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For several years governors across the country have announced life science and biotech initiatives that are as broad as they are large. The devil is in the details, and in most cases related to bio-based economic development, so are the opportunities.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) announced earlier this month the establishment of five new university-based centers developing interdisciplinary research and education programs in partnership with industry in the areas of biorenewable chemicals, green energy systems, communications networks, medical implants and smart lighting.

Complete descriptions of these opportunities and others are available at http://www.ssti.org/posting.htm.

A research consortium led by Pennsylvania State University will receive up to $122 million over the next five years to develop an Energy Innovation Hub focused on developing technologies for making buildings more energy efficient. The team will pursue a research, development and demonstration program targeting technologies for single buildings and district-wide systems, according to a news release. This is the third innovation hub announced by DOE this year to receive FY10 funding.

Nearly 90 percent of government funds available for transition assistance in the Space Coast region would be used for a fast-track competitive grant process through the Economic Development Administration (EDA), according to recommendations from a task force convened by President Barack Obama. Under the plan, $35 million in grants would be awarded to the most promising job creation and economic development programs aimed at creating a strong economic base in the region as the Space Shuttle program winds down.

Establishing manufacturing centers to provide resources for small biotech companies to bring products to market and creating teams at the National Institutes of Health to identify promising research are among a list of recommendations resulting from a comprehensive review of the federal government's system to produce medical countermeasures against bioterrorism threats.

"Strong Manufacturing and patent producing metropolitan areas generate the highest shares of exports from their output," according to a recent Brookings report. Researchers at the Brookings Institute found that the top exporting U.S. metros also were significantly more innovative. In this study, innovation was defined by the rate of patent production. Metros with regional clusters also were more likely to export than those without strong regional clusters. The report recommends that U.S.

As the world's economies rebound, governments are investing heavily in innovation and research infrastructure. Australia and Ireland, for example, will fund significant investment in national innovation strategies. Australia will commit $1.1 billion to develop national clusters in targeted sectors, and Ireland will attempt to become the "innovation hub" of Europe.

Australia
Under the Super Science Initiative, Australia's government will provide approximately $1.1 billion for three targeted research areas:

U.S. graduate enrollment in science and engineering (S&E) increased by 3.3 percent in 2007 over comparable data from the previous year, according to the latest data from the National Science Foundation (NSF). This marks the largest increase since 2002 and follows several years of stagnant enrollment numbers. Female enrollment grew by 3.4 percent, slightly more than the 3.2 percent growth for men. Growth in Asian, Black, Hispanic, American Indian and "other"/multiracial enrollment outpaced growth among whites.

Ray Gilley resigned as chief executive of the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission after nine years on the job. Gilley was responsible for helping lure the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute to Central Florida.

Peter Ginsberg joined the North Carolina Biotechnology Center as vice president of Business & Technology Development.

Brookings' researchers contend that the U.S. region worst hit by the Great Recession has the potential to spearhead the U.S. towards a Next Economy. The Next Economy: Economic Recovery and Transformation in the Great Lakes Region provides a roadmap for federal, state and local stakeholders to transition the Rust Belt into a forward thinking economy. It replaces the old economy, which was driven by highly-leveraged, domestic consumption, with an export-oriented Next Economy powered by a low-carbon energy strategy and driven by innovation that benefits all Americans.

TechColumbus is seeking a director of Information Technology Commercialization responsible for the business development of TechColumbus client companies, including assessment, evaluation and organized assistance to Information Technology/Computer Science client companies, with emphasis on proactive advising and guidance resulting in company success and wealth creation.

Craig Dye was named director of the Mtech VentureAccelerator Program, a fast-track, early admission program tied to Mtech's Technology Advancement Program.

The Minnesota High Tech Association announced Margaret Anderson Kelliher, speaker of the Minnesota House, will assume the role of president of the Association beginning in January after she leaves public office.

EDA will implement a new grant approval process starting in FY2011, which is intended to improve competiveness, transparency and efficiency. The new process includes continuous technical assistance and customer service, quarterly rounds of funding, enhanced responsivenessand competitive selection framework. Only Public Works, Economic Adjustment and Global Climate Change Mitigation Incentive Fund (GCCMIF) investments will be made under the new system. The first funding cycle deadline will be Dec15.

California's next governor will inherit a dire budget situation and an unemployment rate that is above the national average. While the two main candidates vying for the job offer different visions for enhancing California's economy, both plans set forth policies and incentives to encourage renewable energy development and deployment and provide resources to support entrepreneurs. Jerry Brown (D) has a clean energy jobs plan that he says will produce half a million jobs in research, development, manufacturing, construction, installation, and maintenance over the next decade.

Two candidates vying for Georgia governor unveiled proposals to create technology jobs and invest in biomedical R&D. Democratic nominee Roy Barnes would expand the scope of the Georgia Research Alliance (GRA) to build on programs that accelerate technology transfer. Barnes credited the organization with a 20-year track record of helping create high-value companies based on university research. Republican nominee Nathan Deal would expand access to capital for biotechnology startups and create a Certified Capital Company (CAPCO) program to help fuel R&D.

Recent graduates and grad students will have access to new resources aimed at helping them launch high-tech businesses and commercialize new technologies under the Government of Canada's new Scientists and Engineers in Business Initiative.

California's green economy remains strong through the Great Recession, according to a new report — the 2010 California Green Innovation Index. The yearly report published by Next 10 provides dashboard of indicators that track changes over time. This year's report indicates that California's clean tech companies continue to attract venture capital (VC) investments, the state leads the nation in clean tech patents and green manufacturing has grown.

The Obama administration's vision for the future of innovation and economic growth includes a commitment to the green energy sector. At the SSTI Annual Conference, held September 14-16 in Pittsburgh, you will be able to talk with officials from federal agencies and other experts who will provide insight into the administration's vision and enable you to capitalize on the increasing federal opportunities.

The Department of Energy will be accepting applications for projects that manufacture commercial renewable energy systems and components (e.g., energy storage systems, wind turbine systems, blades or solar photovoltaic components) through a new $750 million loan guarantee program. Energy Secretary Steven Chu believes the Commercial Technology Manufacturing Systems and Components solicitation will help to increase employment in the green manufacturing sector and keep U.S. green manufactures competitive in the global market.

Nancy L. Zimpher, the Chancellor of the State University of New York (SUNY), believes that SUNY campuses statewide can become "the engine of New York's economic revitalization."Chancellor Zimpher's vision of economic development fueled by higher education is supported by a recent report from the Rockefeller institute of Government. The report describes a new paradigm of economic development in which university-driven economic development will replace the traditional mix of business attraction and retention incentives.

"Tapping the Technology Innovation Program and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership"
On September 14th from 9:00 A.M.-12:00 P.M., SSTI is co-hosting a regional meeting with officials from the Technology Innovation Program (TIP) and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) that we encourage you or one of your colleagues to attend. TIP and MEP are two of the most market-driven programs offered by the federal government. The meeting will give you a chance to learn directly from officials with the two programs about:

SSTI's popular plenary format with instant audience polling allows you to take part in the most pressing issues facing the TBED community by providing input, asking questions, and contributing data from your state or region. Through a request for information on commercializing university technology and a series of regional meetings, Obama administration officials have been seeking input on what universities' economic development roles have been, haven't been, should be, and what the federal government should do about it.

Years of double digit growth in broadband adoption have come to a halt, according to a report from the Pew Internet and American Life Project. Two-thirds of Americans currently use a high-speed Internet connection at home, about the same as in 2009. Among African-Americans, however, usage continued to surge, jumping from 46 percent in 2009 to 56 percent in 2010. A majority of respondents said that increasing broadband adoption should not be a priority of the federal government.

Want to participate in a new concept in innovation clusters? The Southern Advanced Materials in Transportation Alliance (SAMTA) is a regional innovation cluster that promotes the research, commercialization, and production of new and specialized materials important to the automotive and aerospace industries. Although traditional clusters are based on geographic concentration, SAMTA will use telecommunications networks to minimize geographic distance and facilitate the industry network. The Economic Development Administration has provided seed funding for this project.