SSTI Digest

The proceedings of the Technology Transfer Metrics Summit is now available from the Technology Transfer Society. The book is based on the first working conference on measurement and evaluation for the technology transfer community, co-sponsored by the Engineering Foundation and the Technology Transfer Society.

Topics include measurement of federal laboratory/university/industry partnering, state programs, intermediaries and economic development, manufacturing extension, and commercialization programs.

The 370-page proceedings brings together industry case studies, international approaches, a conference executive summary, workshop summaries, and benchmarking examples. It also includes two items which evolved from the conference itself: 1) a matrix of standard metrics by organizational sector, and 2) a metrics standardization proposal.

Eight industry and economic development leaders have been appointed to serve on the newly created Manufacturing Extension Partnership National Advisory Board. Meeting three times a year, the board will provide advice on MEP programs, plans and policies. The board will summarize its findings and recommendations to the Secretary of Commerce in an annual report.

The board members are:

The Delaware Economic Development Office recently announced the selection of two new Advanced Technology Centers (ATC). The Centers will focus on semiconductors and advanced optics.

The Centers are public/private partnerships designed to bolster Delaware's technology base and to create and retain quality high-tech jobs. The State of Delaware is investing $4 million over three years in these two Centers through grants from the 21st Century Fund.

The Center for Nanomachined Surfaces (CNS) will focus on developing and commercializing leading-edge nanomachining applications important to the semiconductor industry. The primary technical goal of the Center is to achieve the world's highest-precision polished, or nanomachined, photomask surfaces, ultimately affecting every integrated circuit made. For more information on CNS, visit their website at http://nanosurf.ece.udel.edu.

The Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology is requesting comments on proposed revisions to the agency's Advanced Technology Program regulations.

The proposed changes are the result of a study of the ATP initiated by Commerce Secretary William Daley in March. Conducted by the department's Technology Administration and completed in July, the study solicited comments from the public and experts on research and technology concerning strategies to strengthen the program and increase its effectiveness.

Key provisions in the proposed modifications to the ATP include:

The Role of Technology in the Connecticut Economy, a new report produced by the Connecticut Technology Council (CTC), provides a comprehensive analysis of the role of technology in the state's economy. Overall, the report reveals both a strong technology contribution to the Connecticut economy, as well as the state's dependence on technology for achieving its economic potential.

The primary goal of the report is to draw attention to the technology resources in the state and to redefine how the state collectively views itself. The report's second goal is to start quantifying the state's technology resources in order to provide a basis for future planning and evaluation of technology performance over time. With this baseline data, private industry planners and public policy makers will be able to position Connecticut for growth in the future.

The U.S. Department of Commerce is accepting nominations for the 1998 National Medal of Technology. The Medal of Technology recognizes technological innovators who have made lasting contributions to enhancing America's competitiveness and standard of living.

The Medal of Technology is awarded annually to individuals, teams, or companies for accomplishments in the innovation, development, commercialization, and management of technology, as evidenced by the establishment of new or significantly improved products, processes, or services.

Nominations must be submitted by

October 17. Eligibility requirements include:

President Clinton intends to nominate Ray Kammer to become the next director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Duncan Moore as the Associate Director for Technology in the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). Both appointments must be confirmed by the Senate.

Kammer has served as the deputy director of NIST from 1980 to 1991 and from 1993 to the present. From 1991 to 1993 he was the Department of Commerce's Deputy Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere. Most recently Kammer has been serving on an acting basis as chief financial officer, assistant secretary for administration and chief information officer for the Department of Commerce.

The post of NIST director has been vacant since Arati Prabhakar resigned in the spring to take a private sector position.

The Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) and the Small Business Technology Transfer Program (STTR) were the focus of a hearing before the Technology Subcommittee of the House Science Committee last week. The subcommittee is considering re-authorization of the STTR program.

Discussion focused on three issues: (1) the effectiveness of SBIR and STTR in meeting program goals; (2) the geographic distribution of SBIR/STTR awards; and (3) the need to balance commercialization objectives with funding research to meet agency needs.

The State Science and Technology Institute (SSTI) recently released an issue brief that examines the current efforts of states to write and implement science and technology strategic plans. The report is entitled An Overview of State Science & Technology Strategic Planning.

The issue brief (1) presents an overview of states' science and technology strategic plans and the process by which they were developed; (2) examines the extent to which the plans explicitly address the needs of distressed areas; and, (3) describes science and technology strategic planning activities in Maryland, North Carolina, North Dakota, and Vermont.

SSTI found that 13 states adopted statewide science and technology strategic plans between 1991 and 1995. During this same time, 29 states adopted overall economic development strategies, some of which addressed the science and technology base in the state or the needs of particular technology-based industries.

The Federal Laboratory Consortium (FLC) has released a study entitled "Managing the Successful Transfer of Technology from Federal Facilities: A Survey of Selected Laboratories & Facilities in the Mid-Continent Region of the Federal Laboratory Consortium." The study was commissioned by the FLC and was undertaken by Chapman Research Group, Inc.

The study reports that some of the best practices for transferring technology include: incorporating technology transfer into strategic planning for the lab/installation; developing systematic valuation of technology transfer activities; aggressive management of intellectual property; and, innovative use of the CRADA mechanism.

The Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology (OCAST) is creating the Oklahoma Technology Commercialization Center. The Center will help technology-based firms assess their commercialization needs, guide them through the commercialization process, and link them to a network of technology sources and commercialization assistance services.

The Center will provide access to specialized business development services, early-stage risk financing, and help in transferring technology.

"OCAST's goal for the project is to increase per capita income in Oklahoma by achieving a critical mass of technology-oriented companies and entrepreneurs within the state, thereby attracting other similar firms," said Sheri Stickley, OCAST's director of Technology Development Programs.

Stickley said the Center will accomplish this by:

Virginia's Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) has adopted a new strategic plan through the year 2000. The new plan considers the appropriate balance between short-term and long-term goals and places CIT in a position to serve Virginia as it builds its 21st century knowledge-based economy.

The most significant change in the plan is the development of CIT's role in shaping Virginia's plans for technology. CIT will be a leader in the Commonwealth's efforts to develop and implement a technology strategy. Toward that goal, CIT has already assisted in the development of A Blueprint for Technology-Based Economic Growth in Virginia.

The Blueprint analyzes four key issues related to technology development. It also outlines specific actions Virginia must take to strengthen its economic competitiveness.