The continuing layoffs of thousands of workers, particularly in the information and communication tech sectors, creates significant hardships for the affected local and regional economies. For instance, a recent Federal Reserve Bank report noted office vacancy rates in Silicon Valley hovering around 40 percent.
As the House passed its version of the fiscal year 2006 defense appropriations bill last Monday, "Little R, Big D" once again may describe the country's R&D priorities for the largest component of the federal budget.
With hopes of creating a geographic concentration of academic and private bioscience research and commercialization, the Louisiana legislature ended its 2005 session with passage of a bill creating a new development authority.
Technology commercialization can be a slow and arduous process, often taking years to reap the benefits of the investment. Recognizing that defense technology innovations move too slowly from the lab to the field, Congress created three programs within the Department of Defense (DoD) to speed and enhance the transition.
With SSTI's compilation of the FY 2003 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) proposal and award statistics by state, tech-based economic development programs - specifically SBIR assistance and outreach efforts - now have the requisite data to evaluate conversion trends for most agencies during the four-year period 2001-2004.
The San Antonio Technology Accelerator Initiative (SATAI) Network, a nonprofit organization, is accepting applications from qualified candidates to fill the position of President and CEO. The SATAI Network seeks someone with strong leadership and team-building skills, as well as experience in linking venture capital to venture creation and cultivating an environment and resources for start-up enterprises.
SSTI's annual conference is already considered by many to be the nation's premier educational and networking experience for the tech-based economic development community. However, the ninth annual conference to be held October 20-21, 2005 - keeping with years past - gives certified economic development professionals even more reason to attend.
The Association of American Universities has posted the text of a September 17 letter written by Rita Colwell, Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF), that outlines the Bush Administration's opposition to S. 2817, a bill to double the size of the NSF budget over a five-year period.
Following President Bush's call for the nation to "be aggressive about the deployment of broadband," the Technology Administration within the U.S. Department of Commerce recently issued Understanding Broadband Demand — a 25-page paper examining the state of broadband demand and usage in the U.S. and identifying successes, challenges and actions to promote more aggressive uptake.
Joined by actor Christopher Reeve and several of California's leading biotech researchers, Governor Gray Davis Sunday signed legislation designed to promote stem cell research in California.
On Thursday, Illinois Governor George Ryan announced nearly $3 million in state grants for eight Illinois Technology Enterprise Corporation (ITEC) centers, quadrupling the number of ITECs. Funded by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs (DCCA), the centers assist technology-based start-up businesses and serve as incubators for the new ventures.
A $500,000 state grant approved Thursday by South Dakota Governor Bill Janklow will help create a center in Sioux Falls for fledgling technology businesses.
A regional partnership of economic development organizations, led by the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), announced the launch of the Northwest Technology Investor Network last week. The network is an online forum that links investors and entrepreneurs in the high-tech sector.
True technology growth for Orange County hinges on a broader, more supportive infrastructure, argues the latest research report by the Los Angeles Regional Technology Alliance (Larta).
From angel capital to university technology commercialization, there are myriad facets to technology-based economic development (TBED). The key to success lies in a solid understanding of your respective element of the field — from grasping the policy issues to developing effective programs and practices to implementing sound evaluation techniques.
The SSTI Weekly Digest and Funding Supplement will not be published next week as the office will be closed during SSTI's 6th Annual Conference, Building Tech-based Economies: From Policies to Practice on October 1-3.
The next issue of the SSTI Weekly Digest will be released on October 11.
The future of Virginia's Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) became clearer on Wednesday with Governor Mark Warner's release of Commonwealth of Virginia Strategic Plan for Technology for 2002-2006. CIT has a lead position for half of the eight initiatives outlined in the 129-page document.
Highlights of "One Virginia," CIT's portion of the plan, call for:
Cluster-based economic development policy has gained wide acclaim in recent years as interest has grown in utilizing “cluster theory” in economic development. Some have found this idea to be appealing while others have been a bit less receptive of its ideas. Three recently released papers address cluster-based economic development from different angles. The first article explores options for utilizing cluster-based economic development in less advantaged regions.
"California must continue to increase funding for science and technology in its university systems or risk losing one of its most important comparative advantages," warns the Milken Institute in the State Technology & Science Index: Comparing and Contrasting California.
The relaxation of international trade barriers and increased emphasis on globalization have had significant effects on the world's high-tech manufacturing industry. Two recent papers look at the phenomenon. An Infobrief from the National Science Foundation focuses on the growth of high-tech manufacturing in Latin America and a working paper released by the National Bureau of Economic Research considers the changes in the composition and character of the U.S.
Many states and communities are working to be leading participants in the rapidly growing biotech industries. Investments in academic research facilities and college scholarships to encourage more students to pursue biology and science degrees are among the strategies states are pursuing.
The National Science Foundation recently released the latest edition of Characteristics of Doctoral Scientists and Engineers in the United States, which reports characteristics for 1999. Valuable data is presented in the report on the demographic and employment characteristics of doctoral scientists and engineers in the US.
Are you looking for funding for high-risk research? The Advanced Technology Program (ATP), part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, bridges the gap between the research lab and the marketplace stimulating prosperity through innovation. ATP’s mission is to accelerate the development of innovative technologies through partnerships with the private sector.
Do you have a great idea for a new industrial product or process that can help save energy, reduce emissions, and/or provide clean manufacturing? If so, then you will want to look to the Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy for possible financing. Several programs provide finance solutions through grants and seed money to help companies get energy ideas off the ground.
The Washington Technology Center (WTC), based in Seattle, WA, is searching for a person to fill the newly created position of Manager of Statewide Programs. This person will design and develop a statewide network of programs, services and connections to serve companies and entrepreneurs across Washington State.