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Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island are collaborating to increase access to capital through the Build Ventures fund, a private early stage capital investment organization based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The fund helps entrepreneurs build startups and invests $1 to $5 million (CAD) per venture. The provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick will both contribute $15 million (CAD) to the fund, while Prince Edward Island will provide $2.5 million (CAD). Together with private contributions, Build Ventures has raised $50 million (CAD).

Graduates of Michigan State University, the University of Michigan and Wayne State University have started or acquired businesses at double the national average rate among college graduates since 1996, according to a report released by the Michigan University Research Corridor (URC). About 19 percent of all graduates have started their own business, and these businesses were 1.5 times more likely than the national average to remain open over the past five years. URC attributes their success to the comprehensive entrepreneurial curriculum available at the corridor's institutions.

The Department of Energy's guaranteed loan program has made headlines as automotive company Tesla paid back over $450 million in federal loans nine years ahead of schedule. Tesla's move highlights the potential of federal loan programs to support the growth of renewable energy industries by investing in companies that are developing new technologies such as lithium batteries and electric cars.

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

Governor Mike Pence has released details on Indiana's statewide public-private collaborative life sciences partnership. The estimated $360 million Indiana Biosciences Research Institute will receive $25 million for the biennium from the state of Indiana to cover startup costs, which will be augmented by another $25 million from industry and philanthropic sources (see the May 8 issue).

The 2012 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) U.S. Report by Babson College and Baruch College shows that the total early stage entrepreneurial activity in the country increased 13 percent, the highest rate since 1999 when GEM first began tracking entrepreneurship. Among the findings, GEM found that a diverse population of age, gender, and immigrant status exists in the entrepreneurship community.

The University of Virginia has announced a six–month pilot initiative to fund early stage research via an exclusive crowdfunding portal. In partnership with USEED Inc, a crowdfunding startup focused on philanthropic fundraising for higher education, the U.Va.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) announced a new pilot program that will to support more than 1,000 startup and earlystage firms across the country. The goal of the Entrepreneurial Mentor Corps' (EMC) is to mobilize members of the current generation of successful business owners to mentor and support startups and entrepreneurs to help them become the next generation of great American companies. In February, SBA Administrator Karen Mills announced one of the EMC's first initiatives to match approximately 100 clean energy startups with mentors.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently announced the Accelerating Medicines Partnership (AMP), a new $230 million public-private venture to transform the current model for developing new diagnostics and treatments by jointly identifying and validating promising biological targets of disease. The first phase of AMP will begin with pilot projects in three disease areas — Alzheimer’s disease, Type 2 diabetes and lupus. NIH and its partners will make the AMP data and analyses publicly accessible to the broad biomedical community.

The sixth installment of SSTI's Tech Talkin' Govs series includes excerpts from speeches delivered in Connecticut, Illinois, New Hampshire, New Jersey and North Carolina. The first five installments are available in the Jan. 5, Jan. 12, Jan. 19, Jan.

With no significant boost in funding for Michigan's economic development efforts proposed in the executive budget, Gov. Rick Snyder outlined steps to reform the way businesses are incentivized and modify the state's approach to job creation by better supporting local and regional initiatives as a means to transform the state's economy.

Businesses on SUNY campuses outside of New York City, and on certain designated private campuses, will be exempt from sales, property and corporate state taxes under a new initiative unveiled this week by New York Gov Andrew Cuomo. In addition, employees of these businesses will be exempt from income taxes. Eligible businesses must have a relationship with the host university related to its academic mission. The state will offer an additional 3 million square free of tax-free commercial space at New York private universities as part of the Tax-Free NY initiative.

New nonprofit initiatives have been re-defined in Seattle and Atlanta to support their cities' startup communities. Startup Seattle and Startup Atlanta will work to serve, support, and link the regional innovation systems and startup ventures in their respective cities. Both entities previously were developed by and for the local entrepreneurial communities to support new companies but are restructuring as independent organizations.

London's Mayor Boris Johnson has announced an initiative to transform Olympic Park into a creative and digital business hub for the city. According to an article from startups.uk, the proposed redevelopment promises to boost the United Kingdom's (UK) GDP by $450 million ($692.5 million US) and create more than 6,500 new jobs.

Puerto Rico Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla recently issued three executive orders aimed at advancing the island's renewable energy industry. The orders will grant priority approvals to renewable energy projects and introduce two new councils that will coordinate energy initiatives. Gov. Garcia Padilla joins a growing list of governors who have used executive orders to quickly implement energy policies without going to the legislature.

For as little as $2,000, you can highlight your organization, support SSTI -- and receive a registration to this year's conference in Portland, OR, Sept. 15-17! The more support we receive the larger the impact of the conference. Over the last few years SSTI has been able to introduce automatic polling, discussion groups, dine-arounds and numerous other opportunities because of the generous support of our sponsors.

London's Mayor Boris Johnson has announced an initiative to transform Olympic Park into a creative and digital business hub for the city. According to an article from startups.uk, the proposed redevelopment promises to boost the United Kingdom's (UK) GDP by $450 million ($692.5 million US) and create more than 6,500 new jobs.

Threats to America's cybersecurity continue to make headlines, underscoring the growing importance of protecting our country's digital infrastructure. As national security experts continue to grapple with how to address the challenge, the federal government is stepping up to coordinate state cybersecurity efforts. In an effort to promote our country's economic security and boost innovation and competitiveness, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is working with states and the private sector to develop a framework for national cybersecurity standards.

As Congress considers comprehensive immigration reform, policymakers are debating the effect of high-skilled immigration on the U.S. economy. Amidst the fervent discussion, the question has been raised of whether or not there is a shortage of domestic high-skilled workers, especially those in the field of science, technology, engineering and math; a question that now is being fiercely debated by two renowned policy groups. Researchers from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) recently made the claim that the U.S. has a sufficient supply of workers to fill the demand of STEM occupations.

The budget agreement reached by Texas lawmakers earlier this week includes $50 million in new funds to provide grants to technology companies for research and commercialization activities under the Emerging Technology Fund (ETF). A bill to address accountability and transparency of the fund was passed in the House, but later removed from the Senate calendar despite controversy surrounding the decision-making authority of the grants.

In a continuing effort to improve the services the State Science and Technology Institute provides to its users, SSTI has made changes to its World Wide Web home page and the SSTI Weekly Digest.

Last week, the Obama administration announced that it would commit $200 million to establish three new manufacturing innovation institutions in 2013 (see the May 8, 2013 issue of the digest).

A new program that builds upon the successes of North Dakota's Centers of Excellence and Research Excellence programs will fund up to half of the cost of R&D and commercialization projects conducted by the state's research universities. Under Research North Dakota (RND), the development and commercialization of new products will be achieved on a project-by-project basis and state funds will be matched with private-sector cash investment.

Around the country, practitioners have gotten creative in their efforts to solve problems seen as barriers to economic growth. In Arizona, BioAccel has developed an innovative approach to funding and serves as a promising model for organizations dedicated to technology driven economic development by working with universities, medical centers and entrepreneurs to translate late stage discovery research into commercial products.

A recent report from Brookings suggests that, for a variety of reasons, the value of a traditional four-year degree is diminishing. At the same time, U.S. employers continue to reference a general lack of employable skills as a major obstacle to employment growth. Across the country, regions are using new, innovative approaches to develop their local workforce while also educating students to compete in a 21st century global economy.