SSTI Digest

The state technology-based economic development community is losing one of its most dynamic and longest-serving leaders by the end of the year. Jamie Kenworthy, executive director of the Alaska Science & Technology Foundation (ASTF), has announced his retirement effective December 1.

Prior to taking the ASTF directorship seven years ago, Jamie served on the organization's board from its founding in 1988. He also ran Michigan's tech-based economic development initiatives during the 1980s for the Blanchard Administration and has been an active contributor nationally on state-federal science and technology policy issues.

With Jamie's departure pending, ASTF is seeking an executive director with experience in establishing working partnerships, market orientation and excellent communication skills.

Enterprise Florida has named Darrell Kelley as its new president and chief executive officer effective August 5. Kelley currently is the president of the defense-related technology incubator, MILCOM Technologies.

Two of North Carolina's state-created non-profit science and technology centers announced new leaders last week. David Rizzo is the new president and chief executive officer of MCNC. and Leslie Alexandre will serve in the same position for the North Carolina Biotechnology Center.

Matthew McClorey is the new president and chief executive officer of Kansas Innovation Corp. McClorey formerly served as vice president for business development & portfolio management at KTEC, a position now filled by Michael Peck.

Enterprise Florida has named Darrell Kelley as its new president and chief executive officer effective August 5. Kelley currently is the president of the defense-related technology incubator, MILCOM Technologies.

Two of North Carolina's state-created non-profit science and technology centers announced new leaders last week. David Rizzo is the new president and chief executive officer of MCNC. and Leslie Alexandre will serve in the same position for the North Carolina Biotechnology Center.

Matthew McClorey is the new president and chief executive officer of Kansas Innovation Corp. McClorey formerly served as vice president for business development & portfolio management at KTEC, a position now filled by Michael Peck.

In honor of Independence Day, no SSTI Weekly Digest will be published July 5.

While tight state budgets have slowed the number of tech-based economic development programs being created by states, Kentucky and Oregon have both approved new laws designed to encourage the growth of technology companies.

Kentucky Kentucky Governor Paul Patton has signed into law House Bill (HB) 525, economic development legislation, designed to attract high-tech, new economy companies to the state that provide high quality, high paying jobs. The legislation is designed to help Kentucky develop a business culture that promotes research and development and an entrepreneurial climate that allows new ideas to flourish.

Specifically, HB 525 does the following:

Publisher's Note: While more than 40 states are working to encourage the creation and growth of biotechnology companies, as we have said over the years, the U.S. is competing in a global economy. This is just as true in technology as in textiles. The fact that the recently concluded BIO annual conference was held in Toronto only underscores the point. Over the years, the SSTI Weekly Digest has featured selected international initiatives as a gentle reminder to policymakers that the U.S. is not alone in this effort. Below, we feature two European efforts focused on biotechnology.

A study released by the Beacon Hill Institute at Suffolk University in Boston is one of the more recent efforts to examine all aspects of U.S. states and their economies. Entitled State Competitiveness Report 2001, the study defines competitiveness as the ability to ensure and sustain a high level of per capita income and its continued growth.

The BHI report combines more than three dozen variables into nine subindexes: government and fiscal policy, institutions, infrastructure, human resources, technology, finance, openness, domestic competition and environmental policy. Using the nine subindexes, each of which represents an element of competitiveness, the authors made an overall index and ranked the states according to their overall competitiveness.

Among the study's key findings are:

Videoconferencing, videotelephony, Internet-based audio and video entertainment, local wireless data services and telecommuting — all are part of the "last mile" broadband services that Charles Ferguson assesses in a recent working paper for The Brookings Institution.

In The United States Broadband Problem: Analysis and Policy Recommendations, Ferguson argues that broadband services are hampered by a slow rate of deployment and technological progress. Monopolistic structure, entrenched management and political power of the incumbent local exchange carrier (ILEC) and cable television (CATV) sectors, he says, are principally responsible for the problem. Moreover, these industries are "worsened by major deficiencies in the policy and regulatory systems covering (them)."

The National Science Foundation has released a new set of statistical tables that show research and development (R&D) funding levels, reported by 31 federal agencies for the last three fiscal years.

Federal Funds for Research and Development: Fiscal Years 2000, 2001, and 2002 offers R&D totals in terms of both outlays and obligations. The R&D obligation data are categorized according to character of work (basic research, applied research, and development), performer, field of science or engineering (for research but not for development), and federal R&D funding by state. The report also shows obligations for research performance at colleges and universities by fields of science or engineering, and additional data is given for R&D plant.

Albuquerque, New Mexico Tenants of the Sante Fe Business Incubator have seen their one-story building increase from 10,000 sq. ft. to 30,000 sq. ft., according to a story by the Albuquerque Journal. The expansion is part of a $2.5 million project funded by the federal Economic Development Administration (EDA), the Regional Development Corporation and other agencies.

Arizona The U.S. Women's Chamber of Commerce has started the Women's Business Growth Leadership Council to help boost women owned business revenue in Arizona, the Business Journal in Phoenix reported. The group is designed to help women better obtain financing and procurement opportunities from the government and large corporations.