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The recently-passed CHIPS and Science Act included $54.2 billion in appropriations, largely for semiconductor manufacturing incentives ($39 billion) and R&D ($11 billion). The administration is releasing information about its planned distribution of funds. Recent resources include: a strategic plan from the U.S. Department of Commerce, the agency administering the bulk of the funding; a research recommendations report from the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST); and, a new CHIPS.gov website from Commerce.

A “fire breathing economic development initiative” is unfolding at Kansas State University, and if it succeeds, it could add 3,000 jobs and $3 billion in new, outside investment to the state in the next 10 years.

The New Mexico Economic Development Department released a new strategic plan that identifies core challenges to the state and a multi-part approach to the future. The six challenges include talent attraction, misalignment between higher education and industry, public sector “dominance” of innovation, and concentration in a few industries. The plan includes recommendations related to the state’s innovation economy: develop state-sponsored investment funds to match investments in target industries; help academic researchers to advance new technologies; establish persistent funding for incubators and accelerators; fund university-industry research partnerships; and, develop a mentorship network across entrepreneurship support organizations in the state.

Whether or not your state embraced strict measures in an attempt to reduce virus spread, the current pandemic has created the need for reflection and revision of how each of us go about our lives. The same opportunity has arisen for the public and private sectors to rethink how they engage in many core functions.  Civic leaders in Arkansas did just that and today released a strategic plan with recommendations to guide economic development in the new era.  Its central themes, including strong focus on innovation, entrepreneurship, and talent, could have broader applicability to other states as we move forward.

The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) is seeking public input to help identify critical opportunities and challenges facing Appalachia’s economic future through a series of virtual sessions taking place in April. ARC will use the insights gathered from these public sessions in the development of a strategic plan to inform investment priorities for fiscal years 2022-2026. Sessions are free, but pre-registration is required. ARC is also collecting input via a public survey available at arc.gov/EnvisionAppalachia.

Last week, U.S. Air Force secretary Heather Wilson released a new Science and Technology Strategy outlining three broad areas for realignment within the branch. The secretary’s emphasis on transformational partnerships should be particularly noteworthy for non-defense organization working with new technologies or STEM workforce. The strategy outlines three objectives: improving delivery of transformational capabilities, reforming S&T management, and likely to be of most interest to the tech-based economic development community, expanding the S&T enterprise with a particular focus on workforce and facilitating innovation partnerships.

Inclusive workforce development, downtown revitalization, and an influx of funds for venture capital are among the proposals in an economic development strategy unveiled by New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy earlier this week. In an effort to focus on bottom-up development rather than a package of tax incentive programs favoring big businesses, the strategy seeks to build the nation’s “most diverse and inclusive innovation economy.”

Industry-led “innovation hubs,” additional funds for risk capital, and a proactive talent strategy are among the recommendations included in Ohio BOLD: A Blueprint for Accelerating the Innovation Economy, a new strategic plan conducted by Columbus-based TEConomy Partners on behalf of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce Research Foundation. Developed as a way to inform a new gubernatorial administration of the Chamber’s priorities, the plan identifies opportunities around four platforms: next-gen manufacturing, future health, smart infrastructure, and data analytics.

The Government Accountability Office identified eight trends having strong effects on both the federal government and society as a whole, and those included in the science and tech section of the report are suggested to be critical to the country’s competitiveness. The trends are part of the larger 2018-2023 strategic plan for the office, whose mission is to ensure that Congress is aware and informed, and to help improve the performance and ensure the accountability of the federal government. The trends analysis outlines the current situation, key uncertainties and implications of each trend. In the area of science and technology, the GAO identified five emerging technologies that may transform society: genome editing; artificial intelligence and automation; quantum information science; brain/augmented reality; and cryptocurrencies and blockchain.

As artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to become an increasingly large contributor to future U.S. economic growth, policymakers must be thoughtful about the technology’s implications related to federal R&D strategy, societal benefits, and public policy, according to two recently released reports authored by the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Subcommittee on Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence. Preparing for the Future of Artificial Intelligence describes: how AI technology can help to advance social good and improve the way government operates; how regulations that affect AI technologies can be adapted to encourage innovation while simultaneously protecting the public interest; how to best ensure how AI applications can be fair, safe, and governable; and, the importance of developing a skilled workforce around AI technology. The report is accompanied by a National Artificial Intelligence Research and Development Strategic Plan, which outlines the government’s role in funding AI R&D.

When Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau released his administration’s proposed 2016 budget in late March, SSTI covered the significant funds it would allocate for science, research, and technology-based economic development, as well as the country’s plan for a national innovation agenda. To guide this forthcoming agenda, the Canadian government recently announced six priority areas of action, as well as its intent to conduct a series of engagement efforts that collect additional insight from the public. Central to their plan is the launch of a fully interactive website that will provide Canadians with the ability to offer their own views on how Canada can best support innovation and to vote on ideas that others presented.