Minnesota needs additional support for science and technology commercialization, manufacturing and entrepreneurship in order to remain competitive, according to a new strategic plan released by the Minnesota Science and Technology Authority. The plan recommends an initial appropriation of $10 million annually, ramping up over ten years, to invest in the state's R&D capacity, talent development and capital and business development.

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.

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. Bill Haslam is the latest governor to unveil a broad-based proposal to grow the state's economy and create jobs through investments in S&T by asking lawmakers to dedicate $10 million for a research consortium that would recruit senior scientists to advance scientific discoveries into commercial applications and spur high-growth companies.

The seventh installment of SSTI's Tech Talkin' Govs series includes excerpts from speeches delivered in Alabama, Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island. The first six installments are available in the Jan. 5, Jan. 12, Jan. 19, Jan.

Recent announcements of new and emerging technology incubators range from Google's selection of Cape Town, South Africa to launch a pilot incubator supporting technology entrepreneurs that it hopes to replicate globally to Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley's plan to create a statewide business incubator focusing on workforce training. Select announcements from across the globe are highlighted below.

Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin signed the Oklahoma Aerospace Engineer Tax Credit — reestablishing a tax incentive that was put on moratorium during last year's legislative session. The legislation extends tax credits of $5,000 a year for up to five years to engineers who are hired in Oklahoma. Under the law, companies receive a tax credit equal to 10 percent of the compensation paid to an engineering graduate from an Oklahoma institution of higher education.

Since 2000, two-thirds of the nation's 51 largest cities have seen on average a 26 percent increase in the number of young, college-educated adults choosing to live within three miles of the urban center — compared to an average increase of 13 percent in the rest of the metropolitan area. In Young and Restless 2011, a new report by Impresa and CEOs for Cities, researchers utilized 2010 Census data to examine the migration of young individuals (between the ages of 25 to 34 year olds).

Complete descriptions of this opportunity and others are available at http://www.ssti.org/posting.htm.

Missouri Small Business Technology Development Center invites applications for an associate state specialist (counselor). This position serves as a statewide specialist to provide leadership, expertise, and training to University faculty and staff, and private sector clients with SBIR/STTR.

Complete descriptions of these opportunities and others are available at http://www.ssti.org/posting.htm.

A recent report from the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices provides states with a blueprint to create a skilled workforce based on the success of the Automotive Manufacturing Technical Education Collaborative (AMTEC). AMTEC is a partnership of 30 community colleges and 34 auto-related plants in 12 states that worked to identify and implement improvements in technical education for workers in advanced automotive manufacturing.

Two recent reports from Wisconsin economic development organizations suggest different paths for the state's economic initiatives. A white paper from the Wisconsin Technology Council (WTC) lays out a plan to increase access to capital for Wisconsin entrepreneurs, create new workforce development strategies, improve the state's infrastructure and business climate, and implement technology development and transfer strategies. Another report calls for greater coordination and streamlining of Wisconsin's existing programs through the creation of two new entities with a statewide reach.

SSTI's popular plenary format with instant audience polling allows you to take part in the most pressing issues facing the TBED community by providing input, asking questions, and contributing data from your state or region. Through a request for information on commercializing university technology and a series of regional meetings, Obama administration officials have been seeking input on what universities' economic development roles have been, haven't been, should be, and what the federal government should do about it.

Since 2006, Michigan's economic development programs designed to transition its economy from the traditional manufacturing-based economy to an economy driven by clusters of innovative manufacturers and service providershave led to more than 24,407 direct and indirect jobs created or retained, the creation of approximately 1,500 new companies and almost 900 patents.

Complete descriptions of these opportunities are available at: http://www.ssti.org/posting.htm.

TBED People
Walter Bumphus has been named the next president and CEO of the American Association of Community Colleges. Bumphus currently serves as a professor in the Community College Leadership Program and chair of the Educational Administration Department at the University of Texas at Austin. Bumphus will begin his tenure with AACC in January.

It is imperative that the Obama administration create a more coordinated and robust federal energy policy focused on advancing energy innovation, according to a new report by the Presidential Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). They argue the U.S. must be at the forefront of energy technology to increase economic competiveness, protect the environment and improve national security. In Accelerating the Pace of Change in Energy Technologies Though an Integrated Federal Energy Policy, PCAST outlines several recommendations that could position the U.S.

TBED People
Anne Barth has been named the executive director of TechConnect West Virginia.

Joann Rockwell MacMaster has been appointed site director for the Arizona Center for Innovation at the UA Tech Park.

Catherine Renault resigned from her position as director of the Maine Office of Innovation effective December 3.

The Philadelphia region increased retention of non-native students (students who are not originally from Philadelphia but attended undergraduate or graduate school in region) by 165% from 2004 to 2010 due to an increase in regional involvement opportunities for students (e.g., volunteer opportunities, internships, off-campus work opportunities and local cultural/entertainment activities), according to a new survey by Campus Philly.

The 11th Annual Tech Talkin' Govs series highlights new and expanded TBED proposals from governors' State of the State, Budget and Inaugural Addresses across the nation. The first edition includes excerpts from speeches delivered in the following states:

The Kansas Bioscience Authority - Heartland Bio Ventures, and the Kansas Technology Enterprise Corporation are jointly recruiting for a federal research funding specialist.

The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, a Washington, DC think tank, is accepting applications for two positions described below:

• Communications Director: This is a permanent, full-time position reporting to the president of ITIF. It is an exciting opportunity for someone who would like to not only deepen their policy expertise, but also influence the public debate on critical innovation policy issues. Read more…

NorTech, the Northeast Ohio Technology Coalition, seeks applications for a Vice President. Reporting to the president and CEO, and serving as an integral member of the senior management team, the VP will be responsible for the development of several NorTech initiatives including technology commercialization, flexible electronics cluster building, and support on government engagement.