SSTI Digest

The fifth installment of SSTI's Tech Talkin' Govs' series includes excerpts from speeches delivered in Ohio, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania. The first four installments are available in the Jan. 11, Jan. 18, Jan. 25, and Feb. 1 editions of the Digest. Ohio Gov. John Kasich, State of the State Address, Feb. 7, 2012 "And today I want to tell you about the best technology resource that you've never heard of. It's buried underground in Ohio. This will set us apart from every other state in America. "It's beyond high speed Internet. And I'm announcing today we're going to increase the speed of OARnet, from 10 gigabytes per second to 100 gigabytes per second and what does that mean? It's not Back to the Future with gigabytes. I mean, this really means something. ... This allows our research hospitals and universities to compete more successfully for the research grants that create breakthroughs in jobs. ... "We're also saying that it's not good enough to do research. If you don't commercialize and create jobs, what's the point? I can find you research on a top shelf in a building 140 years from now. Commercialize. Create jobs. Spinoff companies.

A newly established policy academy providing guidance and technical assistance will help seven states improve their environment for innovation and align state R&D investments, workforce development and education systems with current and future needs of advanced manufacturing industries. The policy academy will help each state develop a plan or overcome barriers for putting a plan into action through a highly interactive team-based process that includes input from NGA, MEP, EDA, SSTI, private sector consultants, and research organizations. Participating states include Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, New York, and Pennsylvania. Ideas and strategies resulting from the academy's work will serve as models for all states. NIST, MEP and EDA are providing funding, leadership and technical assistance to the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices. Learn more...

Maria Haley, the executive director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission passed way Sept. 13 after suffering a brain aneurysm.

The U.S. Commerce Department's Economic Development Administration announced Matthew Erskine will join the agency as the U.S. deputy assistant secretary of Commerce for Economic Development and chief operations officer.

Tom Palisin has been named the acting deputy director of the Technology Investment Office at the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.

The University of Utah selected Bryan Ritchie to be the next director of its Technology Commercialization Office.

Paul Washington has been named Denver's director of economic development.

Temple launched the Pennsylvania Math Engineering Science Achievement (MESA) initiative designed to increase the number of scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematics (STEM)-related professionals graduating from two- or four-year institutions and to build a diverse, national STEM workforce necessary to compete economically in a global environment.

As MESA's lead institution in Pennsylvania, Temple will be tasked with developing public/private partnerships with industry, other academic institutions and government agencies to implement the goals of MESA and provide outreach efforts to the state's students to achieve their full potential — regardless of background, gender or economic status. Last summer, Temple in partnership with the U.S. Navy launched three MESA summer academies related to health and medicine, engineering and technology. Other institutions of higher education that operate their state's MESA program include Johns Hopkins, the University of Washington and UC-Berkley.

Spending time at a technology or business incubator may be the key to learning about entrepreneurship. Some universities, seeking to ramp up entrepreneurship programs, are turning to incubators as real-world teachers. A recent Washington Post article points to several business schools pairing traditional education, such as courses and lectures, with less-conventional approaches, including incubators and business competitions to prepare students for opportunities outside the classroom. Recent announcements of new and emerging technology incubators from across the U.S. and Canada are included below.

Lawmakers approved Gov. Tom Corbett's proposal to restructure the state's economic development efforts by consolidating several programs within the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED). Total general fund spending for DCED in FY12 is $212.8 million, down from $327.5 million last year or a 35 percent reduction. Much of this is achieved through consolidating programs.

The Ben Franklin Technology Development Authority Fund will receive $14.5 million, down from $16.9 million in FY11. The authority funds the Ben Franklin Technology Partners, which provide access to capital and entrepreneurial support services to promising tech-based companies through its four regional networks. The budget funds a new line item of $9.9 million for the Discovered in PA, Developed in PA initiative to help entrepreneurs connect with state resources. The program seeks to develop and deploy regional experts to reach out to high-growth companies and provide them with access to services and financing to help grow their businesses.

Much of the recent economic recovery plans coming from governors across the country have focused on growing and nurturing existing businesses through a regional approach to economic development. The idea is that by identifying and defining the unique needs of a region, policymakers and practitioners can then provide the necessary tools and resources to grow industries likely to succeed within a given region, thus improving the overall economic landscape of the state. This approach is happening both in states and at the local level.

Karel Schubert has been appointed executive director of the Bioscience Association of West Virginia. Schubert most recently founded and is the chief executive officer of BioSynectics, a St. Louis-based bioscience firm.

J. Michael Saul, deputy director of the R.I. Economic Development Corporation, who served as interim director for a year, is stepping down. Saul had overseen the agency's capital programs such as the Small Business Loan Fund.

Chelsea Burket has joined the team at Fourth Economy as a research assistant.

TechNet and the Illinois Technology Association announced a new strategic partnership to collaborate on a dual state-federal policy and political program for Illinois' fast-growing and emerging technology companies. s

Gov. Tom Corbett's budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year funds many of Pennsylvania's longstanding efforts to grow a technology-based economy, but at a reduced level. At the same time, the governor outlined new initiatives and investments centered on a restructured Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) that he says will eliminate duplicative programs and better position the state to attract businesses for job creation.

DCED's budget would be cut by 32 percent, or $114 million, and the number of programs would be reduced to 56 from 127 under the governor's proposal to streamline the state's economic development efforts. The Ben Franklin Technology Development Authority would receive $14.6 million in FY12, down from $16.8 million in FY11 available funds. The authority funds the Ben Franklin Technology Partners (BFTP), one of the nation's longest running and most successful TBED programs. Through its four regional networks, BFTP provides access to capital and entrepreneurial support services to promising tech-based companies throughout the state.

The seventh installment of SSTI's Tech Talkin' Govs series includes excerpts from speeches delivered in Alabama, Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island. The first six installments are available in the Jan. 5, Jan. 12, Jan. 19, Jan. 26, Feb. 9 and Feb. 23 issues of the Digest.

AlabamaGov. Robert Bentley, State of the State Address, March 1, 2011"The Education Budget I present will preserve, protect and bolster areas that should remain a priority for all of Alabama. ... We will protect the Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative. ...

SSTI Board member Phillip Singerman has been named as the Associate Director for Innovation and Industry Services for the National Institute of Standards and Technology. He will assume this position on January 31.

Alabama Gov.-elect Robert Bentley named former house speaker Seth Hammett as the director of the Alabama Development Office.

Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter announced he will become director of the Center for the New Energy Economy at Colorado State University effective Feb. 1.

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder named Michael Finney, current president and CEO of Ann Arbor SPARK, as the new Michigan Economic Development Corp. director, replacing Greg Main. Ann Arbor SPARK announced the appointment of Skip Simms as interim president and CEO.

The Philadelphia region increased retention of non-native students (students who are not originally from Philadelphia but attended undergraduate or graduate school in region) by 165% from 2004 to 2010 due to an increase in regional involvement opportunities for students (e.g., volunteer opportunities, internships, off-campus work opportunities and local cultural/entertainment activities), according to a new survey by Campus Philly. The report also found a high correlation between a student having a summer internship and remaining in the region for a year or more (70% of respondents). In comparison, only 40% of students were retained if they interned outside of the region. The report, "From Student to Resident: Findings from Campus Philly's 2010 Student Retention Survey," utilizes data collected from 4,600 students (including undergraduate and graduate students) and recent alumni of Philadelphia colleges and universities.