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With preparations for SSTI's 7th Annual Conference on October 20-22 well underway, we have received many questions from local, regional and state organizations wanting to host the premier event for the tech-based economic development profession in 2004. Because of the increased interest, SSTI has bumped up its schedule for selecting the 2004 site. We are accepting nominations of host organizations and locations for SSTI's 8th Annual Conference until July 11, 2003.

SSTI is declaring its independence from publishing an issue of the SSTI Weekly Digest on July 4. The Digest will resume on July 11.

Upon ruling in favor of a $50 million bonds issue last month, the Oklahoma Supreme Court cleared the way for an endowed chairs program at colleges and universities throughout the state .

In the Dec. 19, 2005 issue of the SSTI Weekly Digest, an editor's note highlighted the mega-investments several states are making to establish themselves as significant players in key research areas.

Increased funding for research centers, a laptop program, and investments in higher education were highlighted in South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds' fiscal year 2007 budget address last month.

Last month, voters in Arkansas narrowly rejected a major bond proposal targeting technology and capital upgrades in higher education and actively supported by Gov. Mike Huckabee, leaving many to wonder what went wrong.

It is no coincidence that every article in this issue of the SSTI Weekly Digest touched on some aspect of higher education's role in promoting economic growth. Knowledge-based economies driven by innovation require strong and successful institutions of higher learning. Those same types of economies, particularly when applied on a global scale, present unique challenges to sustaining educational and research excellence with academia based on older models of financing and leadership.

With the state's current fiscal year winding down and a $1 billion deficit looming for the next one, Ohio has re-emphasized its commitment to building a stronger economic future through research and technology with a series of multi-million grant announcement over the past three weeks.

The Washington Technology Center (WTC) has created a new program that will make obtaining access to early-stage seed capital easier for companies outside the Puget Sound. WTC is Washington's statewide science and technology organization.

For Texas, the appropriate role for the state to serve in fostering economic development continues to evolve. With the passage of Senate Bill 275 earlier this month, the third organization in seven years will take the lead to encourage economic growth — this time with a strong focus on clusters and technology-based economic development.

Citing inadequate information available to those who oversee technology incubators, yet emphasizing the incubators' significant and measurable impact on communities, the U.S. Department of Commerce's Technology Administration has released a study that highlights 17 of the nation's top incubators. A National Benchmarking Analysis of Technology Business Incubator Performance and Practices details the role business incubators have in technology development strategies.

"The Federal Government has primary responsibility to lead the Nation in developing and implementing a coordinated, effective response to our long-term needs for science and engineering skills in the U.S. workforce in ways unlikely to be addressed by market mechanisms or interventions at the state and local levels," concludes the National Science Board (NSB) in the draft final report of its Task Force on National Workforce Policies for Science and Engineering.

The National Science Foundation has released Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering: Fall 2001, a collection of 54 statistical tables present the distribution of graduate students in science and engineering (S&E) across population segments, fields of science or engineering and by college and state. Overall long-term trends for S&E graduate students from 1975 to 2001 and short-term trends from 1994 to 2001 by detailed fields are presented.

The Fourth of July might just be a paid holiday for New Jersey's tech-based economic development agency after all. Since Governor James McGreevey released his FY 2004 budget request six months ago, the New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology has been living under a June 30 death sentence. Facing a deficit forecast in excess of $4 billion, the governor had called for the elimination of the $15 million program.

One of the greatest challenges for university technology transfer offices (TTOs) trying to maximize commercialization of university technologies is convincing faculty researchers to disclose their inventions, according to a new working paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research.

Kenneth Alfred will become the first executive director for the new Ohio Fuel Cell Coalition.

Diane Duff is the new director for the National Governors' Association economic development and commerce committee. Duff formerly was executive director of the Alliance for Rail Competition.

Kenneth Alfred will become the first executive director for the new Ohio Fuel Cell Coalition.

Diane Duff is the new director for the National Governors' Association economic development and commerce committee. Duff formerly was executive director of the Alliance for Rail Competition.

Robin Schabes, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley's special assistant for technology, has announced her resignation. Schabes staffed the Mayor's Council on Technology Advisors.

Mass Ecomm has changed its name to the New England Business & Technology Association to better reflect its regional nature and broader mission.

The Arlington Technology Incubator (Texas) has selected Geoffrey Grant to serve as the new director beginning July 1.

The Charleston Gazette reports Ron Hatfield, director of jobs development for the West Virginia University Institute of Technology's Technology Research and Development Corp., will also serve as the new executive director of the Upper Kanawha Economic Development Corp.

Joseph James has announced his resignation as head of the Prince George's Economic Development Corporation (Maryland).

The new executive director of the Virginia Piedmont Technology Council is Gail Milligan.

Tucked in the fine print of Illinois' budget bills was language to merge seven financing agencies, according to the June 11 edition of The Bond Buyer. Among the agencies included in the merger are the Illinois Development Finance Authority, the Illinois Research Park Authority (inactive), the Illinois Community Development Authority and the Illinois Rural Bond Bank.