SSTI Digest

It only seems natural that SSTI celebrate the premiere professional development event for the nation's tech-based economic development community in 2009 in a state that, for 20 years, has pioneered innovative approaches to transform regional economies -­ Kansas. SSTI's 13th annual conference and pre-conference workshops will be held at the Sheraton Overland Park Hotel on Oct. 20-22, 2009. Overland Park provides the perfect backdrop for SSTI's 13th annual conference for many reasons. Kansas has a vibrant technology and bioscience community that boasts innovative programs, such as KTEC, KTEC PIPELEINE, Kansas Bioscience Authority, and Heartland BioVentures. KTEC is in the midst of celebrating 20 years as the state’s leading technology economic development organization and has positive relationships with both the state’s universities and private sector. KTEC brings $13 million in technology entrepreneurship to the region, in addition to the $40 million in funding from the Kansas Bioscience Authority. "We are thrilled that SSTI selected Overland Park as the host site for the 2009 conference," said Tracy Taylor, president and CEO of…

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius delivered her State of the State Address last week proposing new initiatives and continued funding for several TBED programs emphasizing education and innovation as key to the state’s future economy. Gov. Sebelius announced a proposal to create the Kansas Innovation Consortium, comprised of leaders from business, higher education, and state and local officials charged with advising the governor on research and education priorities for the state to achieve an innovation-based economy. The consortium also would develop specific strategies for investing in innovation and entrepreneurship and develop metrics to measure innovation and determine if the strategy is successful. The governor is requesting $150,000 from the Economic Development Initiatives Fund (EDIF) for start-up costs associated with the new group. Beginning with education, Gov. Sebelius said that high-quality teachers are critical to retaining more scientists, engineers and skilled technicians for the Kansas workforce. Therefore, the governor’s fiscal year 2009 budget recommendation includes $1 million for a new teaching scholarship program in…

Clay Blair resigned as chairman of Kansas Bioscience Authority.

The Kansas City region is obtaining funding for high-tech research in the life sciences, but entrepreneurship is stifled because of fragmented efforts to improve the innovation environment and the region’s lack of an overall strategy for its various stakeholders. This finding and others were identified in Completing the Puzzle: Creating a High-Tech and Life Sciences Economy in Kansas City, a recent report prepared for the Brookings Institution Metropolitan Policy Program. The report offers suggestions on how a “second-tier” region like Kansas City can build upon its existing industrial capacity to emerge as a viable location for knowledge-based industries.   While labeled as a relatively diverse and stable economy, the report cites the underperformance of the Kansas City region compared to other metropolitan areas using several innovation metrics: a patent registration rate below the national average; lower rankings in the amount of funds received for R&D; a relatively smaller number of advanced degrees awarded in the region; and the inability for local entrepreneurs to obtain SBIR and STTR grants and venture capital. For example, where the…

The Kansas Bioscience Authority named Thomas Thornton as its first president and CEO.

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius has appointed former Kansas Gov. John Carlin to the Kansas Bioscience Authority.

Joni Cobb is the first president of KTEC Pipeline, Kansas's new technology entrepreneurship fellowship program.

The metaphor of a pipeline is often used for describing the innovation process and, specifically, the health of a regional innovation system. Sustaining knowledge-based growth requires a steady flow of ideas, people and capital. Often, the flow can be weak in one of these areas -- or clogged by other factors such as lack of key resources or programs. A new program by the Kansas Technology Enterprise Corporation (KTEC) moves the pipeline metaphor toward a more tangible reality to help nurture the entrepreneurship climate in the state. The new program, KTEC Pipeline, will "identify talented and entrepreneurial Kansans, match them with best-in-class training, resources and mentors and encourage them to pursue a career as a technology entrepreneur in Kansas," KTEC President and CEO Tracy Taylor said. There is some disagreement in those circles that discuss entrepreneurship and innovation on the academic or theoretical levels as to whether or not entrepreneurs can be nurtured through training and advice or if entrepreneurship requires some sort of innate natural ability. The latter position…

Kansas Technology Enterprise Corp. named Trish Costello as its newest Entrepreneur in Residence.

Sandy Johnson, interim CEO of the Mid-American Manufacturing Technology Center, was appointed to the position on a permanent basis.

Sandy Johnson was promoted to CEO of the Mid-America Manufacturing Technology Center.

The Kansas Technology Enterprise Corp. promoted Kevin Carr to the position of chief operations officer.