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Speaking to a joint session of the House and Senate, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich recently presented his first budget, one that addresses a $5 billion budget crisis.

The FY 2004 budget passed by the Georgia Senate last week eliminates all $32 million the House approved for the OneGeorgia Authority, the state's loan and grant program targeting rural tech-based and traditional economic development. Created in 2000, the OneGeorgia Authority was anticipated to spend $1.6 billion over 25 years (one-third of the state's tobacco settlement funds) to assist the state's most economically challenged areas based on unemployment and poverty rates.

The Pittsburgh Technology Council recently issued its annual State of the Industry Report, which reveals that in spite of an extended national recession that began in 2000, the region’s technology industries have held their own, at least through the mid-point of the current economic downturn. The report covers the 13-county southwestern Pennsylvania region and presents industry statistics for 2001, the last year for which complete data is available from government and other sources.

A Blueprint for Prosperity and Jobs, a comprehensive strategic plan to foster and sustain job growth, business success and community vitality in Missouri, has been released by the Missouri Department of Economic Development. The product of two years of research, the plan addresses Missouri's need to focus its resources on building a knowledge-based economy, with emphasis on businesses that generate key technologies and have tremendous growth potential.

Layoffs are an expected, yet difficult, aspect of the U.S. economy as companies shift employment needs to reflect changes in demand, technology, competition and trade. During a down economy, the number of workers facing layoffs can be particularly difficult for a region to reabsorb. Research has shown that experienced workers with long tenures in a particular job or sector endure substantial long-term earning losses once they find new work.

Academic R&D expenditures grew 8.9 percent in 2001, according to the National Science Foundation's FY 2001 survey of research and development expenditures at universities and colleges. Reported in Academic Research and Development Expenditures: Fiscal Year 2001, the survey finds 609 institutions of higher education in the U.S. collectively spent $32.732 billion in FY 2001. The figure for FY 2000 was $30.042 billion.

NorTech is interested in hiring an Associate Director who will be responsible for all activities associated with one or more initiatives and ongoing high level support for the initiatives. The mission of NorTech is to ensure economic growth and leadership in Northeast Ohio by promoting entrepreneurially based globally competitive technology development and commercialization.

For the second time in three years, the Lilly Endowment is demonstrating its strong commitment to Indiana University's role in life sciences education and research by awarding $50 million to advance the Indiana Genomics Initiative (INGEN).

Convincing politicians to make a multi-year investment in a state's economic future is challenging, particularly when commitments made in one budget cycle or administration can be forgotten or ignored so easily in the next legislative session. The FY 2003-04 funding struggle for Michigan's $50 million-per-year-for-20-years life science initiative provides ample evidence: $50 million dropped to $45 million and eroded to $32.5 million because of budget problems.

Increased funding for equity investments and a new university-industry R&D partnership program are among the pieces of legislation New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson signed this week, greatly expanding New Mexico's portfolio of programs to grow a tech-based economy. Most of the initiatives were included in the economic development agenda Gov. Richardson outlined during his first State of the State address in January. They are:

In response to state and regional requests for assistance in identifying factors that influence regional innovation and competitiveness, the U.S. Department of Commerce's Office of Technology Policy (OTP) released this week an annual report measuring science and technology indicators in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

The Mississippi Technology Alliance has released a second annual index focusing on the process of innovation, the links between innovation and technology-based economic development, and activities that government, academia and the private sector provide to support innovation and economic development.

More than 1,000 economic development professionals, business and government leaders, nonprofit organization representatives and university officials from across the U.S. will come together when the Economic Development Administration (EDA) holds its national conference on May 6-9, 2003.

The South Carolina Women's Business Center has opened its doors and already has 30 customers, the South Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (SCMEP) recently announced. Headquartered in Columbia, S.C., the Women's Business Center will focus on serving only manufacturing facilities in 2003 but will add services to other types of businesses in 2004.

Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty recently announced the formation of a Biodiesel Task Force to accelerate development of the state's biodiesel industry. The nine-member group will advise the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) on methods to increase production and use of biodiesel in Minnesota.

NorTech – an organization whose mission is to ensure economic growth and leadership in Northeast Ohio by promoting entrepreneurially based globally competitive technology development and commercialization – seeks to hire an Associate Director who will be responsible for all activities associated with one or more initiatives and ongoing high level support for the initiatives.

The Sacramento Area Regional Technology Alliance announced this week that Clare Emerson will replace Lewis Attardo as executive director.

The Sacramento Area Regional Technology Alliance announced this week that Clare Emerson will replace Lewis Attardo as executive director.

U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta has named Samuel G. Bonasso as Acting Administrator of the Research and Special Programs Administration following the departure of former Administrator Ellen G. Engleman, who left to become Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board.

South Dakota Governor Mike Rounds announced Friday that John Calvin has been named Secretary for the Department of Tourism and State Development. The newly formed department combines the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, Department of Tourism, Office of Tribal Relations, Division of Cultural Affairs, and the South Dakota Housing Development Authority.

Bill Duncan is the first president of the Kansas City Area Life Sciences Institute, which held its inaugural event at the end of March.

Christopher Foster has been named technology coordinator for the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development.

John Murray has been named executive director of the Maryland Economic Development Commission.

William Rosenberg has resigned from his position as CEO of the Michigan Broadband Authority. which approved its first loan at the end of March for wireless broadband service in several small towns.

William Seelbach has been named Interim President of the Ohio Aerospace Institute.