SSTI Digest

SSTI has learned the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) reauthorization language the Senate Small Business Committee (SBC) will be marking up on Tuesday, March 21 is substantially different than HR 2392, passed by the House last fall. While HR 2392 basically makes housekeeping revisions to the $1.1 billion SBIR program, the SBC version includes several components addressing issues a majority of states identified as problems for their own SBIR outreach and assistance efforts. SSTI understands the proposed Senate language has support from key Committee members from both political parties.   For the past ten months, the Federal Technology Business Investment Committee of the Science and Technology Council of the States (STCS) has been developing recommendations to improve state-federal partnership on SBIR. Most of the recommendations of the STCS committee are addressed favorably in the SBC version of the SBIR Reauthorization bill including: Funding for State SBIR Assistance The SBC language authorizes creation of the Federal and State Technology Partnership Program (FAST), a $10 million initiative to provide matching funds for state efforts…

Last week, Mary Harney, Ireland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, announced the establishment of a £560m ($681M U.S.) Technology Foresight Fund to establish Ireland as a location for world class research excellence in niche areas within biotechnology and information and communication technologies. According to Reuters’ reports, funding for the new initiative will be spread over seven years. The Technology Foresight Fund — the country’s single largest investment ever for research, technological development and innovation — was conceived and designed by the Irish Council for Science, Technology, and Innovation (ICSTI), a publicly created organization to advise the Irish government on the strategic direction of science, technology and innovation policy. Separate Task Force panels or subcommittees investigated technology development issues in eight industrial sectors: natural resources; chemicals/pharmaceuticals; health and life sciences; information and communications technology; materials and manufacturing; transport and logistics; construction/infrastructure; and energy. From the panels’ findings, the Task Force advanced several…

Digest readers may have noticed in our headlines over the past few months that state efforts to improve their economic standing through science and technology are undergoing a tremendous period of growth and expansion. While state S&T programs have been in existence since the 1950s, most activity occurred in the early 1980s and early 1990s during severe economic downturns. The activity of the last 15 months rivals that of the early 1980s and will in all likelihood ultimately surpass it. New Developments in State Science and Technology Policy compiles the key state S&T initiatives covered in the SSTI Weekly Digest since late 1998. The 20-page publication serves as a convenient snapshot of current directions in state S&T policy and is an accessible way for state program officials, legislators, and others to learn easily about the most recent developments in the states. SSTI sponsors will be receiving their complimentary copies of New Developments in State Science and Technology Policy early next week. For all others, individual copies are available for purchase from SSTI for $15.00 (US). The price…

NASA and the Department of the Navy each have published lists of two inventions and one invention, respectively, that are owned by the federal government and are available for licensing. Foreign patent applications are filed on selected inventions to extend market coverage for companies and may also be available for licensing. Both the lists and contact information are available for review on the SSTI website at: http://www.ssti.org/Digest/Tables/031700t.htm 

Citing the need to attract knowledge- and technology-based businesses to the state, Louisiana Governor Mike Foster has proposed converting the state’s Department of Economic Development (DED) into Louisiana, Inc., a private, state-chartered, not-for-profit corporation. The corporation would be designed around a cluster-based economic development strategy focusing on nine traditional clusters and six “seed” high technology clusters with foundations in the state’s university research centers. Each of the clusters would have a Cluster Developer on staff at Louisiana, Inc, to lead the economic development efforts for that cluster by: conducting market analyses for the cluster; defining a market niche or vision for the state’s sector; identify best practices in other states; and prepare business plans to guide the corporations activities to support and grow the cluster. Each Cluster Developer’s compensation package would be performance based. Seven new service offices would be responsible for coordinating federal grants, providing direct business assistance and financial services, fostering…

Commerce Secretary William Daley announced this week that Gary Bachula, Deputy Under Secretary for Technology, will be leaving his post April 7 to move to the private sector. Throughout Bachula’s tenure with the Clinton Administration, he has served as a the leading advocate for efforts to build stronger partnerships between federal R&D agencies and state technology programs. His willingness and commitment to explore new approaches to state-federal partnerships was demonstrated through the creation of the U.S. Innovation Partnership, the development of the pilot Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Technology (EPSCoT), and his support of the State Science and Technology Institute. In addition, on behalf of the White House, Bachula chaired the Federal government's interagency partnership with the automobile industry to develop high mileage advanced technology vehicles. The Administration's "Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles" (PNGV) recently met an important milestone with the roll-out by Ford, GM, and DaimlerChrysler of three proof-of-concept cars that achieve more than 70 miles…

In his recent State of the State address, Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson called for the establishment of a new High Tech Corporation to assist in the development of companies for the New Economy. Toward that end, a bill has been introduced in both houses of the Wisconsin Legislature to establish the corporation. The bill requires the Wisconsin Department of Commerce to develop and maintain a nonprofit corporation to promote and support the creation, maturation, and retention of science and technology-based businesses in the state. The High Tech Corporation would be responsible for designing and implementing programs that focus on various elements of high-technology company development such as entrepreneurship, seed and venture capital, university involvement, and state government involvement. The corporation would be overseen by a nine-member board that would supervise the activities of the corporation and raise a total of $250,000 per year in private sector funding. In addition to private funds, the High Tech Corporation would be funded through the Wisconsin Department of Commerce. A…

This past winter, the National Science Foundation (NSF) released most of the statistical tables compiled from the 1998 surveys of federal, academic and industrial research and development expenditures. Also included are early release tables presenting federal support for science and engineering to universities, colleges and nonprofit institutions. These early releases provide researchers and data users — including state science and technology programs completing innovation indices — the most timely statistics available on the topics. The full reports will be published on the web later this year. Following are brief summaries of early release tables currently available: Academic R&D The series of 74 tables of academic research and development expenditures for 1998 include eleven tables presenting the data geographically and/or by state and 34 tables by individual institution. Five more tables address R&D expenditures at university-administered federally funded research and development centers. To obtain accurate historical data on academic research and…

At its winter meeting last week, the National Governors' Association (NGA) launched a new initiative to explore how states can meet the challenges of governing in the New Economy. During the next six months, NGA's Center for Best Practices will release a series of papers that focus on seven different aspects of the New Economy. A complete list of the papers included in the series can be viewed at: http://www.nga.org/Releases/PR-26Feb2000Strategies.asp A new 50-page report, State Strategies for the New Economy, begins this series by presenting action steps to the nation’s governors from the NGA Task Force on the New Economy. The Task Force calls for changes in the way states govern, deliver services, and attract the workers and businesses driving the New Economy. The first half of State Strategies focuses on defining the New Economy and its impact on state government. The final three chapters suggest recommendations for reengineering state government, building the state's intellectual and physical infrastructure, and reshaping the state's economic environment. These final two chapters are most…

Arizona Legislation has been introduced to permit one percent of the permanent state trust funds to be invested in economic development projects as authorized by the Arizona Board of Investment. The concurrent resolution, HCR 2033, was referred to several committees for consideration. Another bill under consideration in the Arizona House, HB 2447, would create the Arizona Capital Access Program, a revolving investment fund secured by state tax credits to encourage technology-focused venture capital investments in the state. California Governor Gray Davis has proposed spending up to $300 million over the next four years to create three California Institutes for Science and Innovation on three of the nine campuses of the University of California. According to the Governor's budget request, the funds would be used to create world-class centers for strategic innovation that combine cutting-edge research with training for new scientists and technological leaders. All public funding for the institutes would have to be matched on a 3:1 public:private ratio. The Governor's budget…

The State of Maine’s Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) Committee seeks a Statewide EPSCoR Director to coordinate and facilitate the activities of the State’s EPSCoR Steering Committee, called the Research Capacity Committee (RCC). A three-person management team consisting of the Chancellor of the University of Maine System (UMS), the President of the Maine Science and Technology Foundation (MSTF), and the Chair of the RCC appoint the Director and oversee the Director’s activities. The Director reports directly to the Chair of the RCC. Letters of application, a resume, and three references should be submitted in time to be received no later than April 7, 2000. The National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges seeks applications to fill the position of Director, Federal Relations-Research/Higher Education. The Director assists the NASULGC President and the Executive Vice President in the formulation and implementation of association policies relating to research and higher education matters pending before the U.S. Congress or the executive branch…

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