In the April 30, 1999 Issue:

Copyright State Science & Technology Institute 2002. Information in this issue of the SSTI Weekly Digest was prepared under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration. Redistribution to all others interested in tech-based economic development is strongly encouraged — please cite the State Science & Technology Institute whenever portions are reproduced or redirected. Any opinions expressed in the Digest do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

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Eaton Corporation Donates Patent Portfolio
The Mid-America Commercialization Corporation (Manhattan, Kansas) announced that the Eaton Corporation is donating a substantial portfolio of patented technologies for the benefit of the corporation and Kansas State University.

The patent donation, valued at approximately $17 million, will be used as a technology platform upon which additional research programs in automotive, semiconductor and other areas might be developed at Kansas State University. The patents will be available for commercial licensing as well.

Eaton, which has its headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio, is a manufacturer of highly engineered products that serve industrial, vehicle, construction, commercial, aerospace and semiconductor markets.

The Eaton portfolio of donated patents includes 57 patents across six different technology areas, including:

  1. vehicular four wheel steering systems;
  2. excimer laser-based processes for semiconductor manufacturing;
  3. AC frequency conversion techniques for controlling electric motors;
  4. electromechanical sensors and controls;
  5. hypergolic combustion; and
  6. anti-lock braking systems.

Mid-America Commercialization Corporation will acquire all rights to the patents for further development and commercialization of these technologies.

"This falls within MACC's mission to foster university research and technology transfer, along with the startup and expansion of regional technology-based enterprises," said Ron Sampson, Mid-America Commercialization Corporation president. "MACC will be making the technologies available to K-State faculty and students for both research and educational purposes. They also will be available for licensing to companies with commercial interests in the technologies.

AWe plan to work with colleagues in the university, and across the entire statewide KTEC network, to add value to the donated technologies through research and to leverage the patent portfolios for regional economic gain. Of course," Sampson added, "any new inventions or improvements on the existing patents that arise from related research will be university-owned, and so they offer the potential for direct royalty returns to the researchers and the institution itself."

The Mid-America Commercialization Corporation is one of three commercialization centers affiliated with the Kansas Technology Enterprise Corporation (KTEC). Its mission includes facilitating the commercialization of new technologies for regional economic benefit.

For additional information, contact Dr. Ron Sampson, MACC, at 785/537-0110.

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Technology Education Trends Analyzed
The number of technology degrees awarded have declined by 5 percent since 1990, according to a new report issued by the American Electronics Association (AEA). The one area in which there has been a significant increase in degrees conferred is business information systems, which increased by 24 percent.

The report, CyberEducation: U.S. Education and the High-Technology Workforce, A National and State-by-State Perspective, examines technology education trends in both K-12 and higher education.

At the college and university level, the report examines the number of students awarded associate, bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees in six core technology fields (engineering, engineering technology, computer science, business information systems, mathematics, and physics).

The top five states, ranked by technology degrees conferred are:

  1. California (20,809)
  2. New York (16,437)
  3. Texas (12,991)
  4. Pennsylvania (11,074)
  5. Ohio (10,315)

The top five states in terms of percentage increase in the number of technology degrees conferred are:

  1. Virginia
  2. Texas
  3. North Carolina
  4. Utah
  5. Minnesota

The report also reviews math and science activity at the kindergarten through 12th grade level. Key K-12 findings include:

The report is available from AEA by calling 1-800-284-4232. The cost is $95 for AEA members and $190 for non-members.

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MARFIN Funds Available for Northeastern States
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has announced that funding is available under its Marine Fisheries Initiative (MARFIN) for projects in the northeastern coastal states. Priority consideration will be given to fisheries management research focused on the New England region.

Proposals are due into the NMFS Northeast Regional Office in Gloucester, Massachusetts by May 26. For additional information on the program, contact Kenneth Beal at 978/ 281-9267.

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New SBA Programs Offered
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has announced two new programs to assist small businesses.

Y2K Loans
SBA will begin accepting applications in early May for a loan program to help small businesses with problems related to the date change from 1999 to 2000 (Y2K).

The new loan guaranties are designed to meet two needs. First, the program will enable small businesses to purchase systems, software, equipment, and services necessary to become Y2K compliant. Second, the program will assist small firms that suffer economic injury as a result of the date change.

More information about the program is available on the SBA's web site at www.sba.gov/y2k  or by calling 1-800-U-ASK-SBA.

Free Financial Software
The SBA, working in partnership with the Intuit corporation, will distribute free copies of Quickbooks Pro software to new business owners. The partnership is part of the agency's efforts to support the use of technology in small business management. More than 4,000 copies of the accounting program will be given away.

Only new business owners with a business plan or business license completed since October 1998 are eligible for the program.

The QuickBooks Pro software is available through SBA's Business Information Centers, One Stop Capital Shops, and Women's Business Centers. For the location of these centers, contact the SBA web site at www.sba.gov/services or call 1-800-U-ASK-SBA.

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