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Kansas is home to more than 20,000 green jobs and expects that number to reach 30,000 by 2012, according to a recent survey by the state Department of Labor. The survey of 6,000 Kansas employers reveals that job growth in renewable energy, energy efficiency will drive green job numbers over the next two-to-three years. The biggest employment gains are expected in the renewable energy sector, which is expected to grow by 121 percent. Read the report ...

Entrepreneurship in the U.S. reached a 14-year high in 2009, according to a new study. The Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity, which tracks national and state entrepreneurship rates, found that 340 new businesses were created for every 100,000 adult residents each month during 2009. Oklahoma and Montana led the nation with 470 new businesses per 100,000 adults. Read the report ...

The Research & Technology Development (RTD) Program, a flagship program of the Washington Technology Center has helped fill a critical role in enhancing Washington state's efforts in commercializing research by bringing companies and university researchers together. In SSTI's exclusive interview, Chris Coleman shares valuable insight on how the program continues to produce impressive returns after nearly two decades. Download the interview ...

 JumpStart Inc. invites applications for the position of president, JumpStart Advisors. This is an exciting opportunity for a business leader who has significant experience in providing direct consulting services, as well as managing multiple consulting project teams, and would like to lead a nationally significant effort that has the promise to transform the way regions think about their innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystems.

Patrick Draper has been appointed as president and CEO of the Toronto Region Research Alliance.

Arlene Garrison has been appointed as vice president of University Partnerships at Oak Ridge Associated Universities.

After failing twice in the U.S. House of Representatives, the reauthorization of the America COMPETES Act passed with a 262-150 vote .

Florida's FY11 budget, signed into law last month by Gov. Charlie Crist, replenishes the Innovation Incentive Fund with $75 million. The recruitment fund was immediately tapped by lawmakers for $50 million toward enticing Maine's Jackson Laboratory to open a branch in Collier County, leaving $25 million for other major R&D projects and create high wage jobs throughout Florida. The state has promised the Jackson Lab project an additional $80 million over the next three years if developed.

Four bond issues totaling $108.3 million appear headed for passage by voters following the primary election yesterday. Two of those measures are aimed at job creation efforts through capital investments, funding for R&D, and renewable energy measures. The Associated Press has projected the $23.75 million economic development bond as winning with a narrow lead of 51-49. The energy bond is passing with 59 percent of the vote.

JDG Associates, Executive Search Consultants, has been retained by the suburban Maryland-based National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to recruit two key leaders:

• The Director for Innovation and Industry Services will focus on technology transfer and commercialization along with the fostering of public/private partnerships and joint ventures; and,

Subra Suresh, dean of engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has been nominated by President Barack Obama to be the next director of the National Science Foundation.

Eric Cromwell, president and CEO, and Dan Schmisseur, vice president of operations and strategy, have resigned from the Tennessee Technology Development Corporation.

Do high-growth, tech entrepreneurs require different mentoring and educational assistance than other entrepreneurs? The Small Business Administration (SBA) has issued a Request for Information (RFI) on successful models, metric and programming for high-growth entrepreneurial mentoring and education. Responses will be used to shape future initiatives at SBA and other federal agencies. Comments must be received by July 12. The RFI and a presentation on the request are available at: http://www.ssti.org/rfi.htm

A group of prominent American businessman recently issued five recommendations on how the federal government should address the nations need for energy innovation. The American Energy Innovation Council, which includes Bill Gates from Microsoft, Jeff Immelt from General Electric, Ursela Burns from Xerox, Norm Augustine formerly with Lockheed Martin, John Doerr from Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, and Tim Solso from Cummins Inc., proposes a national oversight board for energy technology policy and billions in funding for energy research, commercialization and pilot projects.

Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter recently signed legislation to fund initiatives around the state preparing workers for the clean energy economy. The Green Jobs Colorado Program bill, originally proposed last year by Gov. Ritter, was included in a package of sixteen clean energy related bills passed state legislature in May. Gov. Ritter believes that this package of bills will position Colorado as "a national leader in New Energy Economy."

A new Georgia center features a variety of resources to assist life science entrepreneurs. The Georgia Bioscience Commercialization Center, funded by Georgia Bio and the Georgia Research Alliance, offers incubation space, counseling for experienced bioscience executives, entrepreneur education, and connection to TBED organizations around the state. Read more ...

Citing further damage to the state's reputation as a place to do business, Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona, vetoed SB 2401, a measure to suspend Hawaii's high-tech tax credit, which provides a 100 percent refundable tax credit for investments in qualified high-tech businesses. Lt. Gov.

In support of President Obama's Educate to Innovate campaign, NASA launched a new STEM education initiative on June 10. NASA's Summer of Innovation provides thousands of middle school teachers and students the opportunity to participate in evidence-based summer learning programs in the math and sciences. These multi-week math and science-based pilot programs will occur through the summer at locations across the country.

Twenty-six members, spanning university presidents, investors, serial entrepreneurs, and nonprofit leaders, were appointed to the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship announced yesterday by U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke. The group will support President Obama's innovation strategy by helping develop policies that foster entrepreneurship and identifying new ways to take ideas from the lab to the marketplace to drive economic growth and create jobs.

A new state agency to promote innovation and job creation in New Jersey was established by Gov. Chris Christie earlier this year. Envisioned as a hub for all economic development activity, the New Jersey Partnership for Action consists of three interconnected organizations to promote the state's incentives and resources, develop pro-growth policies, and assist businesses in navigating government programs. The governor's promise of a more effective strategy for economic development activity comes at the same time of severe reductions to the state's technology-based initiatives, however.

In a study released by the Council on Competiveness, the researchers try to answer the complicated question: Why are some regions more successful than others in global competition? The traditional paradigm of regional development focuses the endowment of innovation assets (i.e. people institutions, capital and infrastructure). Regions abundant in these assets were built to succeed in the global knowledge economy. In contrast, less successful regions fail due to a lack of innovation assets.

The NY-BEST Board of Directors released a solicitation to acquire an Executive Director for NY-BEST and an organization to provide operational support.

Andre Pettigrew, the director of the Denver Office of Economic Development, will become the first executive director of Climate Prosperity Inc., a Washington, D.C., climate-change think tank. LaCharles Keesee, the city's deputy chief financial officer, will assume an interim role as head of the city's economic development department until a final replacement is named.

Over the past few months, several states have announced efforts aimed at reducing the nation's dependence on oil. While the importance and urgency of such efforts is perhaps magnified in the wake of one of the worst U.S. environmental disasters, the shift to a renewable energy-focused economy also brings with it the expectation of job creation, new product development, and increased revenue for states struggling in the aftermath of the Great Recession.

Touted as a tool to help the state attract and retain jobs, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford last week signed into law H. 4478, the Economic Development Competitiveness Act. The new law directs one-third of the state's endowed chairs money be administered by the Coordinating Council on Economic Development — a reform measure that the governor says will help shift its focus to job creation and allow private sector investment to lead public sector investment. Funding previously was administered by an academic panel.

U.S. states must develop an export strategy as a component of the state's “competitiveness agenda,” according to a new report from the Brookings Institute. In “Boosting Exports, Delivering Jobs and Economic Growth,” the authors point towards the rapid growth of American exports in comparison to the overall economy's economic growth to highlight the need for effective and efficient state export strategies. Between the third quarter of 2009 and the third quarter of 2011, U.S. exports grew by 12.7 percent almost four times the overall economic growth (3.2 percent).