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Gov. Jim Doyle announced two new initiatives focusing on investments in manufacturing R&D and increasing angel and venture capital investment to grow new businesses.

 

With rumors of recession building, several of the nation’s governors are announcing new TBED-focused initiatives in 2008 – many of which will be presented to lawmakers for funding in the coming months. In Illinois, Gov. Rod Blagojevich unveiled two new initiatives encouraging entrepreneurship to grow high-technology businesses throughout the state.

 

The average cost of bringing a Food and Drug Administration-approved drug to market could be cut by 25 percent to 48 percent by making targeted investments in the national biopharmaceutical R&D technology infrastructure, according to a recent report from the National Institutes of Standards and Technology. Economic Analysis of the Technological Infrastructure Needs of the U.S. Biopharmaceutical Industry cites current costs as averaging $560 million per drug, but could drop to between $289 million and $421 million.

Bill Mahoney is the new president of the South Carolina Research Authority.

Guin Robinson is the new director of the newly created Talladega office of the Alabama Technology Network.

Phillip Singerman resigned as executive director of the Maryland Technology Development Corp.. Renee Winsky will serve as interim executive director until a permanent replacement is named.

Georgia Tech announced that Dr. Jeffrey Skolnick will join its faculty this spring as the Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar in Computational Systems Biology.

The Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development appointed Benjamin Wu as the assistant secretary for the Capital Region and senior advisor for technology policy.

The Association of American Universities named Robert Berdahl as the association's new president.

The North Carolina Biotechnology Center selected John Chaffee and Randall Johnson as directors of the center's new eastern and southeastern regional offices.

The Association of American Universities named Robert Berdahl as the association's new president.

The North Carolina Biotechnology Center selected John Chaffee and Randall Johnson as directors of the center's new eastern and southeastern regional offices.

Virginia Gov.-elect Tim Kaine named Aneesh Chopra as his administration's secretary of technology.

South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds announced that Jim Hagen will resign as secretary of the Department of Tourism and State Development, effective Jan. 17.

David Hollister announced he will leave his position as director of the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth on Feb. 3, to head Prima Civitas, a newly formed nonprofit agency promoting economic development.

With a $50 million appropriation in FY 2000, the State of Michigan has made the first installment toward spending $1 billion over the next 20 years for life sciences research, development, and commercialization. The funding is derived from Michigan's tobacco settlement. Other public and private sources are expected to match much of the state's investment over the two decades.

While women are making strides in entrepreneurship, they still have a ways to go, particularly in science and technology (S&T) fields. This was the theme during the session, Encouraging Women Entrepreneurship, conducted during SSTI's 9th Annual Conference on Oct. 19-21, 2005.