U.S. House Overwhelmingly Passes Jobs ACT
The House of Representatives passed the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act by a vote of 390-23.
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U.S. Angel Investment More Diffuse than Venture Capital, According to Report
Though California remains the leading state for U.S. angel investment, 79 percent of angel deals and 70 percent of angel dollars were invested outside of the state in 2011, according to the first edition of the new Halo Report. The report, produced by the Angel Resource Institute, Silicon Valley Bank and CB Insights, also found that the median size of angel and angel group syndicate rounds increased by 40 percent between 2010 and 2011, from $500,000 to $700,000. Read the full report...
Report Assesses Innovation Capacity of 55 Countries
A new report assessing the innovation capacity of 55 countries ranks the U.S. in the highest tier possible for five of the seven core policy areas identified by the authors. The U.S. rankings fall slightly in the areas of science and R&D policies and high-skill immigration. Only Canada and Singapore placed in the upper tier on all seven indicators.
GAO Report Catalogues Renewable Energy Initiatives
To help target federal spending activities that will most effectively meet national renewable energy needs and identify duplicative programs, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a detailed inventory of all federal renewable energy initiatives implemented by 23 departments and independent agencies in 2010. An accompanying report also examines the federal roles supported by agencies' renewable energy initiatives, including R&D and commercialization and deployment.
Export-Supported Jobs Increased by Almost Six Percent in 2010, Brookings Report Finds
The U.S. economy rapidly has been becoming more export intensive over the last couple of years, according to a new report from the Brookings Institute — Export Nation 2012: How U.S. Metropolitan Areas Are Driving National Growth. According to the report, U.S.
SSTI's 16th Annual Conference Set for October 29-30, 2012
Save the date!
Hosted by the Georgia Research Alliance and the Georgia Institute of Technology, SSTI's 16th Annual Conference will be held at the Georgia Tech Hotel & Conference Center in Atlanta, Georgia on October 29-30, 2012.
Atlanta provides an excellent backdrop for SSTI's 16th Annual Conference. Georgia has a vibrant technology community that is using innovative approaches to bring together state and local partnerships to positively impact the economy.
The Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center is offering SSTI conference participants the exceptional room rate of $159 plus tax.
U.S. Manufacturing Suffered Its Worse Decade Since the Great Depression, According to ITIF Report
"In the 2000s, U.S. manufacturing suffered its worst performance in American history in terms of jobs. Not only did America lose 5.7 million manufacturing jobs, but the decline as a share of total manufacturing jobs (33 percent) exceeded the rate of loss in the Great Depression," according to a new report from the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF). In Worse Than the Great Depression: What the Experts Are Missing About American Manufacturing Decline, ITIF contends that there is a fundamental flaw in the conventional wisdom regarding U.S. manufacturing job loss.
Tech Talkin' Govs, Part III
The third installment of SSTI’s Tech Talkin’ Govs’ series includes excerpts from speeches delivered in Delaware, Maine, Missouri, New Hampshire, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah and Wisconsin. The first and second installments are available in the Jan 13 Digest and Jan. 20 Digest, respectively.
$101M NYSTAR Increase Among Gov’s Proposals
The New York State Foundation for Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR), the state’s lead tech-based economic development agency, would see a significant boost in funding under a proposal unveiled by Gov. David Paterson to distribute $100 million in new Innovation Economy Matching Grants.
Minnesota S&T Leaders Blast State’s Long Hiatus from TBED
“Minnesota faces a crisis of competitiveness.” It didn’t take Minnesota’s leaders long to recognize the state’s precipitous fall in the standings for many major indicators over the past two decades paralleled the state’s prolonged diinvestment from a proactive TBED strategy.
U.S. Venture Investment Falls to Lowest Level in a Decade
Last year venture investment decreased to its lowest level since 1997, according to the latest Moneytree Report from PricewaterhouseCoopers and the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA). A weak environment for exits and increasing caution on the part of investors contributed to a 37 percent decrease in investment dollars and a 30 percent decline in venture deals from 2008 levels. This marks the second consecutive year of declining venture dollars and deals.
EDA Chief Confirmed for SSTI Conference
SSTI is pleased to announce that John Fernandez, Assistant Secretary for Economic Development at the U.S. Department of Commerce, will participate in a plenary session on the changing role of the federal government in TBED at this year's Annual Conference. SSTI's Annual Conference is the only economic development conference this fall with the senior leaders of the Economic Development Administration (EDA), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) speaking.
NGA Seeks State Teams for Policy Academy
The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices invites applications from U.S. states to participate in a Policy Academy on "Making" our Future: Encouraging Growth Opportunities in Manufacturing through Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Investment to Assist States in Developing and Implementing Economic Development Strategies aimed at spurring innovation and entrepreneurship in ways that encourage the growth of advanced manufacturing industries.
Canada, the European Union and India Commit to Building the Next Economy
Even through the enduring global economic downturn, nations across the world have targeted technology-based economic development initiatives to build their respective country's science and technology (S&T) sectors. The governments contend that building their respective country's Next Economy is necessary to compete in a globalizing world and increase quality of living for their citizens. Canada, India and the European Union have announced initiatives that could help grow their respective countries S&T sectors.
Tech Talkin' Govs, Part II
The second installment of SSTI’s Tech Talkin’ Govs’ series includes excerpts from speeches delivered in Colorado, Virginia and West Virginia. Our first installment was in the Jan 13 Digest.
Governor’s Budget Includes $5.9M for KTEC
Gov. Mark Parkinson last week unveiled his FY11 budget proposal, which includes $5.9 million from the Economic Development Initiatives Fund (EDIF) for the Kansas Technology Enterprise Corporation (KTEC), down $1.8 million from the FY10 governor’s estimate of $7.75 million. Many of the governor’s budget recommendations, including funding for KTEC and university research initiatives, may hinge on a tax increase proposal, however.
Commerce Taking Up Need to Commercialize More Federal R&D
Describing the nation’s innovation system as broken, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke yesterday said the Department of Commerce will be “working hard to find solutions” that move more federally funded R&D into the commercial market.
“Even in areas where we are allocating enough funding for R&D, we’re not doing a good enough job getting these ideas into the marketplace, particularly through entrepreneurs.
University-based Research Initiatives Slated for Reduction in Georgia Budget
Gov. Sonny Perdue last week outlined an $18.2 billion budget for FY11 that reduces spending across several state agencies, including a $9.6 million reduction for R&D activities through the Research Consortium. The governor’s budget also would eliminate two science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs within the Department of Education.
Florida 5-Year Plan Advocates STEM, Clusters & Tech Commercialization
Enterprise Florida released its latest five-year strategic plan for the state, calling for increased investment in STEM education, university research, commercialization assistance and early-stage capital access programs. Florida must diversify its economy and strengthen its high-tech industries in order to reduce the state’s reliance on population-based growth, according to the report. Enterprise Florida also endorses a cluster-based strategy to promote high-tech industries based on their relative levels of development in the state.
Useful Stats: “Eroding Dominance” Theme of S&E Indicators 2010
Current trends presented in the 2010 edition of the National Science Board’s biennial Science & Engineering Indicators suggest as early as the 2012 edition, the U.S. will no longer leads the world for a key indicator: total R&D expenditures – unless corrective action is taken.
Obama Administration Announces $15 Million Rural Jobs and Accelerator Challenge
Thirteen federal agencies, led by the Economic Development Administration (EDA) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA), will provide up to $15 million in funding and other resources to assist in job creation and economic growth in rural areas. The Rural Jobs and Accelerator Challenge is intended to leverage local assets and foster connections to industry in up to 20 rural regions across the country.
Approximately $750,000 may be made available per award. Applications are required to provide matching funds and apply for funding from both the EDA and USDA.
International Patent Filings under the WIPO Set New Record in 2011
Over 181,900 international patents were filed in 2011, up 10.7 percent from 2010, according estimated data from the World International Patent Organization (WIPO). China, Japan and the U.S. accounted for 82% of the total growth, the highest since 2005. Estimated data was collected from the WIPO-administered Patent Cooperation Treat (PCT) system.
FedDev Ontario Investment Connecting STEM Grads with Businesses
A contribution of $4.2 million CAN ($4.2 million USD) by FedDev Ontario will be used to place 320 recent graduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields with businesses in a competitive six-month internship and mentorship program. The idea is to provide graduates with real world opportunities to develop business skills and experience. The grads will be matched with small- and medium-sized enterprises in southern Ontario. Read the press release
IT-Intensive Firms Likely to Create More Jobs, Report Finds
Discovering the ideal conditions for entrepreneurs to succeed is a topic widely researched in today's economy. Most researchers will agree that having access to capital, a culture conducive for risk, and skilled workers are key components. A new report from the Technology CEO Council (TCC) adds that powerful and affordable new technologies, and companies that harness them, are at a greater advantage than ever before when it comes to driving job creation.
The report points to new research from Catherine L.
OMB Releases RFI on Reforms to Federal Policies Relating to Grant Applications
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released a request for information (RFI) on the Reform of Federal Policies Relating to Grants and Cooperative Agreements. OMB intends to use these comments in its development of a whitepaper, to be published later this year, which may propose specific revisions to increase efficiency and effectiveness of federal grant programs by eliminating unnecessary and duplicative requirements.