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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.

While policymakers often tout workers in the field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) as a critical element of U.S. competitiveness in the global economy, the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program claims that a narrow definition of STEM occupations neglects vital employees in these technical fields.

A new series of briefs from the National Institute of Standards and Technology lays out the argument for federal, state and local intervention in the high-tech economy. Authors Gary Anderson and Gregory Tassey suggest that U.S. economic policy places too much emphasis on macrostabilization efforts at the expense of policies targeted to promote technology development and entrepreneurship. They make the argument that one effective approach to federal intervention is through the support of research consortia and regional cluster development programs.

While public debate rages over the role of surveillance in our society, one particularly infamous government surveillance technology, drones, is being prepared for private sector deployment in the U.S. Drone-related technologies are predicted to revolutionize commerce in the U.S., with industry projections valuing their initial deployment as an $82 billion boost to the national economy.

Compiling SBIR Phase I awards and proposal statistics by state for FY12, SSTI finds the 10 states with the most awards in FY12 were California (724), Massachusetts (415), Virginia (207), Maryland (154), Ohio (138), Texas (138), New York (137), Colorado (129), Pennsylvania (124), and Florida (85). Maryland gained two spots rising to fourth place. Ohio and Texas tied for fifth place, while New York and Colorado both fell from their prior year positions.

With a continued push toward regionalism to better support the state's high-tech platform, lawmakers approved in the FY14 budget startup funding for a new statewide incubator program that provides grants for the incubators and tax incentives for client companies. The initiative is part of Gov. Andrew Cuomo's planned expansion for the state's 10 regional councils.

Let's face it, chances are your achievements, as wonderful as they are, likely will go unrecognized unless you start telling people about the good work you are doing. SSTI wants to hear how your organization is succeeding in growing tech-based economies and we'll share your outstanding work with the entire country. Learn more about how to submit an application for the 2013 Excellence in TBED awards today.

Gov. Inslee of Washington released his budget request for the 2013-2015 biennium in his Working Washington plan. Among the priorities are STEM educational investments and clean energy research and development. Overall, the Governor's proposed budget totals more than $34.4 billion, and would result in nearly $532 million in reserves, without proposing new taxes.

This week, President Obama unveiled a new, long-term initiative to further understanding of the human brain. The Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative, the latest in a series of federal Grand Challenges, would attempt to reproduce the scientific and economic gains of the Human Genome Project. In FY14, the administration plans to invest $100 million in the initiative, with key operations within the Defense Advanced Projects Agency (DARPA), the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation.

Ahead of the president' FY 2014 budget proposal release date (April 10, 2013) and amid federal sequestration, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) released two reports that contend duplication, fragmentation and a lack of cooperation between federal agencies may plague federal support for wind energy deployment and entrepreneurial assistance. To address these issues, the GAO reports recommend enhanced collaboration between agencies and consolidation of funding programs.

Mark Lytle has been named the University System of Georgia's new vice chancellor for economic development.

Frederick Cartwright has been appointed the executive director of the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research.

Each year, SSTI provides Digest readers with a comprehensive review of technology-based economic development spending in the the president's federal budget request. The year's edition includes proposed FY14 spending on R&D, STEM education, manufacturing, broadband, small business support, technology transfer, entrepreneurship, innovation workforce initiatives and more.

The full report is available for download in pdf format (626 kb).

To encourage communities to strengthen their industrial ecosystems, the U.S. Department of Commerce has announced it will make awards to up to 25 communities to launch implementation strategies. The solicitation for the awards will be released in May, and awards of up to $200,000 each will be issued by the end of September. The awards are one part of a four–phase plan announced by Deputy Secretary of Commerce Rebecca Blank last week that also includes listening sessions and a proposal to award five to six communities $25 million each.