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In his fifth State of the Union address, President Barack Obama touted the administration’s Institutes of Manufacturing Innovation program as central to its plan to reinvigorate the American economy. The president called on Congress to expand the manufacturing network beyond the two existing institutes in Ohio and North Carolina and the six additional institutes to be rolled out in 2014. He also requested legislative action to undo last year’s sequester-related cuts to basic research, to pass patent reform and to improve U.S. STEM education.

This week, Congress approved a $10 million appropriation for the Department of Commerce’s Regional Innovation program in the FY14 Omnibus Appropriations bill and the SSTI Digest continued its Tech Talkin’ Govs series, as governors in nine states outlined their innovation plans and achievements.

Gov. Martin O’Malley’s FY15 budget includes increased funding for the state’s biotech tax credit, cyber tax credit and R&D tax credit, and provides level funds to continue longstanding tech-based and workforce initiatives.

Powered by strong growth in the Internet and Software sectors, U.S. venture capital activity grew by about 7.5 percent in 2013, according to new data from the NVCA/PWC Moneytree survey. Both venture dollars and deals ticked up last year, bouncing back to 2011 levels after a slow 2012. SSTI has prepared tables of U.S. venture capital investment levels by state in terms of deals and dollars for the 2008-13 period.

Several common themes surrounding higher education have emerged as governors across the country unveil investment priorities for the upcoming fiscal year or biennium. In many states, governors have proposed more funding to increase affordability by freezing tuition or creating new scholarship funds. Support for expanding research capacity, technology-related infrastructure and job training in high-demand industries are some of the proposed measures aimed at competitiveness.

Michigan’s University Research Corridor (URC), an alliance between the state’s three largest higher education institutions, leads its peer clusters in generating high-tech talent and ranks second overall in innovation activity, according to a report commissioned by URC.

North Dakota has announced it will relaunch its Innovate ND business venture competition as a more expansive suite of services for innovative startups and entrepreneurs. Participants will receive vouchers for up to $2,500 to help pay for coaching and consulting services at an entrepreneurial center, development of a business plan or building a prototype. Education services also will be available, including biannual Entrepreneur Boot Camps.  Read the announcement…

Ontario officials launched a new fund-of-funds this week intended to boost capital resources for high-tech companies. The Northleaf Venture Catalyst Fund is a privately led initiative, supported by federal and provincial funds. The governments of Canada and Ontario have agreed to make a combined capital commitment of $1 for every $2 secured from the private sector. Current commitments total $217.5 million CAD ($195.4 million USD), but leaders hope to match the government’s maximum match level of $300 million CAD ($269.6 million USD) in a second closing later this year.

The third installment of SSTI’s Tech Talkin’ Govs series includes excerpts from speeches delivered in Delaware, Michigan, Missouri and New Mexico.

The FY15 budget proposal outlined last week by Gov. Andrew Cuomo would provide funding to continue many of New York’s innovation-focused efforts while investing in new initiatives, including a genomic medicine network and STEM scholarship program.

After hitting an all-time high in 2012, California’s dominance of the nation’s venture capital activity receded a bit last year. California continues to receive about half of the country’s venture investment dollars and about 40 percent of its dealflow, but in 2013, the state’s share of dollars fell from 53 to 50 percent, according to data from the PricewaterhouseCoopers/National Venture Capital Association (PwC/NVCA) Moneytree survey. Massachusetts, which has been host to about 10 percent of national venture activity in past years, also saw its share of total U.S.

In the evolving American economy, TBED is increasingly looked to as a potential driver of inclusive competitiveness, expanding and deepening economic opportunity for communities that suffer from poverty and unemployment. The Regional Federal Reserve Banks have been leading efforts to study the linkages between economic and community development and this week hosted a Connecting Communities webinar on Redefining the Rust Belt: The Role of Anchor Institutions and the Arts.

To learn how you can join SSTI and gain full access to all SSTI's information resources, including the SSTI Member Listserv, webinars and the Weekly Funding Supplement which provides our members with with application information, eligibility criteria and submission deadlines for hundreds of funding opportunities offered by the federal government and others click here or contact Noelle Sheets at sheets@s

Connecticut's General Assembly approved a biennial budget that includes major increases for science and technology research and education at the University of Connecticut and a boost in funding for the state's others higher education institutions. The $44 billion budget also includes continued funding for the state's economic development programs.

Ben Franklin Technology Partners (BFTP), Pennsylvania's tech-based economic development program, released a joint study by the independent Pennsylvania Economy League and KLIOS Consulting, which determined the economic impact of the organization between 2007-2011. These numbers aggregate the impact of the four regional Ben Franklin Technology Partners.

Don't miss this opportunity to impress the entire country with the work you're doing to improve local, state and regional economies through tech-based investments. To apply, send us a five page narrative describing your efforts to: Commercialize and Expand Research Capacity; Increase Access to Capital; Build a Culture of Entrepreneurship; and Improve the Competitiveness of Existing Industries. We will also recognize a promising initiative that has demonstrated innovativeness, creativity and a well-defined action plan.

As recently explored in an episode of This American Life, high-tech patent litigation has reached unprecedented proportions, with many research-oriented companies now joining the calls to restructure the patent system. This week, the White House released five executive orders and seven legislative recommendations to add transparency to the system and level the playing field for innovators.

A report from authors Samantha Bradley, Christopher S. Hayter, and Albert N. Link explores the burgeoning role of proof-of-concept centers (PoCC) in supporting the country's innovation infrastructure. The report suggests that shifting dynamics in the global economy will continue to increase the importance of PoCCs in supporting regional innovation and national competitiveness.

The current federal FY13 budget under sequestration will reduce the funding level for state aid by $5.1 billion from FY12, according to the study by the Economic Policy Institute, a nonprofit think tank focusing on low- and middle-income labor and economic policy.

The health and potential of a state's innovation ecosystem does not always directly correlate to current economic performance and overall job creation, despite media and policymakers' focus on such metrics. Although they vary across organizations and in scope, indices serve to assess states' assets and processes within their innovation ecosystems.

As developed nations slowly rebuild economies damaged by the Great Recession, many are looking to innovation and manufacturing to spur their economic revival. Similar to President Obama's proposed National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (See the March 14, 2011 issue of the Digest), several foreign government are developing networks of manufacturing research and development (R&D) centers to strengthen the ties between research and industrial needs.

Nevada legislators recently approved $10 million in funding for the state's Knowledge Fund, a technology development and commercialization support program first introduced in 2011.

Since 2011, three states (Kansas, Georgia and North Carolina) have enacted securities exemptions that allow their state's entrepreneurs and small businesses to raise up to $1 million dollars via the sale of securities to residents of the state — Washington lawmakers introduced similar legis

Rice University's Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship has been named the top university business incubator in the world by the University Business Incubator (UBI) Index based in Sweden. The group reviewed 550 university business incubators and studied 150 incubators to determine the top incubators in the world based on their value for the ecosystem, their value for clients, and their attraction rate and past performance. Other U.S.