SSTI Digest

Rosalie Ruegg has retired from her position as the Director of the Economic Assessment Office for the Advanced Technology Program in the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

On April 19, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court cleared the way for the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust Fund to begin operations with a unanimous ruling that the funding mechanism is constitutional. Between 1998 and 2003, the Trust, managed by the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, will receive about $150 million to accelerate the use of cleaner sources of electricity and to invest in the development of the renewable energy industry in Massachusetts. In subsequent years, the Trust will receive about $20 million a year. As an outgrowth of electric utility deregulation, the Trust was created in 1998 by the legislature to promote the development of renewable energy in the Commonwealth through a series of initiatives that exploit the advantage of renewable energy in a more competitive marketplace. The Massachusetts Technology Collaborative was selected by the legislature to lead this effort. The ability to ramp up to full operation was initially constrained by a lawsuit challenging the Trust’s funding mechanism, a monthly charge on customer electric bills known as a systems…

More than 240 of the nation’s leading scientists and engineers, including 14 Nobel laureates, will begin sharing their passion for discovery with middle school students across the nation as a result of the “Scientists and Engineers in the Schools” program. Announced last week, the program is a new initiative of the National Science Foundation. To reach students around the country as role models and mentors, the award-winning scientists and engineers will visit local middle schools during the 50th Anniversary year of the National Science Foundation (April 2000 to May 2001). In addition to the Nobel Laureates, 14 Medal of Science winners, 7 Medal of Technology recipients, 11 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientist & Engineers awardees, 186 CAREER recipients, and 8 A.T. Waterman award winners also have signed on to share their experiences with students throughout the country. The volunteer scientists and engineers reside in 37 states. The purpose of these visits is to introduce students to the myriad opportunities science, engineering and technology afford them, and to foster more…

Last Friday, Governor Tommy Thompson signed into law Senate Bill 429, establishing the Wisconsin Technology and Entrepreneurs Council (WITEC). The nonprofit corporation is to promote and support the creation, development, and retention of science-based and technology-based businesses “through the establishment and implementation of programs that focus on various elements that are important for the success of high-technology firms, such as entrepreneurs, seed and venture capital, universities and state government." The Wisconsin Department of Commerce is required to organize and assist in maintaining WITEC, including providing a one-time grant of $50,000 for start up expenses. Commerce may provide additional funding on a matching basis. The total maximum Commerce contributions to WITEC are limited to $250,000 in any fiscal year. WITEC will be governed by a board of directors comprised of at least 11 members who represent entrepreneurs, high tech firms, venture capitalists, investment banking, universities and technical colleges, local government, and professionals experienced in providing…

Purdue University plans to seek $15 million in matching funds from the state to establish and support five technology business incubators or regional technology centers around Indiana. The state also will be asked to provide $6.25 million in funding for administrative support over the first four years of the centers’ operations. The focus for each center would depend on the region of the state and the potential that exists within that region. Purdue's plan calls for each regional technology center to create an advisory committee to establish criteria for use of its services and to evaluate each company's potential for growth and success. Each center would be expected to work in partnership with Purdue during the developmental years of the program. No bill has been introduced yet (the second regular session of the state legislature has adjourned) but a similar recommendation was advanced by the General Assembly's Interim Study Committee on Economic Development Issues. The committee report calls for the state to create and provide start-up costs for five regional technology centers each…

Science and technology issues are well positioned on the radar screen of many governors, based on SSTI review of more than 50 gubernatorial addresses. In SSTI's latest issue brief, Science, Technology and the Governors: Excerpts from the 2000 Gubernatorial Addresses, SSTI compiles 117 excerpts across a range of S&T concerns: new initiatives, biotechnology, university research capacity, the New Economy, e-commerce, technology-related tax credits, seed and venture capital, information technology and workforce development. Review of the governors’ addresses emphasizes again that state support for science and technology transcends political parties, demographics, and economic conditions. Quotes in the issue brief come from 38 governors. The 2000 review indicates a large increase in the number of governors talking about biotechnology (13 in 2000 versus 5 in 1999), a reflection of some states’ use of tobacco settlement funds for biotechnology research. There was a significant decline in the number of governors discussing access to higher education (7 in 2000 versus 20 in 1999); this may be due to…

Six technology-related programs are among the 96 semifinalists for the 2000 Innovations in American Government Awards. The award, which recognizes innovation and effectiveness in public sector programs, has become one of the most prestigious public-service honors in the country. Innovations in American Government was established in 1986 by the Ford Foundation and is administered by the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Announced last week, the 96 semifinalists were selected from more than 1,300 nominees across all levels of government. Twenty-five finalists will be named in late summer. The 10 top finalists each will receive $100,000; the remaining 15 will receive $20,000 a piece. Technology-related semi-finalists include: Fast Track Program, Department of Defense, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, (Acquisition, Technology & Logistics). Fast Track is a public-private collaboration to enable small companies to develop commercially successful new technologies through the Defense Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program…

In February, the US Patent and Trademark Office released a table of all patent activity in 1999 by state, and the percentage change by state over 1998 activity. Nationally, patents grew by 3.7 percent between 1998 and 1999. The ten states that showed the greatest growth in patent activity are (percentage change from 1998 is provided in parentheses): Puerto Rico (57.1%), Idaho (40.6%), South Dakota (36.8%), Kentucky (25.7%), Arkansas (22.8%), Kansas (22.5%), Wyoming (18.4 %), Iowa (13.8%), Tennessee (11.6%) , and Alabama (11.1%). The complete table can be found on page three of the 1999 Patenting Trends paper, downloadable at: http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/com/speeches/pattr99.pdf

Our thanks to SSTI Weekly Digest subscriber Chris Brantley of the Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers, Inc. <www.ieee.org&gt; for the heads up on this story. On April 25, Governor Parris Glendening signed 12 acts of the state legislature dealing with information technology and technology-based economic development. Of particular interest is HB 1209 which makes several revisions to the Maryland Science, Engineering, and Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO). Established in 1998, TEDCO links technology companies with Maryland universities and federal labs. The legislation: (1) authorizes TEDCO to make grants to and other direct investments in Maryland technology companies; (2) shortens the name to the Maryland Technology Development Corporation; (3) increases the size of the Board to 15 to bring additional private sector expertise; (4) permits TEDCO to protect trade secrets and other proprietary information; and (5) extends liability protection to TEDCO employees. Also of note, HB 276 establishes a CEO Board of Advisors…

Seeking to strengthen its relationship with academia and industry, NASA Administrator Dan Goldin appointed Spence (Sam) Armstrong, Lieutenant General USAF (retired), as his Senior Advisor. Goldin directed Gen. Armstrong to give first priority to partnerships and cooperation with universities. The urgency of this priority was to establish definite plans for this enhanced relationship in time for Congressional hearings on the 2001 budget and the NASA budget call to its centers for the 2002 plan. The agency also believes closer cooperation with universities will help for recruitment of the best and brightest talent workforce now that the NASA is hiring again. As a result, NASA is now circulating a white paper soliciting suggestions on how to implement programs of NASA/university cooperation along the following six themes: "Foster increased dialogue and interaction between NASA, colleges and universities. This will include large research institutes, smaller colleges, and minority institutions in all areas of research, education, and outreach. This should enable…

The Kenan Institute for Engineering, Technology & Science is providing the Southern Technology Council (STC) $150,000 in matching funds over three years to help Southern states increase innovation-driven economic development. A major element of the initiative is annual benchmarking of each state's progress in agreed-upon categories, including: industrial composition, entrepreneurial development, globalization, and human resources. The three-year program, Invented Here: Towards an Innovation-Driven Southern Economy, is designed to assist Southern states in leveraging scarce resources to build dynamic, sustainable economic growth. Invented Here will help each Southern state in determining where it stands in the innovation-driven economy, developing a strategic plan, and establishing a set of benchmarks for improving its position. Specifically, Invented Here will: Articulate the South's position within the innovation economy; Establish an innovation-driven strategic plan for a sustainable Southern economy; Build consensus within each of the Southern Growth's member states…

All States Whether or not to tax e-commerce has become a states’ rights issue. The industry-led Advisory Commission on Electronic Commerce has recommended to Congress that it extend the current ban on e-commerce sales taxes for five years; the moratorium is set to expire in October, 2001. While governors in several states have been vocal in their opposition of any e-sales taxes, 42 governors have submitted a joint letter to Congress blasting the ban as a special interest tax break that interferes with state sovereignty. More information is available from the National Governors’ Association web site: http://www.nga.org/Releases/PR-12April2000Internet.asp Arizona State legislation has been passed to provide 100 percent tax credits of up to $1,500 per year per person toward costs associated with information technology (IT) training for IT skills determined to be in short supply by the Arizona Department of Commerce. HB 2442/SB 1332 were passed with the aim of addressing the shortage of skilled IT workers. For copies of the act, visit: http://www.azleg.state.az.us/legtext/bills.htm …