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In an interview with Globes, an Israeli business magazine, former Pennsylvania governor Tom Ridge discussed the importance of innovation in the renewable energy industry and its role in the transition from "the industrial era to the green era." Ridge said, "Renewable energy isn't another discovery and research field, it must be an applied science that will lead to energy solutions to guarantee our lives in the near and distant future." During his time in the Governor's office, Gov.

Two recent papers shed light on the distribution and benefits of entrepreneurial capital. A CB Insights' report on the "human capital" of venture-backed Internet companies finds that vast majority of company founders are white. They also tend to be between 35 and 44 years old, male and have MBAs. The second report provides evidence that getting angel capital boosts a company's odds of survival, securing additional funding and faster growth. These benefits derive not only from the injection of capital, but also from the sustained guidance and supervision provided by angel groups.

Specialized and high-tech incubators provide crucial services and resources to promote and enhance Commercialization & Entrepreneurship, one of the six thematic tracks of this year's annual conference. Three sessions tied to this theme will be explored during SSTI's annual conference, focusing on direct lessons from successful and proven TBED programs, regional innovation clustering, and more. They include:

• Distributed, Non-University Models for Commercializing New Technologies

The Obama administration's vision for the future of innovation and economic growth includes a commitment to the green energy sector. At the SSTI Annual Conference, held September 14-16 in Pittsburgh, you will be able to talk with officials from federal agencies and other experts who will provide insight into the administration's vision and enable you to capitalize on the increasing federal opportunities.

The Department of Energy will be accepting applications for projects that manufacture commercial renewable energy systems and components (e.g., energy storage systems, wind turbine systems, blades or solar photovoltaic components) through a new $750 million loan guarantee program. Energy Secretary Steven Chu believes the Commercial Technology Manufacturing Systems and Components solicitation will help to increase employment in the green manufacturing sector and keep U.S. green manufactures competitive in the global market.

Nancy L. Zimpher, the Chancellor of the State University of New York (SUNY), believes that SUNY campuses statewide can become "the engine of New York's economic revitalization."Chancellor Zimpher's vision of economic development fueled by higher education is supported by a recent report from the Rockefeller institute of Government. The report describes a new paradigm of economic development in which university-driven economic development will replace the traditional mix of business attraction and retention incentives.

"Tapping the Technology Innovation Program and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership"
On September 14th from 9:00 A.M.-12:00 P.M., SSTI is co-hosting a regional meeting with officials from the Technology Innovation Program (TIP) and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) that we encourage you or one of your colleagues to attend. TIP and MEP are two of the most market-driven programs offered by the federal government. The meeting will give you a chance to learn directly from officials with the two programs about:

SSTI's popular plenary format with instant audience polling allows you to take part in the most pressing issues facing the TBED community by providing input, asking questions, and contributing data from your state or region. Through a request for information on commercializing university technology and a series of regional meetings, Obama administration officials have been seeking input on what universities' economic development roles have been, haven't been, should be, and what the federal government should do about it.

Years of double digit growth in broadband adoption have come to a halt, according to a report from the Pew Internet and American Life Project. Two-thirds of Americans currently use a high-speed Internet connection at home, about the same as in 2009. Among African-Americans, however, usage continued to surge, jumping from 46 percent in 2009 to 56 percent in 2010. A majority of respondents said that increasing broadband adoption should not be a priority of the federal government.

Want to participate in a new concept in innovation clusters? The Southern Advanced Materials in Transportation Alliance (SAMTA) is a regional innovation cluster that promotes the research, commercialization, and production of new and specialized materials important to the automotive and aerospace industries. Although traditional clusters are based on geographic concentration, SAMTA will use telecommunications networks to minimize geographic distance and facilitate the industry network. The Economic Development Administration has provided seed funding for this project.

A research consortium led by Pennsylvania State University will receive up to $122 million over the next five years to develop an Energy Innovation Hub focused on developing technologies for making buildings more energy efficient. The team will pursue a research, development and demonstration program targeting technologies for single buildings and district-wide systems, according to a news release. This is the third innovation hub announced by DOE this year to receive FY10 funding.

Nearly 90 percent of government funds available for transition assistance in the Space Coast region would be used for a fast-track competitive grant process through the Economic Development Administration (EDA), according to recommendations from a task force convened by President Barack Obama. Under the plan, $35 million in grants would be awarded to the most promising job creation and economic development programs aimed at creating a strong economic base in the region as the Space Shuttle program winds down.

Establishing manufacturing centers to provide resources for small biotech companies to bring products to market and creating teams at the National Institutes of Health to identify promising research are among a list of recommendations resulting from a comprehensive review of the federal government's system to produce medical countermeasures against bioterrorism threats.

"Strong Manufacturing and patent producing metropolitan areas generate the highest shares of exports from their output," according to a recent Brookings report. Researchers at the Brookings Institute found that the top exporting U.S. metros also were significantly more innovative. In this study, innovation was defined by the rate of patent production. Metros with regional clusters also were more likely to export than those without strong regional clusters. The report recommends that U.S.

As the world's economies rebound, governments are investing heavily in innovation and research infrastructure. Australia and Ireland, for example, will fund significant investment in national innovation strategies. Australia will commit $1.1 billion to develop national clusters in targeted sectors, and Ireland will attempt to become the "innovation hub" of Europe.

Australia
Under the Super Science Initiative, Australia's government will provide approximately $1.1 billion for three targeted research areas:

U.S. graduate enrollment in science and engineering (S&E) increased by 3.3 percent in 2007 over comparable data from the previous year, according to the latest data from the National Science Foundation (NSF). This marks the largest increase since 2002 and follows several years of stagnant enrollment numbers. Female enrollment grew by 3.4 percent, slightly more than the 3.2 percent growth for men. Growth in Asian, Black, Hispanic, American Indian and "other"/multiracial enrollment outpaced growth among whites.

Ray Gilley resigned as chief executive of the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission after nine years on the job. Gilley was responsible for helping lure the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute to Central Florida.

Peter Ginsberg joined the North Carolina Biotechnology Center as vice president of Business & Technology Development.

Lawmakers called into special session on Friday approved a $75 million incentive package for a Texas-based energy company to build five biofuel facilities in the state expected to generate 1,000 new jobs through a total $500 million investment. The package approved by lawmakers also includes $4 million for a workforce training fund through the state's institutions of higher education and up to $2 million for biomass research at Alcorn State University and Mississippi State University.

By 2035, nearly 40% of all new energy capacity will come from renewable energies according to a report from the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). However, one resource or technology will not meet the energy needs of the future. It is necessary to develop a comprehensive plan that includes a combination of many technologies and resources. This plan may include energy efficiency, natural gas, cleaner coal technologies, nuclear energy, smart grid technologies and renewable energy.

SSTI is proud to premier a new type of event at our 14th Annual Conference. The Power Roundtable is equal parts best tips of the trade, informational interviews, and speed dating. We'll start with nationally recognized experts in six critical areas for TBED providing a rapid-fire roundtable of their top four insider tips for success — so you are guaranteed to leave with two dozen of the most important lessons for better TBED practices.

The "New Realities" will have a dramatic effect on the future of metros and the metro's effect on U.S. economic growth and prosperity, according to a recent Brookings Institute study. Metropolitan areas have changed from their traditional groupings (e.g., Sun Belt vs. Rust Belt and Southwest vs. North East) into a new demographic seven-category typology of metropolitan cities. Metros that have diversified successfully were among the "demographic winners" of the 2000s. However, metros still face similar issues regarding an educated and skilled workforce.

It is often taken for granted that small businesses are the primary vehicle of employment growth in the private sector. While this is debated, academics have struggled to demonstrate a strong inverse relationship between firm size and job creation. A recent paper by John Haltiwanger of the University of Maryland and Ron S. Jarmin and Javier Miranda of the U.S. Census Bureau shows that once the data is adjusted to account for firm age, there appears to be no systematic relationship between firm size and growth.

Kevin Carr was named CEO of Kansas Technology Enterprise Corp., after serving as interim leader since June 2009. KTEC is a public-private partnership charged with promoting tech-based economic development throughout the state.

SSTI's 14th Annual Conference agenda features some of the most relevant topics designed to help your efforts to support regional innovation, and this year we're going straight to the top to find out what federal officials, governors, and state policymakers envision on the road ahead for tech-based economic development. Brian McGowan, a senior Economic Development Administration official, will kick off the conference on Tuesday, Sept.

Pressure on state budgets is at a historic high, and, ultimately, it's going to be state legislators that will make the decisions on how limited resources are allocated. The Road Ahead: The View from Legislators will provide you the opportunity to get a candid assessment from two legislators on what is needed to build support for tech-based economic development in this tough environment and what they see as the road ahead.