SSTI Digest

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…

SSTI has added two new features to our web site to make your visits easier. Both are free services from Mind-It.com. First, a site search engine has been added to our home page http://www.ssti.org allowing quicker browsing and researching. The second new feature is a free notification service http://www.ssti.org/whatsnew.htm  which sends subscribers email messages whenever our site is updated. Recipients are then able to click on the link to SSTI's home page to see the modifications we've made to the site (follow "What's New"). Mind-It.com allows individual users to monitor several unrelated web pages with this valuable service http://mindit.netmind.com/

Earlier this month, Governor Ben Cayetano released The New Millenium Growth Strategy for Hawaii's Economy, an economic development plan to improve the state's performance in a knowledge-based economy. The 90-page report, penned by the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, includes several new initiatives for developing and growing technology businesses as well as strengthening existing economic development efforts. The plan hopes to have "high-tech activities permeate all sectors of Hawaii's economy." As a result, separate sections are dedicated to discussing technology-based approaches to building a stronger economy through high technology, information technology, biotechnology, defense and dual-use technology, health care, resource development, environment, and tourism. The plan also identifies and addresses proposals for workforce training and infrastructure capacity needs for a technology-based economy. New initiatives in the plan include: In venture capital for high-tech, establishment of a $50 million Hawaii Technology Fund drawn from proceeds of the…

Mark Your Calendars! Book your Flights! Make your Reservations! Pack Your Bags! Planning is underway for SSTI's fourth and largest annual gathering of S&T policymakers and practitioners. The event will be held October 3-4, 2000 in Chicago, Illinois. As in the past, two limited-seating in-depth workshops will precede the conference on Monday, October 2. SSTI is particularly excited to hold the conference in Illinois – where technology-based economic development has become a focal point of the state's and Chicago's development strategies. The conference will be held at the historic Regal Knickerbocker Hotel (http://www.regal-hotels.com/chicago). The 305-room hotel provides an intimate-yet-formal setting for the event and is conveniently located on the top of Chicago's "Magnificent Mile" – home to the city's finest dining, shopping, and nightlife. A special room rate of $162 has been reserved at the hotel for SSTI conference registrants (mention the SSTI conference to get the discounted rate when calling 1-800-621-8140 to make reservations.) More details on the conference…

Efforts to transform rural Berkshire County, Massachusetts from an area of economic decline into an equal player for the New Economy through improved telecommunications access are bearing fruit. Berkshire Connect, a consortium of business, cultural, academic, and community leaders has successfully negotiated an agreement with Global Crossing, Ltd. and Equal Access Networks to provide low-cost, equal access telecommunications throughout the region. This agreement will allow area businesses to save 50% over their current rates for T-1 Internet access. Equal Access Networks and Global Crossing, Ltd. have agreed to invest several million dollars into the construction of a new facility designed to house voice, Internet, data, and video telecommunications services. This introduction of competition into the Berkshire market is expected to improve the cost, quality, and service offered throughout the county. It is also expected to encourage growth and educational development through the use of the new, improved telecommunications services. The Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC) and…

The Army Medical Research and Materiel Command has recently posted in the Commerce Business Daily the following solicitations for research proposals: Breast Cancer Research Program – the Army has approximately $3.5 million available to fund concept awards of up to $50,000 each for the development of initial concepts or theories that could give rise to testable hypotheses. The awards encourage the exploration of untested, innovative questions in breast cancer. The deadline for electronic, one-page submissions is April 12, 2000. Any individual with a masters or doctoral degree, regardless of ethnicity, nationality or citizenship status, may apply as long as they are employed by an eligible institution, including for profit and nonprofit organizations, such as universities, colleges, hospitals, companies, laboratories, and agencies of local, state or federal government. More information can be found on the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program web site: http://cdmrp.army.mil/?/announce Prostate Cancer Research Program – the Army has $75 million available to support research into…

Cliff Numark has been named CEO for the San Diego Regional Technology Alliance, filling the position vacated by Joe Raguso when he became Deputy Secretary in the California Department of Trade and Commerce. Mike Wojcicki, chief operating officer and vice president of research at KTEC, has been named President of the Modernization Forum (ModForum) in Livonia, Michigan. Nola Miyasaki is serving as Acting Executive Director and CEO of the Hawaii High Technology Development Corp. Dan Hill, Assistant Administrator responsible for SBIR activities in the SBA, is leaving to work on international trade issues in the Department of Commerce. Jack MacLennan, Manager of the Office of Business Technology and Competitiveness within the Illinois Department of Commerce & Community Affairs, has announced he will be leaving state government at the end of February.