conference

SSTI’s 2023 Annual Conference was Sept. 6-8 in Atlanta, and nearly 400 practitioners and policymakers working on tech-based economic development attended to discuss their latest activities, challenges, and successes in strengthening their regional innovation economies. Conference highlights include U.S. Economic Development Administration director Alejandra Y. Castillo confirming the agency’s commitment to spurring globally competitive regions through Tech Hubs; SSTI president and CEO Dan Berglund discussing what has changed—and what hasn’t—over 25 years of observing trends in TBED; workshops on advancing equity, strategic communications, and new approaches to TBED; and, a new format for engaging with federal funding agencies that included nearly 90 one-on-one meetings between attendees and program staff. Thank you to our speakers, facilitators, partners, and attendees for helping to make this event a success!

The Department of Energy’s Office of Science recently announced new requirements for all research proposal applications. Applicants must submit a plan for Promoting Inclusive and Equitable Research — or PIER Plan — with their research proposal during the solicitation process. The PIER Plans will be required beginning in FY 2023 and will require investigators to describe strategies to promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in all research projects. Larger research teams will be expected to provide more detailed PIER Plans. A new merit review criterion will evaluate these PIER Plans during the peer review process.

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported that startup firms (small businesses that were five-years-old or younger and had full- or part-time employees in 2016) were twice as likely to be adding jobs and growing revenues but more likely to be higher credit risk than mature firms. The 2016 Small Business Credit Survey: Report on Startup Firms provides an in-depth look at the financing and credit experiences of the startups. The report notes that startups account for 34 percent of all small employer firms and “play an outsized role in U.S. innovation and productivity.” Despite their role in innovation and job creation, the rate of startup creation has been decreasing for years and the rate of failure for those that do launch is high, the report states. Noting that access to capital is critical for startups, the report offers a detailed look at startups financing needs and challenges.

Over the last several months, economic development organizations, universities, and their partners have announced new efforts to create the building blocks for entrepreneurial development in rural communities. Examples include i2e announcing new efforts to expand entrepreneurial support services to rural communities in Oklahoma and three Indiana universities partnering to support startup growth in rural regions across the state. These efforts are intended to leverage the existing skills and resources of these organizations and reformulate them for regions typically left behind by the field.

In partnership with the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the Innovations in Food and Agricultural Science and Technology (I-FAST) prize competition. I-FAST prizes will provide entrepreneurship training to National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) supported academic research with the goal of facilitating the technology transfer of valuable food and agricultural related product opportunities. NIFA will commit $400,000 to support up to eight prizes. I-FAST pre-applications are due September 8, 2017.

Restoring America’s competitive edge requires a new approach to managing suppliers, one where all the players are connected, collaborative, and focused on maximizing shared value – a “smart supply chain” – says a new report from MForesight. SSTI spoke with Tom Mahoney, one of the report’s authors and associate director at MForesight, who said that if steps are not taken to move the supply chain in the right direction, or if funding for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership is eliminated as has been proposed in the White House’s budget, the outlook for manufacturing will be poor. Ensuring American Manufacturing Leadership Through Next-Generation Supply Chains, by Mahoney and Susan Helper, provides insight into the current challenges and opportunities facing supply chain management in U.S. manufacturing and provides recommendations for regaining a competitive edge. 

SSTI’s annual conference will focus on building bridges for a better future by establishing new connections and wading through an uncertain political climate during a three-day conference filled with tips and insights. The agenda is now online at ssticonference.org and early bird rates are available. The conference, held in Washington, D.C., Sept. 13-15, will feature speakers on innovation, capital, policy, workforce, R&D, manufacturing and more. Conference attendees will have the opportunity to hear from top thinkers both on and off Capitol Hill and hack solutions to our shared challenges together during dynamic interactive sessions. If you are interested in bringing positive change to your community, we encourage you to explore the conference site and register early before the rates increase.

Building Bridges for a Better Future serves as the theme of this year’s conference, taking place Sept. 13-15 in Washington, D.C. “We chose the theme after hearing from our members and others in the field about the importance of reaching outside of our traditional networks and imagining what the future may hold for those in the innovation economy,” said Dan Berglund, SSTI president and CEO. “We’re excited to hold the conference in the nation’s capital, and share the stories of successes, along with the challenges, that stakeholders in science, technology, innovation and entrepreneurship are facing.”