Tech Talkin' Govs 2005, Part One
Most of the nation's governors use the winter months to publicly lay out their agendas, visions and budget requests for the coming year. The text of State of the State Addresses, Budget Messages and, to a lesser extent, Inaugural Addresses, often reveals each governor's legislative priorities and new initiatives to be pursued over the coming months.
People & TBED Organizations
Dr. J. Timothy Stout has been named to the newly created position of vice president for commercialization strategies at Oregon Heath and Science University.
People
Jim Petell is the first director of technology transfer and commercialization for the University of North Dakota.
North Dakota Gov. Includes $50M for Centers of Excellence in Budget Request
In an effort to increase the economic impact of the state's university-based research, Gov. John Hoeven has included $50 million in his 2005-07 budget request to create Centers of Excellence on each of the North Dakota 's college campuses.
Oregon Gov. Recommends $9M for Investments in Commercialized Research
Commercialized research and Oregon's first signature research center are among those initiatives slated for funding in the governor's 2005-07 proposed biennial budget for the Oregon Economic and Community Development Department (OECDD). Gov. Ted Kulongoski's recommended budget, the "Oregon Principles," is centered around six core principles for targeted investments to deliver a strong return on taxpayer dollars.
North Dakota TBED Efforts Receive $1.2M from EDA
Securing the multi-year funding needed to properly ramp up technology-based economic development (TBED) initiatives can be difficult in states with annual budget cycles and tight revenue streams. Fortunately, there is one federal agency that provides financial assistance increasingly toward local and regional projects matching the interests of the nation's TBED community.
People
Richard Baier has been appointed director of the Nebraska Department of Economic Development.
People and Organizational News
Nebraska Governor Mike Johanns has appointed Richard Baier as the state's first rural development director. Baier will work closely with the new Nebraska Rural Development Commission.
People in TBED
The University of Nebraska Technology Park has named Steve Frayser as president.
Centers of Excellence, Tax Credits Key to ND Future, Gov Holds
North Dakota Governor John Hoeven dedicated the lion's share of his State of the State Address to promoting a vision of economic growth for the state based entirely on technology-based economic development. The proposals centered on more than a dozen new university-based Centers of Excellence and new tax credits.
Study Highlights Nebraska’s Position in S&T
Investments in science and technology (S&T) – from higher education to industry research and development (R&D) – are the decisive factors in creating a sustainable economic future, a new study finds.
North Dakota Legislature Clears Path for TBED
In the final week of its 2003 Legislative Session, the North Dakota State Legislature passed sweeping legislation that favors tech-based economic development in the state. The Greater North Dakota Association (GNDA), serving as the state's Chamber of Commerce, subsequently issued a summary of those bills targeted toward job growth. Some highlights of GNDA's summary are presented below:
People
The Grand Forks Region Economic Development Corp. has named Klaus Thiessen as its new president.
People
Dan Curran is the new director of the Business Development Division of the Nebraska Department of Development.
OCKED Charts Course for Making Oregon Economy More Competitive
The Oregon Council on Knowledge and Economic Development (OCKED) is set to present its official report to the governor and the 2003 State Legislature. Outlining several key economic development policy and funding recommendations, the council addresses several short-term and long-term strategies for enhancing Oregon’s economic competitiveness in a knowledge-based global economy.
North Dakota Governor's Budget to Focus on 'Smart Growth'
To build the state’s economy and create opportunity, North Dakota Governor John Hoeven is launching Smart Growth, a host of programs linking education, job creation and career development to build the state’s economy and communities. The Governor announced his plan with release of the 2003-2005 executive budget.
Smart Growth includes funding for these initiatives:
People
Chuck Henderson has announced he will retire as president of the University of Nebraska's 130-acre Technology Park next June.
People
Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) is joining Sen. Bill Frist (R-TN) as co-chair of the monthly Congressional Forum on Technology and Innovation.
People
Carla Patterson is the new director of the Nebraska Manufacturing Extension Partnership.
People
The U.S. Small Business Administration has named Heath Copp as the Young Entrepreneur of the Year. Mr. Copp, 24, is a resident of Grand Forks, North Dakota.
Lincoln Charts TBED Strategy; Calls for Business Leadership
A wake-up call. That's what the final report of the Lincoln Technology Council said the city received after learning one of its top employers was expanding its operations in a nearby city instead of Lincoln because of perceived weaknesses in Lincoln's telecommunications infrastructure.
North Dakota Starts Phase I of Statewide Broadband Network
In an effort to provide quality, high-speed telecommunications services throughout the state, North Dakota has committed $3 million for the first phase of a broadband telecommunications network that is expected to cost the state $20 million when completed. When the first phase is finished later this year, 218 locations in 64 communities will be connected.
People
Arundeep Pradhan is the new director of the Office of Technology and Research Collaborations at the Oregon Health and Science University. Pradhan was the head of technology transfer for the Colorado State University Research Foundation.
North Dakota S&T Starts Over
While many states are adding multi-million programs to their science and technology portfolio, state-led S&T efforts in much of the North Central United States are still suffering. The latest example was the elimination of North Dakota’s two largest programs this summer.
State Legislative Round Up
With the start of the new year, a number of state legislatures are reconvening. Quite a few states have significant research, science, and technology issues on their legislative calendar, including the following: