Job Corner
The Invest Nebraska Corporation is hiring a CEO to join their team in Lincoln, NE. The CEO will manage Invest Nebraska's programs throughout the State of Nebraska. Invest Nebraska Corporation is a private, nonprofit venture development organization focused on developing high-growth companies in Nebraska and growing the state's economy.
A bill recently introduced in the U.S. Senate would allow immigrant entrepreneurs to obtain a two-year visa if they have secured the support of a qualified U.S. investor. Supporters, including bill sponsors Senators John Kerry and Richard Lugar, argue that the measure would help ensure American competitiveness by drawing on global entrepreneurial talent. The bill would also help create new investment opportunities for U.S. venture capitalists.
Minister of Finance Jim Flaherty last week presented a budget plan for the upcoming year that includes $19 billion in new federal stimulus funds as part of Canada's two-year, $62 billion Economic Action Plan.
In a meeting of the Government Commission on High Technology and Innovation last week, Russian Prime Minister Vladmir Putin made several announcements in support of new technology and innovation investments. Putin said $37.3 billion, or more than 10 percent of the federal budget, is appropriated for fundamental and applied science, higher education, high-tech medicine, space exploration, aviation, and the nuclear industry in 2010.
Lawmakers approved last week the 2010-11 biennial budget, dedicating more than $76 million for energy research projects funded by the state's share of federal Abandoned Mine Land (AML) funds. The University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources will receive $45 million for development of a subcommerical scale CO2 sequestration research demonstration project, $14 million for clean coal technology research, and $17.4 million for operation of the school. Three bills regulating the wind energy industry also were signed into law by Gov. Dave Freudenthal last week.
The Obama administration recently released a national plan to secure public and private sector networks. The Comprehensive National Cybersecuirty Initiative consists of 12 priority areas, including improved coordination of cybersecurity research, commercialization assistance for strategic technologies and expanded cyber education. Read the complete strategic plan at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/cybersecurity/comprehensive-national-cybersecurity-initiative
MIT's Department of Urban Studies and Planning is researching how economic development organizations are working with small businesses to address market opportunities or needs related to global climate change and the "green economy." The department currently is looking for economic development organizations to complete a brief, voluntary survey (10 minutes) relating to "green" programs and activities. Results will be shared with the economic development community and be made publicly available.
Last year, U.S. venture capital investment dropped to its lowest level in over a decade, according to data from the PricewaterhouseCoopers Moneytree Survey and the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA). This drop was fueled by the national economic crisis, which created a number of issues within the industry.
Silicon Valley, a region often looked to for trends in the technology field, is expected to see a rise in the number of new high-tech incubators and the expansion of existing incubators in the coming months. A recent Wall Street Journal article points to these openings as a sign of revival for technology startup companies amid a relatively slow period last year as startup investment plunged during the recession.
Chris Atkinson is the new director of West Virginia University's Center for Alternative Fuels, Engines, and Emissions (CAFEE).
On Monday, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released a national plan to expand broadband access and competition over the next decade. The plan calls for the establishment of new competition policies, ensuring the efficient allocation of spectrum and physical infrastructure, incentives and subsidies to expand access, and support for state and local initiatives. It also sets the ambitious goal of providing 100 million U.S. homes with affordable access to download speeds of 100 megabits per second (mbps), up from the current average of 2-3 mbps.
At the close of the Utah legislative session on March 11, lawmakers followed Gov. Gary Herbert's recommendation to reduce the Utah Science Technology and Research initiative (USTAR) FY10 budget by $5.1 million, from $31.9 million to $26.8 million. For FY11, USTAR is budgeted to spend $34.3 million. This represents a combination of state and ARRA funding. USTAR invests in world-class innovation teams and research facilities at the University of Utah and Utah State University with a long-term goal of strengthening the state's knowledge economy.
Gov. Pat Quinn unveiled last week the FY11 capital budget outlining the state's progress on the $31 billion Illinois Jobs Now plan enacted last year by the legislature (see the July 29, 2009 Digest). The governor is seeking an expansion of the program, which includes new appropriations for green economy initiatives within the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO).
Adding to a growing number of states seeking to increase their percentage of power from renewable sources, Gov. Jack Markell last week introduced the Delaware Clean Energy Jobs Act. A key component of the legislation is increasing the state's Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), which governors often say generates job growth.
The overarching goal of the Delaware bill is to create a competitive climate for the clean energy market, which is addressed under four main goals, including:
North Carolina State Treasurer Janet Cowell has announced credit services group Credit Suisse will serve as manager of the state's new $230 million innovation fund. The fund, drawn from public pension dollars, will invest in North Carolina-based technology businesses over the next five years. Though full investment guidelines have not yet been developed, investments will be aimed towards high-growth industries, including life sciences, clean energy and other high-tech industries.
Milwaukee's Public Policy Forum finds that the city has a stronger lean manufacturing/high-tech workforce than many of its peer cities, but still faces challenges in new high-tech business starts and patent generation. The study used benchmarks from six other metropolitan areas, including Austin, Kansas City, Portland, Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Minneapolis. The report recommends new efforts to improve patent activity, resident educational attainment and number of SBIR awards.
SSTI's interview with Peggy Shults of the James and Esther King Biomedical Research program, 2009 recipient of the Excellence in TBED Award in the category Expanding the Research Infrastructure, provides an honest, in-depth account of best practices and lessons learned that earned this program national recognition. Click here to listen to the interview and learn more about the program.
2010 could be your organization's year to capture national recognition for excellence in technology-based economic development. SSTI will solicit nominations for the 2010 Excellence in TBED Awards beginning April 6 with an open call for applications. Awards are presented to organizations demonstrating successful local, state and regional efforts across six categories. For more information and a list of previous winners, please visit: http://www.ssti.org/Awards/index.shtml
Arizona Center for Innovation is currently seeking an experienced candidate to fill the position of director. The director is responsible for the daily operations of the incubator that include: administration, budgeting, financial management, fundraising, client recruitment and services, marketing and outreach activities.
Friday March 26, 2010 > Web Version > Unsubscribe
Now is the time to highlight your organization's impact and gain high-profile exposure as a recipient of SSTI's national award for excellence in technology-based economic development (TBED).
Recipients of this coveted award are showcased as best practices throughout the TBED community and promoted for their exceptional achievements in approaches to building tech-based economies and demonstration of outstanding results.
SSTI invites applications for the 2010 Excellence in TBED Awards in the following categories:
The $29.3 billion total spending plan for FY11 outlined last week by Gov. Chris Christie eliminates or significantly reduces funding for business incentive programs, including InvestNJ and funding for high-tech business tax credits. In place of the programs, the New Jersey Partnership for Action would be established as a new one-stop-shop to assist businesses in relocation, retention and incentive development.
Between 2003 and 2007 R&D spending at U.S. small businesses increased by 38.8 percent, according to a recent National Science Foundation InfoBrief. During that period the share of U.S. R&D done by firms with fewer than 500 employees increased from 17.9 percent to 18.7 percent. R&D intensity at small firms also increased from 3.1 percent of company sales revenues to 8.6 percent. Read the NSF InfoBrief "Indicators of U.S.
Gov. Chet Culver last week signed legislation creating the Iowa Innovation Council to advise the state's Department of Economic Development on policies that enhance innovation and entrepreneurship in high-growth industries such as advanced manufacturing, bioscience, and information technology. The council will be led by a group of volunteer private business leaders with expertise in the targeted industry sectors and charged with creating a strategic plan for implementing specific policies and coordinating state government applications for federal funds related to R&D.
For the first time in more than a decade, U.S. patent activity did not increase in 2008 over the previous year, according to IEEE Spectrum's Patent Power rankings. The annual report, which ranks companies, universities and research institutions by the quality of their U.S. patent portfolio, also finds that the number of U.S.-based organizations that placed within the top tier of IEEE's rankings-by-industry had fallen by 30 percent.