Highlights from State of the State addresses delivered in Alaska and Hawaii are included in the third installment of the Tech Talkin’ series.
Alaska
Gov. Sarah Palin, State of the State Address, Jan. 15, 2008
Although the national venture capital investment continues to expand, many parts of the country still lack access to reliable sources of business capital. Even in states that rank in the top tier for venture investment, there are often insufficient capital resources to support businesses at every stage of development.
While many universities offer business plan competitions and programs in entrepreneurship and commercialization, fewer opportunities are available to learn about the capital side of the equation. Last week, however, two major conferences invited students to learn more about venture capital (VC) investment and emerging trends in the venture industry.
Each year, the National Science Foundation releases updated information for their Federal Funds for Research and Development series. SSTI has prepared a table illustrating the amount of federal R&D obligations provided to industry in each state from 2000 to 2004, the most recent years for which statistics are available. Additionally, the relative ranking of each state is displayed for every year in this period.
The Association of American Universities named Robert Berdahl as the association's new president.
The North Carolina Biotechnology Center selected John Chaffee and Randall Johnson as directors of the center's new eastern and southeastern regional offices.
The Association of American Universities named Robert Berdahl as the association's new president.
The North Carolina Biotechnology Center selected John Chaffee and Randall Johnson as directors of the center's new eastern and southeastern regional offices.
Virginia Gov.-elect Tim Kaine named Aneesh Chopra as his administration's secretary of technology.
South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds announced that Jim Hagen will resign as secretary of the Department of Tourism and State Development, effective Jan. 17.
David Hollister announced he will leave his position as director of the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth on Feb. 3, to head Prima Civitas, a newly formed nonprofit agency promoting economic development.
Bill Mahoney is the new president of the South Carolina Research Authority.
Guin Robinson is the new director of the newly created Talladega office of the Alabama Technology Network.
Phillip Singerman resigned as executive director of the Maryland Technology Development Corp.. Renee Winsky will serve as interim executive director until a permanent replacement is named.
Georgia Tech announced that Dr. Jeffrey Skolnick will join its faculty this spring as the Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar in Computational Systems Biology.
The Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development appointed Benjamin Wu as the assistant secretary for the Capital Region and senior advisor for technology policy.
Coinciding with a plethora of state-of-the-state addresses delivered over the past week, several governors have released budget recommendations for the upcoming fiscal year. The following states’ budgets include crucial TBED investments and reductions in programs.
California
On Tuesday, the National Science Foundation (NSF) released Science & Engineering Indicators 2008, its comprehensive biennial analysis of the U.S. and international science and technology landscape. This version provides thorough details about the features of a rapidly-changing global economy, as countries continue to make investments in their knowledge-based capacity and industries.
With many states anticipating or already preparing for budget pressures, state leaders are increasingly looking for ways to increase their revenue streams. A new report from the Pew Center for the States finds that in many cases outdated state tax systems are stifling growth and failing to build a stronger tax base. Authors Katherine Barrett and Richard Greene argue that many of these systems have not been overhauled since the rise of service economy. In 2005, service industries accounted for 68 percent of U.S.
SSTI’s eighth annual Tech Talkin’ Govs series highlights new and expanded TBED proposals from governors’ state-of-the-state, budget and inaugural addresses. With mounting budget deficits spanning the nation, this year’s anticipated overarching theme is proposals aimed at mending states’ finances with less focus on the introduction of new initiatives. The first installment of the series includes excerpts from California and New York.
California
Gov. Jim Doyle announced two new initiatives focusing on investments in manufacturing R&D and increasing angel and venture capital investment to grow new businesses.
With rumors of recession building, several of the nation’s governors are announcing new TBED-focused initiatives in 2008 – many of which will be presented to lawmakers for funding in the coming months. In Illinois, Gov. Rod Blagojevich unveiled two new initiatives encouraging entrepreneurship to grow high-technology businesses throughout the state.
The average cost of bringing a Food and Drug Administration-approved drug to market could be cut by 25 percent to 48 percent by making targeted investments in the national biopharmaceutical R&D technology infrastructure, according to a recent report from the National Institutes of Standards and Technology. Economic Analysis of the Technological Infrastructure Needs of the U.S. Biopharmaceutical Industry cites current costs as averaging $560 million per drug, but could drop to between $289 million and $421 million.
While women are making strides in entrepreneurship, they still have a ways to go, particularly in science and technology (S&T) fields. This was the theme during the session, Encouraging Women Entrepreneurship, conducted during SSTI's 9th Annual Conference on Oct. 19-21, 2005.
The Kansas Technology Enterprise Corp. promoted Kevin Carr to the position of chief operations officer.
The Fuqua School of Business at Duke University announced that Jon Fjeld is the executive director of its recently unveiled Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
The Kansas Technology Enterprise Corp. promoted Kevin Carr to the position of chief operations officer.