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In his inaugural address last week, Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas announced a four-part plan to bolster research and high-tech economic development. The governor’s Vermont Way Forward strategy would promote high-tech business, particularly in the state’s emerging environmental engineering industry. In addition, the strategy includes a plan to make Vermont what the governor says would be the country’s first “e-state,” one in which universal access to broadband and wireless technology are available anywhere within the state’s borders.

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford announced that his budget for fiscal year 2007-08 will include a request for $2 million to bring high-speed Internet access to rural parts of the state. This allocation from the state’s Capital Reserve Fund would be used to create a Rural Broadband fund to increase broadband penetration in underserved communities and is designed to boost economic development by providing Internet access to students, businesses and entrepreneurs.

 

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has released the 2005 statistics for science and engineering (S&E) doctorate awards. Science and Engineering Doctorate Awards: 2005 details trends in doctorate awards by S&E field and recipient characteristics, institutions awarding doctorates, and postgraduation plans of recipients.

As you begin to fill in your 2007 calendar, remember to mark Oct. 18-19, 2007 to attend SSTI's 11th annual conference in Baltimore! Past attendees know SSTI's conference is the perennial premiere professional development event for the TBED community. And 2007 will be no exception. The conference will be held at the Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel, right on the city's exciting waterfront.

Utah State University named J. Michael Brooks as director of its Innovation Campus. He will also serve as associate vice president for research and economic development, beginning Sept. 20.

Utah State University named J. Michael Brooks as director of its Innovation Campus. He will also serve as associate vice president for research and economic development, beginning Sept. 20.

A two-year grant from the Pennsylvania Dept. of Community and Economic Development enabled Lehigh University to announce last week the appointments of Glenn Doell and Graham Mitchell to serve respectively as director of the office of technology transfer and director of the entrepreneurship program.

Effective Jan. 1, Donald Kuratko will be executive director for Indiana University's Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Kuratko is currently runs Ball State University's entrepreneurship program.

Reports suggest New Jersey Gov. James McGreevey, resigning his office in mid-November, will be named the first director of the Stem Cell Institute of New Jersey. Securing funding for the center has been a legislative priority for the Governor this year.

David Winwood is the new director of North Carolina State University's Centennial Campus.

New York City Launches Second Biotech Incubator Companies wanting to commercialize new technologies can now bring their companies to Brooklyn, with the June opening of a new technology incubator located near Downstate University's biochemistry department.

Travel and training dollars are limited for most tech-based economic development programs. For many states, these are the first budget items frozen in a cutback. As a result, you need to get the most bang for each dollar spent on professional development for each staff member.

Former New Mexico Gov. Garrey Carruthers (1987-1990) has been named vice provost for economic development at New Mexico State University.

The Louisiana Emerging Technologies Center announced Arthur Cooper will serve as its first executive director.

South Carolina Research Authority president Larry Druffel has announced he will retire next year.

Former New Mexico Gov. Garrey Carruthers (1987-1990) has been named vice provost for economic development at New Mexico State University.

The Louisiana Emerging Technologies Center announced Arthur Cooper will serve as its first executive director.

South Carolina Research Authority president Larry Druffel has announced he will retire next year.

Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius named Howard Fricke to serve as secretary of the state's Commerce Department.

Don Hutchinson is the new director of the Mayor's Office of Economic Development for the city of New Orleans.

Connecticut Gov. Jodi Rell named Marie O'Brien to oversee the Connecticut Development Authority.

DC Tech, the Washington DC Technology Council, announced Penny Pickett will be the new president.

IEDC's legislative director, Toby Rittner, has been named executive director of the Council of Development Finance Agencies.

Jay Tieber is the new president of the National Association of Seed and Venture Funds.

State lottery would be leased to private company to finance fund, scholarships

Two initiatives recently proposed by Gov. Mitch Daniels would keep graduating college students in-state and lure world-class researchers to Indiana's public universities. However, a lottery lease plan that would, in part, finance the initiatives may be more the center of attention with Indiana legislators.

The Oregon Innovation Council (Oregon InC), which spent a year reviewing how best to expand the state’s economy by leveraging industry-supported initiatives with public investments, may get to see the toils of its labor come to fruition. Gov. Ted Kulongoski released earlier this month his 2007-09 budget, with full support for the innovation plan put out by Oregon InC.

A recent report from Hawaii’s Tax Review Commission recommends the state eliminate or drastically overhaul its five-year old tax credit for high-tech investors. According to the report, the current credit provides no clear advantage to the state and appears open to taxpayer abuse. The commission was particularly troubled by the lack of data provided by taxpayers who were approved for the credit and by the lack of transparency concerning the credit within the state’s Department of Taxation.