work, forcing them to develop know-how in other scientific disciplines. Math and computer models, for example, are crucial when trying to decipher the role played by a single gene among hundreds of thousands, and laser beams are being used by biologists to manipulate molecules. The NRC found…