SSTI Digest

Just over a year since its creation, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) has released a strategic plan calling for the state to potentially increase its support for several new tech-based economic development initiatives. IEDC's Accelerating Growth: Indiana's Strategic Development Plan outlines nearly two dozen action items along three themes: innovation, talent and investment. All of the action items, according to the plan, will help IEDC achieve its goal of reaching the national average in per capita income and average annual wages by 2020. Indiana's per capita income has slipped from 106.4 percent of the national average in 1953 to 91.4 percent today. Indiana now ranks 35th out of 50 states in overall economic performance, according to the 2005 Indiana Chamber of Commerce Vision 2010 Report Card. To reverse these trends Accelerating Growth calls for the state's development policies to emphasize the importance of high wage and high growth business. The innovation-related initiatives include: Refocused the Indiana 21st Century Fund - (presently appropriated at $37.5…

The 82nd Annual Congress of Cities in Charlotte, N.C., elected Jim Hunt, a councilmember of Clarksburg, W.Va., as the new president of the National League of Cities. Hunt follows Washington, D.C., Mayor Anthony A. Williams.

Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels named Mitch Maurer, president of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC), as the new state secretary of commerce. Maurer replaces Pat Miller, who stepped down to resume her role as president and CEO of her company, Vera Bradley Designs, Inc.

While Indiana has demonstrated strong competitiveness in industry and university R&D and performed well in entrepreneurial programs, the state lags most of its regional competitors and many of the 50 states in terms of production of new innovation workers and educational attainment, says a new report from Techpoint and the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. The report, Indiana Technology Profile, benchmarks the state's progress against five peer states and all 50 states using 23 metrics in four broad categories, which include education and workforce, dynamism, digital infrastructure, and research and creativity. Results indicate that despite good effort and thoughtful initiatives, Indiana's progress has been disappointing, and there are clear challenges ahead, the report states. For nine metrics, Indiana improved in rank from 2001 to 2005. However, for the remaining 14, it slipped relative to other U.S. states or did not move at all, according to the report. The lack of educational attainment is particularly disconcerting, the report says, given the strong presence of higher…

Bruce Kidd is the first director of entrepreneurship for the Indiana Economic Development Corp.

David Goodrich announced he will leave his position as CEO of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership at the end of the year.

Larry Cox is the new director of the Ball State University Entrepreneurship Program, effective Aug. 22.

The new director of the Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship at Purdue University will be Jerry Woodall.

The Indiana Health Industry Forum announced James "Mike" Brooks accepted the position of president and CEO effective July 11.

Purdue University professor Jerry Woodall was chosen to lead the university's Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship.

John Hanak is the new director of the Purdue Technology Center of Northwest Indiana.

Wade Lange, president and CEO of the Indiana Health Industry Forum, announced he will be leaving the organization this summer to return to the private sector.