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While the presidential election has been dominating the news, voters across the country will be acting on an array of tech-based economic development issues on Election Day next week. The largest is an initiative in California that would provide up to $3 billion for embryonic stem cell research. If approved by California voters, Proposition 71 would have the potential of significantly changing the landscape of where stem cell research is carried out and have significant economic development implications.

Separate reports released in the past two weeks, one by a national outsourcing firm and the other by a Congressionally mandated commission, reveal efforts to create jobs faster than they are being eliminated remains a challenge for many sectors of the U.S. economy.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration announced $14.4 million in Technology Opportunities Program (TOP) grants to 27 organizations in 22 states and the District of Columbia. Historically, TOP has been one of the most competitive tech-based economic development grant programs offered by the federal government, and 2004 was no exception – 494 applications were received, requesting $277.1 million.

According to Gov. Ernie Fletcher, Kentucky is on the wrong side of a widening digital divide as the Commonwealth ranks 44th in its proportion of high-tech companies, 45th in household computer use, and 43rd in citizen Internet use. To help improve these figures, the governor has called for a broadband deployment and adoption plan that will leverage state, federal and private investment to have full, statewide broadband deployment by 2007.

The biopharmaceutical industry is poised to become an important source of economic growth in regions that are successful in nurturing it, according to a recent report from the Milken Institute. With so many states and communities focusing significant financial resources toward developing bio-based economies, the industry analysis is likely to be welcome news.

Finland remains the most competitive economy in the world and tops the rankings for the second consecutive year in The Global Competitiveness Report 2004-2005, released earlier this month by the World Economic Forum (WEF). The U.S. is in second position, followed by Sweden, Taiwan, Denmark and Norway, respectively.

The University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill received top honors as the most entrepreneurial campus in a Princeton Review survey of 357 schools and universities across the country. Moving UNC-Chapel Hill to the top of the list were such things as offering entrepreneurship as a major for its undergraduate business degree and several programs to help students launch their own careers as entrepreneurs.

While visions of sugarplums will be dancing in the heads of most Americans, SSTI's staff will be boxing up its files and moving to new offices on Dec. 20-21.

Due to the move and because SSTI will be closed during the week of December 24-28, the next issue of the SSTI Weekly Digest and the funding supplement will be published January 4, 2002.

Creating and strengthening regional competitiveness and innovation is the key to the nation’s ability to succeed in the global marketplace and raise the standard of living for all Americans, according to a new report presented Thursday at a joint conference of the Council on Competitiveness and the National Governors' Association.

President George W. Bush appointed on Wednesday 22 individuals to serve as members of the Presidents Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). They are:

A new report showing that Michigan is performing at the level of the national average in tech transfer recently was released by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and the Presidents Council, State Universities of Michigan.

Community Science Workshops (CSW) are spreading nationwide, due to a second $3 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) that will enable San Francisco State University (SFSU) and its partners to create CSWs across the U.S.

Carbondale, Illinois

The Department of Commerce's Technology Opportunities Program (TOP), an initiative that promotes the widespread availability and use of digital network technologies in the public and non-profit sectors, has approximately $12.4 million available in FY 2002.

The Dynamics of Technology-based Economic Development: State Science and Technology Indicators has been published for the second straight year. Bruce Mehlman, Assistant Secretary for the Technology Administration's Office of Technology Policy (OTP), released the report at SSTI's annual conference earlier this week. 

State and local strategies to assist start-up business formation often focus on three elements to help nascent firms: securing much-needed funding or capital (either private or public), lowering the overall cost of doing business, or gaining the skill set or access to intellectual resources to succeed.

Gaining a sense of how industries are likely to grow or contract over the next decade can be a vital tool for determining the priorities for tech-based economic development practitioners, public and private investing programs, and workforce developers. These figures are particularly relevant for geographic areas looking at cluster development strategies or targeted research/investment programs. 

Tthe five winners of the 2001 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the nation's premier award for performance excellence and quality achievement, include, for the first time, three winners in the education category: 

The number of women who own the nation's privately-held businesses, presently at 28 percent of such businesses, is growing at twice the rate of all firms, according to a new report from Center for Women’s Business Research. 

To create new research centers in FY 2003, the National Science Foundation (NSF) is offering approximately $26 million through its Engineering Research Centers (ERC) Program. 



At least two awards totaling up to $13 million each will be made. The awards, subject to 10 percent cost sharing, will be distributed as follows: $2.5 million (year 1), $3 million (year 2), $3.5 million (year 3), and $4 million (years 4 and 5). 

Senate Bill 1134, the reauthorization bill for the federal Economic Development Administration (EDA), only awaits the President's signature following Thursday's passage by the U.S. House of Representatives. SB 1134 was passed by the U.S. Senate just a day earlier.

Highlights of the Economic Development Reauthorization Act of 2003, as passed by Congress, include:

Ongoing economic struggles, along with rising health care and pension costs, have contributed to the bleak conditions of city budgets around the nation. The majority of America’s cities are still suffering from the recession and city financial officers are pessimistic on the financial outlook for the near future, according to an annual survey from the National League of Cities.

New data released by the Center for Public Integrity affirm the notion state representatives are often uniquely positioned to influence their personal financial fortunes or those of their employers while in office.

Southern states may have a justifiable reason to be proud of their progress in technology and innovation, but their leaders should be concerned with the lack of investment in venture capital and industrial research and development (R&D), suggests a report released last month by Southern Growth Policies Board and the Southern Technology Council (STC).