People & TBED Organizations
The Great Lakes Entrepreneur's Quest hired Diane Durance as its new executive director, succeeding Art DeMonte, now a full-time business consultant. Durance formerly was president of the Ann Arbor IT Zone.
People & TBED Organizations
William "Chip" Farmer was named interim director of the Greater Richmond Technology Council. Farmer replaces Robert Stolle, who left in December 2007 to join Core Consulting, a business and information technology consulting firm.
New ATP Solicitation Forthcoming
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) recently announced the Advanced Technology Program (ATP) will conduct a new competition in fiscal year 2007 for cost-shared awards to support high-risk industrial R&D.
People
Lisa Kuuttila is the first CEO of Michigan State University Technologies, a business organization to train MSU students in the commercialization of science and technology.
People
John Wasilisin was named deputy executive director of the Maryland Technology Development Corporation.
SSTI Conference Exhibit Space Sold Out
Fantastic Marketing Opportunities Still Available Excitement for SSTI's 11th annual conference is growing as the entire exhibit space is now sold out - several months before the event. There are, however, several other options available to build awareness of your TBED program and generate beneficial relationships with the nation's top state and regional TBED decision makers at this year's event.
TBED People
Dr. Dean Chang has joined the Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute as the new director of MTECH Ventures.
Under Armour Chairman & CEO to Speak at SSTI's 11th Annual Conference
SSTI is pleased to announce that Mr. Kevin Plank, chairman and chief executive officer of Under Armour Inc., will be a keynote speaker at SSTI's 11th Annual Conference on Oct. 18-19 in Baltimore.
Captivating Youth Interest in High-Tech Manufacturing Fields
From federal, state and local governments to nonprofit organizations and private industry, nearly every sector has a stake in recruiting youth to the high-tech manufacturing jobs of the future in order to maintain a competitive advantage.
People & TBED Organizations
The business development organizations Ann Arbor SPARK and Ann Arbor IT Zone are in the process of finalizing a merger. The resulting organization will be Ann Arbor SPARK.
TEDCO Actively Seeding Start-ups
The Maryland Technology Development Corporation has awarded more than $500,000 to seven start-up technology companies. The program, TEDCO’s Maryland Technology Transfer Fund (MTTF), is designed to help businesses transfer technology from Maryland universities and federal laboratories into the marketplace. The grants range between $70,000 and $75,000.
Last Chance to Become SSTI Conference Partner
SSTI is wrapping up the conference brochure for our 11th annual conference, Transforming Regional Economies, a mailing that goes to more than 12,000 TBED practitioners.
People & TBED Organizations
Sen. Patrick Hogan announced he would step down from the Maryland State Senate to become vice chancellor for government relations for the University System of Maryland.
No Walk-in Registration at SSTI's Annual Conference Next Week; Digest Resumes Publication Oct. 31
Thank you! Interest in SSTI's 11th annual conference has been extremely high since the agenda was released during the summer, and, as we expected and warned, SSTI will not be able to accommodate walk-in registrations on the day of the event. We apologize for the inconvenience and the missed opportunity this creates for a number of Digest readers.
People & TBED Organizations
Michael Dailey was elected president of the Maryland Business Incubation Association.
SSTI Presents Awards of Excellence to Six Organizations Improving the Nation's Competitiveness
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.
Michigan Lawmakers Approve Budget: 21st Century Jobs Fund Spared, Three Universities Receive Special Status
For the better part of the year, lawmakers in Michigan have faced the daunting task of balancing both a budget shortfall for fiscal year 2007 and a nearly $1.6 billion deficit for FY 2008. An agreement between Gov. Jennifer Granholm and lawmakers was reached in the early morning hours of Oct. 31, following a one-month extension of the deadline and a brief government shutdown.
Useful Stats: NIH Awards by State, FY 2001-05
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.
TBED Organizations & People Update
Dyan Brasington, former president of the Technology Council of Maryland, is the new director of economic and workforce development at Towson University.
TBED Organizations & People Update
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.
Tech Talkin' Govs 2005, Part Six
The latest in SSTI's annual "Tech Talkin' Govs" series. Five earlier installments of this 2005 review of governors' legislative priorities concerning tech-based economic development are available through the Digest online: http://www.ssti.org/Digest/digest.htm
Michigan
Will Michigan S&T Emerge Winner in Political Battle?
As the only state to have a net job loss in 2004, Michigan's political leadership recognizes something must change. The state's shifting economy, from one defined principally by its manufacturing sector to one that derives growth equally from knowledge-based industries, is at the center of the matter. Michigan policymakers are challenged to create innovative proposals that preserve one facet of the economy while broadening the other.
Maryland's TEDCO Tops List of Most Active for Early-stage VC
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.
People
James Epolito, the former president and CEO of Accident Fund Insurance Co. of America, will become president and CEO of the Michigan Economic Development Corp. (MEDC) effective Sept. 1. The current MEDC president and CEO, Donald Jakeway, will lead MEDC's international economic development efforts.
Regional Partnership to Boost University Tech Commercialization in Michigan
Catering to high-tech companies built on innovation, the nonprofit regional collaboration dubbed SPARK, hopes to transform Ann Arbor, Mich., into more of an entrepreneurial hub and triple the number of technology jobs within five years.