SSTI Digest

Nearly all public schools in the U.S. are connected to the Internet, according to a survey published by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). The survey, Internet Access in U.S. Public Schools and Classrooms: 1994 – 2000, shows that 98 percent of public schools had access to the Internet by the fall of 2000, representing a 3 percent increase over 1999 and a 26 percent increase since 1997.



The survey also shows the number of public schools with instructional rooms possessing Internet connections is on the rise. Seventy-seven percent of such rooms were connected to the Internet in the fall of 2000–a notable increase over the 63 percent in 1999. During this time, the ratio of students to instructional computers in public schools decreased to 5 to 1, while the ratio of students to instructional computers with Internet access improved from 9 to 1 in 1999 to 7 to 1 in 2000.

Is a strong university research component critical to local tech-based economic development? Many argue this position, including SSTI (Using Research and Development to Grow State Economies). Using data on royalties, licenses, and job creation figures, others have demonstrated the economic contributions of university R&D. (See for instance, the annual licensing survey from the Association of University Technology Managers.)



But can strong research universities contribute more to local technological innovation than large industrial research laboratories – or can communities achieve the same degree of success in building tech-based economies by concentrating resources toward attracting industrial research laboratories?

Arizona

In spite of a tight budget resulting in cuts of $600 million, the Business Journal reports the Arizona state legislature has appropriated $3 million to launch implementation of the strategic plan developed by the APNE, the Arizona Partnership for the New Economy (see the Jan. 26, 2001 issue of the SSTI Weekly Digest for a story on the plan). The funds, to be focused primarily on rural telecom initiatives, will be administered by the Department of Commerce. For more information on APNE see: http://www.commerce.state.az.us/neweconomy/APNE.htm

President Bush has announced his intention to nominate the following people to positions within the federal government that affect state and local tech-based economic development:

President Bush has announced his intention to nominate the following people to positions within the federal government that affect state and local tech-based economic development:

• George G. Williams to be Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology. He is presently the President of COLSA Corporation in Huntsville, Alabama. Williams is a graduate of North Carolina State University.
• Michael W. Wynne to be Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Technology. He is presently the Chairman and CEO of the Ixata Group based in San Diego, California. Originally from Florida, Wynne is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, the Air Force Institute of Technology and has received a MBA from the University of Colorado.
  

Mark Lang, CEO of the Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania for the past 14 years, has announced his resignation.