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Digest readers may have noticed in our headlines over the past few months that state efforts to improve their economic standing through science and technology are undergoing a tremendous period of growth and expansion. While state S&T programs have been in existence since the 1950s, most activity occurred in the early 1980s and early 1990s during severe economic downturns. The activity of the last 15 months rivals that of the early 1980s and will in all likelihood ultimately surpass it.

NASA and the Department of the Navy each have published lists of two inventions and one invention, respectively, that are owned by the federal government and are available for licensing. Foreign patent applications are filed on selected inventions to extend market coverage for companies and may also be available for licensing.

Citing the need to attract knowledge- and technology-based businesses to the state, Louisiana Governor Mike Foster has proposed converting the state’s Department of Economic Development (DED) into Louisiana, Inc., a private, state-chartered, not-for-profit corporation.

Commerce Secretary William Daley announced this week that Gary Bachula, Deputy Under Secretary for Technology, will be leaving his post April 7 to move to the private sector. Throughout Bachula’s tenure with the Clinton Administration, he has served as a the leading advocate for efforts to build stronger partnerships between federal R&D agencies and state technology programs.

In his recent State of the State address, Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson called for the establishment of a new High Tech Corporation to assist in the development of companies for the New Economy. Toward that end, a bill has been introduced in both houses of the Wisconsin Legislature to establish the corporation.

This past winter, the National Science Foundation (NSF) released most of the statistical tables compiled from the 1998 surveys of federal, academic and industrial research and development expenditures. Also included are early release tables presenting federal support for science and engineering to universities, colleges and nonprofit institutions.

At its winter meeting last week, the National Governors' Association (NGA) launched a new initiative to explore how states can meet the challenges of governing in the New Economy. During the next six months, NGA's Center for Best Practices will release a series of papers that focus on seven different aspects of the New Economy.

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The State of Maine’s Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) Committee seeks a Statewide EPSCoR Director to coordinate and facilitate the activities of the State’s EPSCoR Steering Committee, called the Research Capacity Committee (RCC). A three-person management team consisting of the Chancellor of the University of Maine System (UMS), the President of the Maine Science and Technology Foundation (MSTF), and the Chair of the RCC appoint the Director and oversee the Director’s activities.

SSTI has added two new features to our web site to make your visits easier. Both are free services from Mind-It.com. First, a site search engine has been added to our home page http://www.ssti.org allowing quicker browsing and researching.

Earlier this month, Governor Ben Cayetano released The New Millenium Growth Strategy for Hawaii's Economy, an economic development plan to improve the state's performance in a knowledge-based economy. The 90-page report, penned by the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, includes several new initiatives for developing and growing technology businesses as well as strengthening existing economic development efforts.

Efforts to transform rural Berkshire County, Massachusetts from an area of economic decline into an equal player for the New Economy through improved telecommunications access are bearing fruit. Berkshire Connect, a consortium of business, cultural, academic, and community leaders has successfully negotiated an agreement with Global Crossing, Ltd. and Equal Access Networks to provide low-cost, equal access telecommunications throughout the region.

The Army Medical Research and Materiel Command has recently posted in the Commerce Business Daily the following solicitations for research proposals:

Cliff Numark has been named CEO for the San Diego Regional Technology Alliance, filling the position vacated by Joe Raguso when he became Deputy Secretary in the California Department of Trade and Commerce.