SSTI Digest

Crafting a regional TBED strategy is a difficult proposition. First, you figure out where you are. You check the data, conduct surveys and talk to the right people. Then, you figure out where you need to go. You look at other regions, and, again, talk to the right people. Using that information, you try to chart a course from where you are to where you want to be. The path, however, is rarely a straight line. Economic development is a messy business, and regional economies are subject to an unlimited number of factors: global economic trends, state and federal politics, the cultural cache of cities, the work of local researchers, and so on.

TBED has never been more vital to state and regional growth, but there are no easy answers. We are still in the midst of a global economic crisis that has shaken regional economies and state budgets. And there is the potential of more than 30 new governors, each with their own economic agenda.

Want to know more about the Obama Administration's innovation strategy? SSTI is pleased to welcome two key administration officials to this year's conference. Ginger Lew, Senior Counselor to the White House National Economic Council (NEC) and the Small Business Administration (SBA), and Brian McGowan, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce and COO for the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), will discuss the administration's plans to support innovation.

In her roles at NEC and SBA, Ginger Lew serves as the administration's economic policy advisor on a broad range of matters that impact small businesses. She co-chairs the White House Interagency Group on Innovation and Entrepreneurship and leads the White House Interagency Taskforce on Regional Innovation Clusters.

Recently, the administration has been soliciting input from around the country on the various roles that universities play in regional economic development. Ms. Lew will share some of what the White House has learned from that process, and discuss the administration's current thinking on university commercialization.

Voters in more than 30 states will go to the polls to choose a governor later this year. For TBED professionals, gubernatorial elections can mean uncertainty. Will the next administration put economic development and technology on the agenda? Will the new governor support existing agencies and programs, or will he/she introduce new initiatives? What will happen to the budget for TBED programs?

We know you have questions. That's why SSTI's 14th Annual Conference will feature leaders who can speak with unparalleled authority about the view from the governor's mansion and what it takes to create and sustain successful statewide initiatives. SSTI is honored to have three of Pennsylvania's governors for a plenary session in which they can share their perspectives and experiences. They are:

What are the steps in building a successful regional alliance?

How can my region benefit from the Obama Administration's vision for innovation?

Where should I look for funding now with state budgets so tight?

These questions are probably similar to questions that you are facing in this tough fiscal climate. SSTI's annual conference allows you to structure your conference experience around the most vital issues for accelerating your region's innovation successfully. A new addition to the 2010 conference allows you better tailor your conference experience to resolve your questions!

At the 2010 conference, there will be six thematic "tracks" to cover the most pressing concerns of the TBED community. The tracks for the 2010 conference include:

Pennsylvania invites all SSTI conference attendees to a networking reception at the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens Tuesday, Sept. 14. Guests can immerse themselves in 17 distinct botanical experiences while exploring this thriving attraction that showcases advanced green-building practices, sustainable gardening and a new environmental awareness.

The event promises to be a wonderful environment to reconnect with colleagues and network with conference attendees, speakers, and our local hosts over cocktails, delicious hors d'oeuvres and an array of innovative food stations.

Transportation to and from the Omni William Penn and the event will be provided, beginning at 6:15 PM.

The reception is made possible by the support of the conference's 27 Local Sponsors.

Several states recently enacted spending plans for the upcoming fiscal year, which started July 1 for most states. In Louisiana, Gov. Bobby Jindal signed into law the LA GRAD Act, granting universities more flexibility to raise tuition in return for meeting certain performance goals. Lawmakers in Massachusetts allocated $10 million to continue the state's investment in life sciences, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell signed a jobs bill providing $8 million for green economy projects, and in Tennessee, an $80 million expansion of TNInvestco, a program that allocates tax credits to create pools of venture capital, was approved.

Louisiana

TBED People Michael Burcham has been named the first president of the Nashville Entrepreneur Center. Burcham currently serves as a clinical faculty member at Vanderbilt University's Owen Graduate School of Management.

Austin Burke, longtime president of the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, is being nominated secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. Burke will replace George Cornelius, who is leaving his post to become the president of Bridgewater College in Virginia.

Former National Science Foundation official Deborah Crawford has been appointed Drexel University's vice provost for research. Crawford will begin her tenure at Drexel in September.

SSTI's interview with Bob Starzynski of Innovation Works' Innovation Adoption Grant Fund, 2009 recipient of the Excellence in TBED Award in the category Improving Competitiveness of Existing Industries, provides an honest, in-depth account of best practices and lessons learned that earned this program national recognition. Click here to listen to the interview and learn more about the program.

Friday March 26, 2010 > Web Version   > Unsubscribe "By setting this up as a grant, we hope to help companies make that leap of faith with their R&D efforts." - Bob Starzynski

The fourth installment of SSTI's Tech Talkin' Govs series includes excerpts from speeches delivered in Alaska, Connecticut, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, and Oklahoma. The first three installments are available in the Jan 13, Jan. 20 and Jan. 27 Digests.

Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell, State of the State Address, Jan. 20, 2010 "We will create even more jobs by funding construction of two new statewide buildings, the Anchorage crime lab I mentioned earlier and we will construct the Life Sciences building at [the University of Alaska, Fairbanks]. …

"… Where energy is concerned, we will continue reducing dependency on diesel across Alaska. And we are putting $25 million toward more in-state renewable energy projects. …

Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell dropped his previous nomination, Robert Sledd, as his secretary for Commerce and Trade and instead nominated businessman James Cheng. Cheng, whose nomination needs to be confirmed by the Democratic-controlled Senate, was sworn in on January 17.

Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell said that the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Secretary George Cornelius will step down on June 30 to become the president of Bridgewater College in Virginia.

Rick LeFaivre and Tom Clement are joining the UW Center for Commercialization as key deputies to vice provost Linden Rhoads. LeFaive will split his time evenly between the university and his other job as a managing director at OVP Venture Partners, while Clement is expected to work full-time for about 18 months.

In an effort to improve the percentage of city residents with college degrees, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter announced his administration will be opening an office within City Hall to help potential students considering higher education. The “PhillyGoes2College” office will direct residents to assistance with filling out financial aid forms and applications, preparing for standardized admission tests, and writing college essays. In addition, the first-term mayor stated a goal of attaining up to 1,000 fully funded college scholarships for city students from the region’s universities by the end of 2012, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. More details on the PhillyGoes2College initiative is available at: http://www.phila.gov/residents/education/fafsa.html.