Jim Tate has been named Science Advisor for the U.S. Department of Interior. Until his appointment, Dr. Tate served as Advisory Scientist for the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory.
Julia Wilson is the new Executive Director of the San Diego Telecom Council. She formerly was director of corporate and foundation relations for San Diego State University.
Jim Tate has been named Science Advisor for the U.S. Department of Interior. Until his appointment, Dr. Tate served as Advisory Scientist for the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory.
Julia Wilson is the new Executive Director of the San Diego Telecom Council. She formerly was director of corporate and foundation relations for San Diego State University.
The Maryland Department of Business & Economic Development has hired Lawrence C. Mahan to serve as the state's senior biotech executive.
Maria Estela de Rios has been named chairwoman of the New Mexico Manufacturing Extension Partnership Board of Directors. She is executive vice president of Orion International Technologies, which is based in Albuquerque.
Cutbacks in service loom after 63 percent budget reduction
The Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) is one of 15 finalists for the 17th Annual Innovations in American Government Award. Administered by the Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government in partnership with the Council for Excellence in Government, the award recognizes creativity and excellence in public sector service delivery.
With only two months to go in the 2004 fiscal year for most states, 32 are projecting small surpluses in the end - a sharp contrast to the situation they faced a year ago - according to a new report by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL).
He may be more traditionally associated with gas-guzzling Humvees than anything remotely environmental, but Gov. Arnold Schwarznegger has become a big believer in alternative energy vehicles. The governor's recent call for creating a "Hydrogen Highway" by 2010 is, perhaps, the country's boldest commitment to getting hydrogen fuel cell vehicles on America's roadways anytime soon.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently selected Texas A&M University and the University of Minnesota to lead the second and third Homeland Security Centers of Excellence (HS-Centers). The department anticipates providing Texas A&M University, the University of Minnesota and their partners with a total of $33 million over the course of the next three years to address security in two key agricultural sectors -- foreign animal diseases and food security.
Studies have shown a strong correlation between high-wage economic growth and university research activity. Examination of nearly every strong regional technology center across the country will reveal at least one research university within its boundaries. As a result, many state and local technology-based economic development (TBED) efforts strive to increase the quantity and quality of university R&D undertaken within their boundaries.
A study released last week by the Economic Development Administration (EDA) and Carnegie Mellon University's Center for Economic Development finds that, within a region, universities are best able to affect the growth of young, emerging clusters. The study, Universities and the Development of Industry Clusters, concludes a "university must have a large base of research and development in order to significantly impact a cluster..."
One of the differences between technology-based economic development (TBED) and more traditional approaches to promoting economic growth is TBED's orientation that while all jobs may be important, they are not created equal. Traditional economic development may provide millions of dollars for financial incentives and infrastructure construction assistance for a shopping mall or "big box" retailer that provides many poverty-level wage positions or part-time jobs.
Nearly all public schools in the U.S. are connected to the Internet, according to a survey published by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). The survey, Internet Access in U.S. Public Schools and Classrooms: 1994 – 2000, shows that 98 percent of public schools had access to the Internet by the fall of 2000, representing a 3 percent increase over 1999 and a 26 percent increase since 1997.
Is a strong university research component critical to local tech-based economic development? Many argue this position, including SSTI (Using Research and Development to Grow State Economies). Using data on royalties, licenses, and job creation figures, others have demonstrated the economic contributions of university R&D.
President Bush has announced his intention to nominate the following people to positions within the federal government that affect state and local tech-based economic development:
President Bush has announced his intention to nominate the following people to positions within the federal government that affect state and local tech-based economic development:
Mark Lang, CEO of the Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania for the past 14 years, has announced his resignation.
Lu Cordova is the new President of the Colorado Technology Incubator.
The Center for Environmental Enterprise (CEE) in South Portland, Maine announced the hiring of a new executive director. John Ferland assumed leadership of CEE in late April.
Due to length considerations, this week's Funding Opportunities Supplement to the SSTI Weekly Digest was sent separately.
The Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), in partnership with several public and private organizations, has outlined a plan to address telecommunications infrastructure needs across the state.
LinkMichigan, released last week, addresses several telecommunications infrastructure issues or concerns that were increasingly facing the public and private sector, including:
With so much attention given to increasing private seed and venture capital activity as a means of growing tech-based economies, one might expect that encouraging and attracting community development venture capital (CDVC) – that is, equity investments and entrepreneurial assistance to meet both profit targets and community development goals – would be a common element of a state or local community’s portfolio of economic development tools.
San Jose, Austin, and San Francisco received top honors in the 3rd Annual Forbes-Milken Institute Best Places Ranking. San Jose and San Francisco raced to the top of the list from 29th and 42th place respectively in 1999. Completing the top ten metro areas in 2000 are: Boulder, CO; Dallas, TX; Santa Rosa, CA; Boise City, ID; San Diego, CA; Phoenix-Mesa, AZ; and Oakland, CA. The top metro area east of the Mississippi River, Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC, came in 13th.