Many organizations are wondering if, when and how severe their budgets could be impacted by the economy and the continuing fiscal crises in the states. While foundation endowments also have taken a hit by the stock market slump, several are increasing their contributions in building local or statewide technology-based economies. Two recent examples highlight the trend and point toward a funding path few TBED efforts have fully tapped.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) plans to fund $9 million in new FY 2003 awards under the Partnerships for Innovation (PFI) Program, according to the program solicitation's recent release. To promote PFI, NSF will sponsor 15-25 partnerships among academe, government and the private sector that explore new approaches to innovation.
The purpose of the program, as defined in the PFI solicitation, is threefold:
SSTI continues a series begun in last week's Digest, highlighting key economic development and science & technology positions being filled by some of the nation's 24 new governors. Many of these individuals are expected to help set the state's tech-based economic development agenda and determine budget cuts, reorganization plans or program eliminations.
Whether you use Outlook, Palm, Day-Timer, Filofax, or Post-Its to keep track of the items on your "To Do" list, make sure these two items on your lists to be wrapped up by next Tuesday, Sept. 20:
While biotechnology focused on medical applications garners most of the attention, agricultural biotechnology is a high priority for a number of states. But ag biotech has generated significant concerns in some regions because of its emphasis on genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
Over the past few years, annual surveys from the National League of Cities (NLC) have reported grim findings on the fiscal status of cities across the nation with little hope for turnaround in the near future.
The average budgets for local and regional economic development organizations fell nearly 3 percent between 2004 and 2005, according to the second annual survey by ACCRA.
University R&D is considered a fundamental element of innovation and technological competitiveness. If R&D spending equates to more R&D, then the 10 percent increase between 2002 and 2003 as reported by the nation's academic community to the National Science Foundation (NSF) would be a rosy sign for America's future.
Over the period 1998-2003, Oregon saw the largest percent change in its academic R&D expenditures funded by industry sources, according to the National Science Foundation's latest survey (see the above story).
The National Governors' Association (NGA) is urging leaders of the House and Senate Commerce-Justice-State (CJS) Appropriations Subcommittees "to maintain the federal government's share of support for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) in the fiscal year (FY) 2003 appropriations."
If states are to emerge from the recession stronger than when they went in, state policymakers must make long-term investments in economic fundamentals such as a skilled workforce, technological capacities and quality amenities, reports the Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED). They also need help from the federal government, according to the 16th annual Development Report Card for the States by CFED, a nonpartisan Washington-based think tank.
Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania (BFTP/SEP), an independent nonprofit economic development organization, has announced the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's $2 million commitment to establish the Ben Franklin Investment Partners venture guarantee revolving fund. The fund is the first such development financing vehicle of its kind in the U.S.
U.S. companies had $199.5 billion in R&D investment in 2000, a 9 percent increase over the 1999 total, according to the annual Survey of Industrial Research and Development published by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The survey data is presented in a recent NSF InfoBrief, which shows the total industrial R&D increase to be 7 percent after adjusting for inflation.
The challenges of creating a cluster of companies in related technologies, both the processes and factors for influencing cluster development, are different than the requirements for maintaining the cluster, concludes "Old Economy" Inputs for "New Economy" Outcomes: Cluster Formation in the New Silicon Valleys. The paper contests cluster development is a combination of elements of both new economic theory focusing on increasing returns and old economic theory, which concentrated
Several of the key economic development and science & technology positions have been filled by some of the nation's 24 new governors. Many of these individuals will be involved in setting the state's tech-based economic development agenda and determining budget cuts, reorganization plans or program eliminations to handle the money squeeze. In addition, a few other lead S&T agencies have announced top-level changes.
With the passage of the state's biennial budget, North Carolina's small businesses are now eligible for follow-on support from the state for research projects funded under the federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs.
Two initiatives aimed at closing the digital divide, particularly among low-income Americans, were announced earlier this month.
The bottom line for all regional economic development initiatives should be improving the quality of life for the area's residents. A new report from the Census Bureau — revealing the increased percentage of the U.S. population living in poverty and median household income remaining flat again, after two years of decline — provides a not-too-subtle reminder for the technology-based economic development (TBED) field.
Ban on Outside Consulting with Industry Remains in Force
Many of the readers are new to the Digest since last year's conference, so we're getting questions about how SSTI's upcoming 9th annual conference, to be held in Atlanta on Oct. 19-21, differs from other events.
The easiest way to answer that is to let the conference speak for itself — through the comments we received from past participants:
Following the 1998 Master Tobacco Settlement Agreement, states across the country set out to dedicate significant amounts of funding from their share of the settlement to support research and other TBED programs.
On Monday, Sept. 26, 2005, the Economic Development Administration will host a one-hour telecast, to discuss the final report of the Strengthening America’s Communities Advisory Committee.
With the proper utilization of existing resources, the development of key new programs, strong leadership within state government and coordinated efforts among all programs and stakeholders, Kentucky has the opportunity to become a world leader in specific niches of the life sciences industry, says a report from the Governor's Life Sciences Consortium.
Cluster theories for explaining geographically distinct areas of economic activity have guided state and local economic development policy to varying degrees for the past 25 years. Encouraging cluster growth will be hot in one state’s strategies to encourage growth while cooling or completely absent from its neighbors.
When it comes to managing a portfolio of programs, do you know what really works to ensure they will have the most impact for building a tech-based economy? "Maximizing Impact: Evaluating Science and Technology Programs," one of four full-day pre-conference workshops to be held at SSTI's 9th Annual conference on Oct. 19-21, 2005, strives to answer the question.