For several years governors across the country have announced life science and biotech initiatives that are as broad as they are large. The devil is in the details, and in most cases related to bio-based economic development, so are the opportunities.

In the 2002 report Signs of Life: The Growth of Biotechnology Centers in the U.S., Joseph Cortright and Heike Mayer suggested it would take more than a decade for biotech investment strategies to yield fruit  - as measured by NIH funding and biocommercialization efforts.

North Carolina's $1.2 billion dollar investment in bioscience over the past decade has helped to build a $45 billion dollar a year industry in the state, according to a new study released by the North Carolina Biotechnology Center. The report finds that North Carolina's bioscience employment numbers have grown 18.5 percent since 2001, the fastest in the nation.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) have announced a four-year plan to invest approximately $70 million a year in a nationwide network of life science research centers. The Molecular Libraries Probe Production Centers Network will employ high-tech screening methods to identify molecules that can be used as probes to explore the functions of cells. This research is intended to help increase the pace of discovery in the field of chemical probes, which have become a key resource in fighting disease.

The demand for highly qualified talent in Massachusetts' bioscience industry will add more than 10,000 life sciences workers to the state's workforce by 2014, according to a recent report prepared by the University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute.

A new report published by BIO, Battelle and the Biotechnology Institute finds that student achievement in biosciences varies widely between and within states. It also finds that many states lag behind in programmatic efforts to improve bioscience education, even as the life science industry grows in stature as a common priority for TBED initiatives.

Gov. Charlie Crist signed Florida's $66.5 billion 2009-10 budget into law last week, providing a mixed bag of funding outcomes for the state's existing economic development programs.

During the last week of the legislative session, Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman signed two bills into law - one dealing with R&D tax credits and the other authorizing the development of a statewide biotechnology strategic plan.

During the debates over the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as the Health Care Reform Bill, there was much discussion of whether or not reform would hinder innovation in pharmaceuticals and medicine. As a result, the final legislation included some measures to support research and commercialization in the life science. One such measure, the Therapeutic Discovery Project Credit, offers a 50 percent tax credit or cash grant for qualifying research projects and small- and medium-sized companies.

During the first year of the current U.S. recession, the bioscience industry continued to create jobs, according to a recent report from the Battelle Memorial Institute and the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO). While overall employment fell by 0.7 percent in 2008, U.S. bioscience employment grew 1.4 percent. Though the authors acknowledge that the full impact of the crisis was not felt until 2009 (for which employment data is not yet available), evidence indicates that biotech companies were not as negatively affected as other firms.

The fifth installment of SSTI's Tech Talkin' Govs series includes excerpts from speeches delivered in Maryland, Montana, Oklahoma, Texas, and Utah. The first four installments are available in the Jan. 5, Jan. 12, Jan. 19 and Jan. 26 issues of the Digest.

Deep cuts to higher education and reorganizing economic development efforts are common themes in executive budget proposals across most of the country as governors seek to both reduce spending and create jobs. Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad recently introduced legislation to replace the state's existing economic development agency with a public-private partnership. Meanwhile, his budget eliminates the Iowa Power Fund, established by the legislature in 2007 to invest in private sector renewable and alternative energy industries. In Massachusetts, Gov.

The fourth installment of SSTI's Tech Talkin' Govs series includes excerpts from speeches delivered in Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, and Vermont. The first three installments are available in the Jan. 5, Jan. 12 and Jan. 19 issues of the Digest.

Gov. Martin O'Malley last week unveiled details of his proposed $100 million venture fund announced last year during his re-election campaign as an initiative to grow the state's knowledge-based industries, particularly within the life sciences sector (see the June 9, 2010 issue of the Digest).

While seeking to spur economic growth through new investments in university-based research, Gov. Sam Brownback also proposes to consolidate the efforts of a longstanding program recognized for creating high-wage jobs and diversifying the state's economy. Under the governor's FY12 budget proposal, many of the programs currently managed by the Kansas Technology Enterprise Corporation (KTEC), which provides dedicated support for researchers, entrepreneurs and technology companies, would be transferred to the Department of Commerce.

The sixth installment of SSTI's Tech Talkin' Govs series includes excerpts from speeches delivered in Connecticut, Illinois, New Hampshire, New Jersey and North Carolina. The first five installments are available in the Jan. 5, Jan. 12, Jan. 19, Jan.

Gov. Tom Corbett's budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year funds many of Pennsylvania's longstanding efforts to grow a technology-based economy, but at a reduced level. At the same time, the governor outlined new initiatives and investments centered on a restructured Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) that he says will eliminate duplicative programs and better position the state to attract businesses for job creation.

The FY12 Business, Economic Development and Labor budget approved by lawmakers includes $25.7 million for USTAR, the state-funded initiative to grow a knowledge-based economy. This is the same amount recommended by Gov. Gary Herbert, but down from FY11 projected spending of $35.4 million. That amount included some ARRA funding from previous years, however. Research Teams will receive $23 million and $1.9 million is slated for Technology Outreach.

Lawmakers approved many of Gov. Bob McDonnell's proposals aimed at growing Virginia's technology and life sciences industries by dedicating about half of the funding requested by the governor to support R&D, commercialization, SBIR matching grants, and funding for early stage equity investments.

Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic announced the plans to form the "Akron Development Corporation Seed Fund" in his State of the City address on Tuesday. The fund, with backing from corporate sponsors, aims to attract biomedical companies to the region. Companies receiving investment would locate in the Akron Global Business Accelerator. Read the announcement...

Recruiting bioscience faculty to universities and investing in R&D infrastructure tops the list of strategies recommended for Iowa to capitalize on a growing bioscience economy. A report commissioned by Innovate Iowa also finds that while significant progress has been made in growing the state's bioscience industry over the last 10 years, declining state funds to build research capacity and provide seed and venture capital remains a challenge for bioscience companies and entrepreneurs to compete regionally and globally.

In his budget presentation to the legislature last week, Gov. Martin O’Malley called for continued support of his 10-year, $1 billion plan to build Maryland's reputation as a global leader in biosciences. To this end, the governor recommends $43 million in FY11 for stem cell research, tax credits for biotech companies, and support for biotechnology commercialization and translational research.

On the heels of his State of the Union announcement that the administration would push aggressively to drive clean energy innovation, President Barack Obama unveiled a three-part action plan to accelerate the development of biofuels and clean coal technology. The plan includes new rules concerning the national renewable fuel standard, incentives for biomass production and the creation of an interagency group to devise a federal strategy on carbon capture and storage.

Florida's efforts to boost it's biotechnology sector may not be paying off as quickly as originally hoped. A recent report finds that the $449 million invested through the Innovation Incentive Program has yet to result in industry growth in counties where the program's grantees have their facilities. The report, published by the Florida Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA), suggests that the state's lack of early-stage capital for biotech startups may be contributing to the sluggish pace of development.