As part of SSTI's 11th Annual Conference, recipients of the first annual SSTI Excellence in TBED Awards were honored for their participation in a national competition showcasing best practices in approaches to building tech-based economies.

 

Designed to celebrate exceptional achievement in addressing the elements that have been found in successful technology-based economies, the awards program recognizes efforts to improve state and regional economies through science, technology and innovation.

In an effort to streamline economic development strategies and market the state as a globally competitive place to pursue new business ventures, Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano recently announced the creation of a new model for economic development last month.

 

Listen or read the business news media and the dreaded “R” word, recession, is back in common parlance. State revenue cycles seem to feel it first. Already, with more than a dozen states projecting budget deficits for both current and coming fiscal years, it seems certain: Spending cuts in programs and services and/or tax increases are imminent. The nationwide housing market slump, the rising cost of energy and health care, and increased state spending are cited as a just a few of the reasons for shortfalls in state budgets.

Increasing federal funding for life science research is one of the most significant ingredients for improving a state’s position in building a strong biotech and biomedical sector. As appropriations for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) were increasing annually – as they did in the last half of the 1990s and the first few years of this decade – this was not a zero-sum game. All states could win.

 

Arizona must begin viewing medical and educational institutions as a major economic driver of the state economy in order to become a leader in the biosciences industry, according to a new report from the Arizona Board of Regents.

Two Southern Arizona tech councils, theInformation Technology Association of Southern Arizona and the Southern Arizona Industry and Aerospace Alliance, decided to merge to have the combined financial resources for a full-time executive director, according to the March 23 edition of the Tucson Citizen.

Dyan Brasington, former president of the Technology Council of Maryland, is the new director of economic and workforce development at Towson University.

Greater Baltimore Technology Council executive director Penny Lewandowski is leaving at the end of May to join the Edward Lowe Foundation in Detroit. Assistant director Steve Kovak has been named her successor.

Arizona State University professor James Collins is the new assistant director for biological sciences at the National Science Foundation.

For the second year in a row, the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO) was the most active source of early-stage or angel capital, according to the July issue of Entrepreneur magazine.

The Southern Arizona Tech Council announced it will merge its programs into the recently created Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities Inc., an integration expected to be mostly completed by June 30, 2006.

President and CEO of the Arizona Technology Council, Todd Bankofier, is resigning his position on Aug. 26 to become vice president and general manager for Ensynch Inc., a Tempe-based information technology services and solutions consulting company.

Last week, Kevin Carr, the director of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, announced that he would be leaving his position and NIST effective June 30. Kevin has led the program since 1994, and under his leadership, MEP became the exemplary federal program for working in partnership with the states.

MdBio, Inc., a nonprofit organization servicing Maryland's bioscience industry, announced it will be renamed the MdBio Foundation under restructuring and expansion efforts. The 501(c)3 organization will be overseen by a new 501(c)6 nonprofit membership trade association, MdBio, Inc.

Elyse Golob is the new director of the University of Arizona Office of Economic and Policy Analysis. Beginning July 1, Leslie Tolbert will be the university's vice president for research, graduate studies and economic development, replacing Richard Powell upon his June 30 retirement.

President Bush has nominated Dr. William Jeffrey as director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The nomination is subject to Senate confirmation.

Arizona's investment and technology communities are the anticipated winners from the state legislature's recent passage of a tax credit encouraging angel capital investments in start-up Arizona tech firms.

Chris Marschner is the new president of the Maryland Business Incubation Association (MBIA).

Publisher's Note Since 1999, SSTI has reviewed each of the governor's State of the States and inaugural and budget addresses for references involving tech-based economic development. Since 2001, we've provided relevant excerpts as part of the SSTI Weekly Digest. This year's coverage begins with this issue, and as you'll see, it's clear that innovation and workforce are playing a major role in this year's speeches.

Donna Kent is the new president and CEO of the Arizona Technology Council.