Incubators provide an integral and flexible component of many communities' tech-based economic development efforts. When successful, business incubators can provide a focal point for encouraging entrepreneurship in even the smallest cities and metropolitan areas. Ample evidence is presented in the latest survey of incubators supported through the multifaceted $35 million Entrepreneurship Initiative of the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC).
For the second year in a row, the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO) was the most active source of early-stage or angel capital, according to the July issue of Entrepreneur magazine.
In signing the state budget last Thursday, Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle approved spending $5 million for two new programs supporting agricultural and forestry bio-based industrial development. Bio-based industries convert the carbohydrates in plants into fuels, polymers, fabrics, and other chemicals.
As a precursor to a report expected next month from the President's Commission on Tax Reform, the National League of Cities (NLC) recently issued its findings from a survey citing disapproval of how state and federal tax issues are being handled by the Administration, Congress, and state governors and legislatures. NLC outlined recommendations and called on the federal government to convene a national economic summit to address the issues.
Can patent insurance protect innovations from predators? Yes, particularly if innovators insure their innovation before rivals enter the market, according to Financing and the Protection of Innovators, a discussion paper by Gerard Llobet and Javier Suarez from the Centre for Economic Policy Research.
Employing more than two million workers in 2001 with an annual average wage of $47,700, the U.S. civil and commercial aerospace and aviation industry has a major economic and employment impact at the national, state and local levels in all 50 states, according to a report by the Commission on the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Industry. The industry also is a substantial force in civil, military, and space manufacturing and operations in nearly half of the nation's states, the report stated.
Note: With this issue, the SSTI Weekly Digest is launching a new occasional "Programs with Results" series — articles profiling a variety of technology-based economic development programs that have been around many years and are yielding positive results. Our goal is to help answer the question "What Appears to Work?" with models that potentially could be duplicated in other states, regions or communities.
Many states have made substantial strides in preparing students for college-level education, but widespread gains in the proportion of Americans going to college have not been made, according to Measuring Up 2002, a report released by the independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education. The report finds that overall college opportunity in America also is at a standstill, remaining unevenly and unfairly distributed.
The federal laboratories and research facilities associated with nine federal agencies can serve as a treasure chest of technologies for commercialization, according to Intellectual Property: Federal Agency Efforts in Transferring and Reporting New Technology (GAO-03-47). The recent report by the General Accounting Office (GAO) discloses that in fiscal year 2001, nine federal agencies created 3,676 new inventions, issued 1,585 patents and received $74.5 million in licensing revenues.
In an era of tight public budgets, sources of seed funding for early stage and developmental research projects with potential for commercialization is getting harder to come by. Many state initiatives to support these endeavors are subject to the same budget cuts as other areas, and small firms' interests in the federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program are increasing pressure for these already competitive grants.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has announced it intends to have almost $200,000 in fiscal year 2003 funds for new awards under the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM) Program. Nominations to honor individuals and institutions are invited for the 2003 competition of these annual awards.
Each year, the U.S. Department of Transportation's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program is one of the most competitive for companies seeking federal research funding. The FY 2002 Phase I solicitation proved to be no different as the agency made only 12 award recommendations from the pool of 202 proposals submitted — an award percentage of only 5.94 percent.
Bill Richardson, Governor-elect of New Mexico, has named Rick Homans as secretary of the state's Economic Development Department.
Fritz Bittenbender will become president of the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Association in December.
Bill Richardson, Governor-elect of New Mexico, has named Rick Homans as secretary of the state's Economic Development Department.
Fritz Bittenbender will become president of the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Association in December.
The New Hampshire High Technology Council has announced Paul Houle is the new president and chief executive officer and Mary Collins will serve as executive vice president and chief operating officer.
Gary Mahn, director of the Idaho Department of Commerce, has announced he will resign from the position at the end of the year.
Pam McDonough, director of the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs for the past four years, has been appointed to the Illinois Labor Relations Board by outgoing Governor George Ryan. Joseph Hannon will serve as the department's director for the remainder of Ryan's term, which ends in January.
Carla Patterson is the new director of the Nebraska Manufacturing Extension Partnership.
Cian Robinson, executive director of Infotech Niagara, has left the position to consult privately.
Carolyn Stark is the new director of the Austin Technology Council, filling the position vacated by Paul Toprac.
Lara L. Vande Walle is the new president of the Washington DC Technology Council (DC Tech).
While the 2002 election marked the return of Republican control of the U.S. Senate and the departure of a number of governors that had been strong supporters of investing in science and technology (e.g., John Engler of Michigan, Angus King of Maine, and Roy Barnes of Georgia), it may also mark the beginning point of a new group of governors that embrace technology-based economic development as a focal point of their administrations.
Some of the 200-plus ballot measures decided in the 2002 General Election held Tuesday were dedicated to promoting tech-based economic development (TBED). The results were generally mixed, however. Promoters of Michigan's Life Sciences Corridor were pleased with the failure of an initiative that would have dictated the allocation of the state's tobacco settlement funds, including a smaller amount than the state is currently spending on life sciences research.
Biotechnology has enormous potential for North Carolina's future, but the state's economic development strategy must be broader than any single industry and must include growth-from-within strategies, concludes a report published by the Institute for Emerging Issues at North Carolina State University.