SSTI Digest

NSF’s Regional Resilience Innovation Incubator (R2I2) project has awarded Phase 1 funding to six teams, each addressing specific regional climate challenges and demonstrating solutions. The award includes funding for a seventh team to create the R2I2 National Office, which will support the collective and coordinated implementation of R2I2 award activities.

The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) recently announced that it is awarding Fordham University $3 million from its Greenlight Innovation Fund. The university will also receive additional funds, including a $1.1 million grant from Councilman Oswald Feliz, to create the Bronx Green Job Center (BGJC), a workforce development and entrepreneurship hub that aims to create an equitable green-job pipeline in the Bronx. BGJC’s programs and services are expected to support workforce development initiatives in the green economy. Its workforce development programs are set to launch in the Fall of 2026. The Greenlight Innovation Fund grants money to programs for the development of facilities in New York City that support the green economy, life sciences, and advanced technology (collectively, the “Innovation Industries”). According to the announcement, the Greenlight Innovation Fund “supports projects which generate good-paying jobs, support commercialization of technologies in future-focused sectors, and catalyze an ecosystem of entrepreneurs with a focus on equity.” NYCEDC has an initial allocation of up to $50 million of City Capital dollars for the…

For the United States to achieve greater security in chip manufacturing, the critical sector requires a much larger, better trained workforce. Between 2020 and 2022, annual postings for semiconductor jobs tripled from about 8,000 to almost 25,000, according to a new report, “The challenge of building a regional semiconductor workforce pipeline: What regions can learn from Austin, Texas and an agenda for cross-regional learning” from the Institute for Networked Communities (INC). As noted in the report, analysts expect that between 2023 and 2030, the industry will grow 33%, an increase of 115,000 jobs. At current degree completion rates, approximately 67,000 jobs would go unfilled. The INC report illustrates what it takes to build an industry-driven workforce system in the semiconductor industry based on the experience of Austin, Texas. The co-authors Francie Genz, Ryan Donahue, and Erin Sparks delve into what other regions can learn from Austin and why a cross-regional learning and action network is needed. “The stakes for getting regional workforce strategy right in the semiconductor space couldn’t be higher,” said Francie Genz, CEO of INC, in an email. “…

A recent Executive Order from the White House could jeopardize the Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) Fund and put at risk investments in small businesses. The EO calls for the “non-statutory components and functions” of several governmental entities, among them are the CDFI and the Minority Business Development Agency, “to be eliminated ... and such entities shall reduce the performance of their statutory functions and associated personnel to the minimum presence and function required by law.” The EO requires the listed entities to submit a report to the Office of Management and Budget within one week, March 21, explaining “which components or functions of the governmental entity, if any, are statutorily required and to what extent.”  The Opportunity Finance Network (OFN) pushed back on the notion that CDFI Fund programs engage in non-statutory components in a press release that stated, “all CDFI Fund programs are undertaken pursuant to statutory authorities and thus are not subject to the Executive Order.”  The CDFI Fund is a critical component of many regional economic development programs. For example, Launch NY, the only U.S.…

With the start of the new year, most governors deliver State of the State addresses or Budget addresses laying out their priorities for the coming year. With revenues for many states relatively consistent with forecasters expectations, lawmakers, with a few exceptions, continue to maintain cautious or constrained views of their funding priorities and proposed initiatives. As a result, many governors in SSTI’s analysis of addresses delivered so far this season, are speaking more about previously implemented programs and their continued successes rather than rolling out many new programs. However, new priorities for growing stronger innovation economies have not been completely overlooked. The following highlights have been selected excerpted from eight of the 20 State of the States or Budget addresses given between Dec. 2024 and Jan. 16, 2025, by governors from Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York.   Additional addresses and states will be covered in future Digest issues. On Jan. 14, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders gave her second State of the State address, proposing a plan to improve access and…

FYI This Week, a science policy newsletter from the American Institute of Physics, reported in their November 25 article Commerce aims to commit CHIPS money before Trump returns that “Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said … she is trying to allocate all the semiconductor manufacturing and research funds appropriated by the CHIPS and Science Act before President Joe Biden leaves office." Since Raimondo made that statement, the U.S. Department of Commerce (DoC) has announced the following CHIPS and Science Act Awards: Up to $35.5 million awarded to BAE Systems Electronic Systems, a BAE Systems Inc business unit. The award is intended to support the modernization of the company’s Microelectronics Center in Nashua, New Hampshire. Up to $23.9 million awarded to Rocket Lab, the parent company of space power provider SolAero Technologies Corp. The award is intended to help the company create a “robust and resilient” supply of space-grade solar cells that power spacecraft and satellites. The company’s facility is in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The investment is expected to create over 100 direct jobs. Up to $75 million in direct funding awarded to Absolics, an affiliate of the…

After a busy election season that saw gubernatorial elections in 36 states, newly elected and re-elected governors delivered their annual State of the State addresses, kicking off new programs and reviewing the conditions of their states. SSTI reviews the speeches every year and covers news of new developments and initiatives the governors have highlighted as they relate to the innovation economy. New programs are laid out here in the governors own words as excerpts from their State of the State or budget addresses. Not all governors delivered a State of the State, and some that did may not have revealed new innovation-related initiatives and so are not included in our coverage. Common initiatives among the governors that touched on innovation included an emphasis on workforce, education and broadband; water issues for Western governors; and, clean energy. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey delivered her 2023 State of the State on March 7 and called on legislators to “look ahead and crate an economic development strategy for the 2030s.” “… I am calling on you to get behind our playbook for economic success, what I am calling The Game Plan.” “We will…

New York became the first state to enact a temporary ban on new cryptocurrency mining permits at fossil fuel plants in a move aimed at addressing the environmental concerns over the energy-intensive activity. The legislation, signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul, will impose a two-year moratorium on crypto-mining companies seeking new permits to retrofit some of the state’s oldest fossil fuel plants into digital mining operations. The measure also requires New York to study the industry’s impact on the state’s efforts to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. The policy creates a pause on permits for fossil fuel power plants that house proof-of-work cryptocurrency mining, which is used in the transaction of digital money. Hochul states this moratorium is important in stopping the potential increase in emissions that could occur through revamping of old power plants with unused electrical infrastructure. The legislation builds on New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act and will trigger a study by the state Department of Environmental Conservation to study the impacts of the cryptocurrency mining industry on the environment. Despite concern…

Five additional state plans for the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) have received approval from the U.S. Department of Treasury, bringing the current total of announced states to 19. Over the past month, Treasury announcedthat plans in Colorado, Montana, New York, North Carolina and Oregon were approved. Some details on the plans are outlined below. Colorado has been approved for $104.7 million, which will fund three state programs. The Colorado Venture Capital Authority has been allocated almost $60 million to invest in two venture capital funds per year for three years in order to assist small businesses in need of investment capital. Separately, $35 million will fund Cash Collateral Support, a collateral support program that will assist small businesses and non-profit organizations in securing credit. Finally, $10 million will fund CLIMBER Loan Fund, which will provide working capital loans to help small businesses recover from the pandemic.  Montana has been approved for $61.3 million to fund the MT SSBCI 2.0 Loan Participation Program, which aims to increase the number of eligible CDFI and non…

Since the inception of cryptocurrency mining over a decade ago, the state of New York has become a hotspot for the digital coins, encompassing 19.9 percent of the total U.S. hashrate, or the collective computing power of miners. However, concerns over the environmental impacts of, and high electricity demands for, these mining operations have been increasingly thrust into the spotlight. With the goal of addressing the above, two highly contested bills have been making their way through the legislative system in New York. New York’s Assembly Bills A7389C and A9275, have been passed by the legislature and, if signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul, would establish a moratorium on new and renewed air permits for fossil fuel power plants used for crypto mining and establish a state crypto and blockchain study task force respectively. Hochul has previously stated her desire to ensure that any legislation has a balance between economic benefits and environmental consequences. She has not indicated what action she plans to take on the bills. According to the New York Times, Hochul likely has until Dec. 31 to either sign or veto the bills. According to an article by the…

The last of the governors have delivered their State of the State addresses. With 36 gubernatorial elections this fall, many governors appeared to be more conservative in their addresses this year, speaking more about past accomplishments rather than rolling out new programs. This week features comments from California, Louisiana, Nevada and Ohio’s governors as their addresses related to the innovation economy. California Gov. Gavin Newsom (March 8) Gov. Gavin Newsom talked about transformation in the state’s public education system, including free community college. “Infrastructure, research and development, investing in our conveyor belt for talent, the finest system of higher education anywhere in the world: our CSUs, UCs and community colleges. And ensuring society provides a hand up when people need help, maintaining, maintaining our pro-immigrant policies and welcoming refugees from around the world.” Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (March 14) Noting that the state has “hundreds of millions in surplus, even more in current year excess, and billions in federal funding through the American Rescue Plan and the Infrastructure Investment…

New York City and the state of Illinois have both made moves recently to shift more of their economies to clean energy. Mayor Bill de Blasio and the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) announced a 15-year, $191 million Offshore Wind Vision (OSW) plan to make New York City a leading destination for the offshore wind industry.  Last month, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed sweeping legislation offering new incentives for the adoption of clean energy and aim to move it to 100 percent clean energy by 2050. And Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker is looking to use American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money to establish a clean energy investment fund.