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When the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program was reauthorized in 1982, Congress mandated that the General Accounting Office (GAO) report on certain aspects of the program. GAO has now issued the final report, Federal Research: Observations on the Small Business Innovation Research Program, under that charge.

Wyoming has begun the process of restructuring its economic development programs. Nine state programs and boards will be transferred to the Wyoming Business Council by July 1. The Council, created by the legislature earlier this year, is a 15-member private sector board of directors that will direct economic development activities in Wyoming. Governor Jim Geringer announced the board appointments earlier this month.

The National Business Incubation Association (NBIA) is sponsoring a workshop entitled "Building University Engines for Academic Excellence, Technology Commercialization and Entrepreneurship." The workshop will he held on May 30, 1998 in Philadelphia, PA.

A recently released data brief from the National Science Foundation, entitled Six States Account for Half of the Nation's R&D, analyzed the distribution of research and development activity by state and found most of the activity is concentrated in a small number of states.

BUT AGREE MORE INFO, DATA NEEDED ON IT LABOR

The General Accounting Office recently released its comments on a U.S. Department of Commerce study of the availability of information technology workers.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of Research and Development has produced a publication entitled Guide to Technology Commercialization Assistance for EPA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program Awardees. Although designed to assist EPA SBIR award winners, most of the information is relevant to small technology businesses and entrepreneurs.

Nearly 150 American leaders launched a two-year initiative last week in the hopes of speeding the development of new technology. The initiative is the result of the National Innovation Summit sponsored by the Council on Competitiveness and held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Attendees included Vice President Al Gore, House Science Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner, CEOs of numerous corporations, university presidents, labor leaders, and others.

The South Carolina Technology Advisory Council (SCTAC) has released a technology strategy for the state. Creating South Carolina's Future Through Technology: Strategies for Developing a Knowledge-Based Economy grew from a 1995 strategic plan for economic development, Approaching 2000: An Economic Development Vision for South Carolina.

Price Waterhouse recently announced that venture capital investments hit an all-time record in the fourth quarter of 1997. Total investments exceeded $3.7 billion, eclipsing the previous high of $3.5 billion reported in the third quarter of 1997. Compared to the fourth quarter of 1996, investments increased 50%. These findings were released in the Price Waterhouse Venture Capital Survey, a quarterly report of venture capital investments throughout the United States.

The R&D Credit Coalition recently released a report that concludes the federal R&D tax credit would pay for itself by boosting productivity and economic growth. According to the report, making the R&D tax credit permanent would stimulate an additional $41 billion in R&D activity by U.S. companies between 1998 and 2010.

Industry associations are expressing concern that the diversion of user fees from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) is adversely affecting the speed of innovation. The PTO receives no taxpayer dollars and is supported entirely by user fees; however, for the last several years, most of those user fees have gone to the government's general fund to help balance the budget rather than to support PTO operations.

Dr. Jack Gibbons, the President's science advisor and the director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, announced late last week that he will resign effective March 15. Dr. Neal Lane, the director of the National Science Foundation (NSF), has been nominated by President Clinton to replace Gibbons. Replacing Lane at NSF will be Dr. Rita Colwell, the president of the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute. Colwell was nominated earlier this year to become deputy director of NSF.