In the January 30, 2006 Issue:
- Tech Talkin' Govs 2006, Part Three
- Congress Gets Three-Part PACE Package to Address U.S. Competitiveness
- R&D Spending to Rise in 2006; Inflation to Outpace Fed Support
- Fresno Must Transform into a Creative Economy or Get Left Behind, Report Says
- Southern Growth Seeks Input on Innovation Survey
- People
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Tech Talkin' Govs 2006, Part Three
The first two installments of SSTI's annual look at how TBED will play in the 2006 legislative priorities of the governors can be found in the Digest archives on our website: http://www.ssti.org/Digest/digest.htmDelaware
Gov. Ruth Ann Minner, Budget Proposal, Jan. 26, 2005
"My budget also includes $632,400 to fund 10 additional math specialists. We put 22 math specialists in middle schools last year, and while I had hoped to add more than 10 this year, we simply cannot do that and maintain our modest budget growth..."I have also included an additional $600,000 for the SEED scholarship program, which offers students the opportunity to pursue a two-year degree at Delaware Technical and Community College or the University of Delaware’s Associate in Arts tuition-free, if they do well in high school and stay out of trouble...
"I am recommending we fund more than $20 million for three critical initiatives - Year Three of my New Economy Initiative, our strategic fund and vaccine development efforts at the Fraunhofer Center for Molecular Biotechnology."
Hawaii
Gov. Linda Lingle, State-of-the-State Address, Jan. 23, 2006
"Earlier this month, I proposed a sweeping set of proposals designed to move us from our decades-long overdependence on imported oil toward energy self-sufficiency based on renewable resources [Ed. note: See the Jan. 23 issue of the Digest]. ..."... I am proposing a bold new initiative to make Hawai`i the center of America’s development of hydrogen as an alternate fuel source. Already internationally recognized leaders in this field have expressed interest in using Hawai`i as the place where hydrogen can move from the research phase into production.
"Additionally, we need to provide expanded tax incentives for people or businesses who install energy efficient appliances … solar hot water heating, photovoltaics or wind energy systems.
"We also need to encourage the development of biofuels as a substitute for oil fuels through farming. Just as we want to mandate 20 percent alternative fuels for electricity production by 2020, we also want to adopt a standard of 20 percent use of biofuels in gasoline by 2020."
Kentucky
Gov. Ernie Fletcher, Budget Address, Jan. 17, 2006
"My budget includes a $140 million or an 8 percent increase in total funding for postsecondary education over the biennium. ..."As part of that collaborative effort, tonight I want to announce funding for a very important initiative: the Kentucky Education Network. This investment will put our entire educational system on a common, high-speed network.
"It will connect every school, every university, every school district, adult education centers and all education related agencies of government through the same electronic pipeline, resulting in more collaborative efforts, better information, and ultimately better education for all students. ... To fund this project, my budget contains $59 million in new funding … including $37 million in bonding and $22 million in general funds.
"We cannot attain our educational goals unless we have a strong growing economy. To grow our knowledge-based economy, we must expand our applied research. ...
"... In this budget, I have provided $20 million in operational funds and $20 million in bonding for the high tech construction and investment pool to support new economy initiatives. This will also target small business innovations and bioscience research. ...
"... I am continuing our investment in energy research, which will help us keep commercial energy rates the lowest in the nation, promote clean coal technology for growing energy markets, tap the potential of coal-bed methane and vie for the $1 billion FutureGen project. ...
"... To stimulate small business, I have included $13 million to reduce the alternative minimum calculation for businesses with gross receipts less than $10 million. In fact, I will entirely eliminate the AMC for companies with receipts less than $2 million. This will reduce taxes for 70,000 Kentucky businesses. To provide more start-up money for small businesses, I propose eliminating the cap on tax credits for qualifying venture capital businesses who invest directly in Kentucky. I am announcing a minority small business pilot program which will assist minority entrepreneurs and provide micro-loans.
Maryland
Gov. Robert Erlich, State-of-the-State Address, Jan. 26, 2006
"With historically low unemployment and our growing technology infrastructure, post-secondary institutions must maintain focus and funding on sector-specific workforce needs to meet the demands of a knowledge-based, post-industrial economy."Therefore, with respect to workforce development, we propose to increase funding for scholarships aimed at attracting students to workforce shortage areas and increase funding for loan assistance repayment.
"... [R]egarding science and research, we will create the Maryland Regenerative Research Center at UMB’S BioPark. This Center will provide a home to Maryland’s most promising companies and to leading national and international companies that relocate or expand into our State. The academic facility will be leased to university faculty who are leaders in regenerative research.
"The Center will capitalize on advances in tissue engineering, including the use of stem cells, to develop therapies directed to the repair of damaged or diseased tissues and organs.
"Through close collaboration with existing state-sponsored business development programs, the Center will focus on projects with the greatest opportunities for therapeutic breakthroughs and commercialization.
"Also included in this year’s budget submission is $20 million to fund both discoveries and translation of new stem cell knowledge for research purposes.
"Our 'Stem Cell Research Fund' will foster cutting edge research opportunities at Maryland-based research institutions or private sector companies to promote our leadership position in stem cell research.
"In addition, I have included $2.5 million to help fund the emerging field of nanotechnology. Our university system is launching the Maryland Integrated Nano-Biotechnology Initiative ('MINI'), to partner its assets with federal laboratories and the private sector. 'Mini' will target applied research and commercialization of intellectual assets to further advance our goal of technology dominance."
Michigan
Gov. Jennifer Granholm, State-of-the-State Address, Jan. 25, 2006
"Michigan has the most aggressive economic plan of any state in the country. It is a bold $6 billion plan to grow jobs today and jobs tomorrow. Two of the most powerful pieces of this economic plan were just approved by this Legislature in the last two months [Ed. note: See the Dec. 5 issue of the Digest]. ..."... We’ll invest more than $2 billion in public and private funds to develop new sectors of our economy: Advanced manufacturing. Homeland security and defense. Life sciences. Alternative energy. This effort will create all kinds of jobs for all kinds of people. Jobs that will not be outsourced. Jobs that will keep our children in Michigan. ...
"... In a few months, we will begin making prudent investments in the diverse companies that will grow jobs in Michigan. Let me touch on one of those groundbreaking areas of job growth that we’re targeting – alternative energy. ...
"... The Great Lakes State will be the alternative energy epicenter of America. Since we are the home of the automobile, it is our proud, patriotic duty to be the state that ends our nation’s dependence on foreign oil.
"Our universities are already leaping into the alternative energy field. ... We will use our 21st Century Jobs Fund to grow businesses here that put Michigan on the path to alternative energy leadership. And in the months ahead, we will form a statewide partnership among all of the alternative energy research and development institutions in Michigan, and we will dramatically increase the demand in our state for alternative sources of energy to bring those kinds of businesses to Michigan. ...
"... If we are truly serious about improving both the cost and quality of health care in this state, we must tap the full power of modern science to combat life-threatening illnesses. ... Stem cell research holds the promise for finding cures and for improving the lives of thousands of people.
"Talented researchers and businesses around the world are working right now on those cures … but we can’t recruit them to Michigan to do their work because of the limits Michigan law puts on them. When human lives are at stake, we should lead the nation in this work, not put obstacles in our own path.
"Tonight, I am asking you, our Legislature, to join with me in supporting this search for cures. Pass Representative Meisner’s bill to remove the limits on stem cell research in Michigan, and do it now. ...
"... Only one-third of the students who graduate from our high schools right now have taken the math, science, and communication courses we know they’ll need to compete in our new economy.
"That is why I called for the creation of a required core curriculum for all Michigan high school students. ... For you who have 6th, 7th and 8th graders, know that we will increase after-school programs to give middle schoolers extra hours of learning focused on math, science and computer technology. We want them to be prepared when they get to that tougher high school curriculum."
New York
Gov. George Pataki, Budget Address, Jan. 17, 2006
"My executive budget also provides $5 million for Engineers of the Future, a new program that will encourage the creation of pre-engineering courses for high school students, and support training programs for pre-engineering teachers."It also recommends another $2.5 million for new math and science Summer Institutes for seventh and eighth graders at community colleges throughout our state, so that these students can excel in tomorrow's high-tech career fields.
"And finally, let's create a 'Partnership for Prosperity' Task Force to develop region-by-region recommendations to strengthen math and science education, including the creation of math and science academies affiliated with our Centers of Excellence. ...
"... My budget provides a record level of operating support for SUNY and CUNY. It adds $125 million in funding to our current Capital Program to ensure that these two great institutions have the best state-of-the-art facilities. It increases community college operating aid. It provides $11 million for new SUNY/CUNY Empire Innovation programs to help attract and retain world-class researchers from across the globe. And perhaps most importantly, my budget addresses the need to prepare our students for math, science and engineering careers.
"It creates a new college scholarship program - equivalent to full tuition reimbursement at SUNY or CUNY schools - for students who make a five-year commitment to teach math and science in New York's middle schools or high schools. It allocates $5 million in additional support for our Teachers of Tomorrow program to help expand the pool of math and science teachers. And it continues to encourage minority students to pursue math and science degrees, by doubling funding for our STEP and C-STEP programs. ...
"This budget builds on that success with even greater capital investments in our Centers of Excellence and a new job creation program - Tech Zones - that will provide Empire Zone benefits to firms affiliated with our centers in Albany, Buffalo, Long Island, Rochester, and Syracuse. These Tech Zones will make our Centers of Excellence even stronger catalysts for high-tech job development by attracting the firms that will turn research and ideas into opportunity and jobs.
"And tomorrow's bio-tech and bio-med breakthroughs will not only produce life-saving cures and treatments, they too, will generate massive new investments and create thousands of new jobs. Let's move forward with a new $150 million challenge grant initiative that will generate an additional $450 million in federal, not-for-profit, and private-sector matching funds to expand bio-tech and bio-med R&D at places like Columbia, Cornell, Mt. Sinai, NYU, and Sloan Kettering.
"If we are to prepare New York for tomorrow's high-tech economy, it is essential that we embrace credible domestic energy alternatives to today's expensive foreign oil. This budget provides the necessary investments to begin turning this worthy goal into a reality. It provides Empire Zone benefits to companies anywhere in the state that are developing clean, renewable energy solutions."
Ohio
Gov. Bob Taft, State-of-the-State Address, Jan. 25, 2006
"And through the Third Frontier Project, we continue to transform our economy to make Ohio the best place to innovate and create new high-paying jobs..."In the coming years, we’ll build on this progress. We’ll strengthen partnerships between research and business. And we’ll launch a new initiative to attract more venture capital and entrepreneurial talent to every region of this state.
"But transforming our economy to create new jobs does us no good if our students lack the skills they need to succeed in those careers. That’s why I’ve focused on education reform since my first day in office. And this year, with your help, we’ll finish the job by setting the right course for our students. ...
"Only one in three of Ohio’s high school graduates have the skills they need to succeed in a good entry-level job, an apprenticeship, the military, or in college. ... The world has raised the bar, and we must act to raise the bar for high school graduation. It’s time to require all high school students to take a more rigorous core curriculum. ...
"Here’s the plan: First, require all students to take rigorous course work that will prepare them for the workforce or college – this means four years of math, including Algebra II; three years of science, including biology, chemistry and physics. ...
"Some will say that to implement this new core curriculum we need more and better-trained math and science teachers. And I agree. I commend the Speaker for proposing tuition incentives to increase the number of science, technology, engineering and math graduates. And I urge that math and science teachers be included in this plan."
Rhode Island
Gov. Donald Carcieri, State-of-the-State Address, Jan. 25, 2006
"I’ll start tonight with our economic strategy. Science and technology are keys to higher paying jobs. Nine months ago, I created a Science and Technology Advisory Council composed of world-class leaders in science and business. Just days ago, that group made a number of recommendations to me, to guide Rhode Island in creating a vibrant innovation economy [Ed. note: See the Jan. 23 issue of the Digest]. This is our Action Plan:"First, we must expand the research capacity of our universities and strengthen our ability to attract top notch scientists. Under the leadership of my Science Council, the federal government recently awarded us more than $6 million in new research grants. The state will supplement this for a total pool of $10 million. This fund is to stimulate new ideas for businesses and build a foundation for the jobs of tomorrow.
"Second, we intend to make unprecedented investments in research at U.R.I. Along with University leaders, I am asking the voters to approve a bold vision for a $140M science center. With this investment, we can make the university a leader in important fields like chemistry, pharmacy, and nursing. Last year’s investment is Dr. Ballard’s Inner Space Center, at the Graduate School of Oceanography, has already positioned the Ocean State as the International Center for Ocean Exploration.
"Third, we must enact a Science and Technology Tax Credit. This credit is geared to stimulate investment in high-tech startups and attract to Rhode Island the entrepreneurs who create high paying jobs.
"Finally, Rhode Island is poised to become the first state in the nation to be wireless border to border. The opportunities for business, healthcare and education are limitless. It requires a public investment, but promises to pay off in the future with new jobs.
"To fuel that economy we are implementing programs to significantly upgrade our students’ preparation in math and science. Following on last year’s State of the State Address I established and co-chaired a Blue Ribbon Panel on Mathematics and Science Education. That panel was made up of education and business leaders from around the state.
"This summer, the panel made several recommendations to me that will make Rhode Island schools national leaders in science, math, and technology. To accomplish those, I propose $15 million in targeted investments that will: Improve coordination and collaboration between schools, colleges and employers; Attract more people to teach math and science; Improve teacher training in math and science, especially at the elementary level; and, Provide increased opportunities for all of our students to engage in more rigorous programs of study. ...
"... At present, Rhode Island has no major source of energy. We produce no oil or natural gas. My goal is to use wind power to produce 15 percent of Rhode Island’s energy needs. And my administration is already working hard to make this a reality."
Vermont
Gov. Jim Douglas, Budget Address, Jan. 17, 2006
"To ensure that we have the high quality jobs and workers necessary to sustain a vibrant economy and ensure that prosperity grows with each generation, I am proposing Next Generation investments in the maintenance and expansion of the Green Valley a robust, sustainable, environmental technologies sector."These investments total $3 million and would be allocated equally to the University of Vermont to invest in technology transfer and job creation in the field of advanced sustainable environmental technologies; to the Vermont State Colleges to invest in workforce development and skills programs that will bolster economic growth in this sector; and to the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation for programs to encourage and prepare more high school graduates to attend college.
"To prepare more Vermonters with the skills to compete in our new economy, I am proposing a $400,000 increase to the Vermont Training Program. In addition, I propose to increase the state’s commitment to the Regional Development Corporations. These teams will continue to be instrumental in recruiting employers to Vermont and facilitating the growth and expansion of those already here. ...
"... For Vermont to be the location of choice for growing companies, we must drive forward with the expansion of wireless communication and broadband systems...To this end, my budget includes resources for the Connect Vermont project. With over $8 million from the federal government, coupled with a contribution from the state, we can deliver a fiber optic backbone along interstate corridors to which branches can be attached for broadband service to communities, and to which cellular services can be connected to complete coverage on our primary highway arteries.
"I am also proposing in the capital bill an appropriation of $200,000 for grants that will spark the development of wireless services in rural communities. ...
"... In addition, my budget includes $3 million for start-up funding for the Vermont Promise Scholarship program - the cornerstone of my effort to make college affordable for more Vermonters and encourage our young people to stay in Vermont."
Congress Gets Three-Part PACE Package to Address U.S. Competitiveness
Innovation and national competitiveness increasingly are capturing the attention of Congress as the 2006 legislative agenda takes shape. The latest addition is a bipartisan package of three bills introduced to address 20 recommendations outlined in Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future, a National Academies of Science report issued last October.The three-part Protecting America's Competitive Edge Act (PACE Act), introduced by Senators Pete Domenici (R-NM), Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), Lamar Alexander (R-TN), and Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), would greatly increase federal investment in math and science education, basic science and energy research, and R&D tax incentives.
According to the Association of American Universities, the package "would authorize 10-percent annual funding increases in basic research at the Departments of Energy (DOE) and Defense, the National Science Foundation (NSF), and NASA, and create and expand a variety of science education programs at DOE and NSF. Other provisions include a proposal to create a new student visa for doctoral candidates in the physical sciences and engineering, and a Sense of the Senate statement supporting the National Academies’ recommendation to retain the basic research exemption in deemed export controls."
A press statement released by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources identifies the following as key provisions of the bill:
Strengthen the nation’s traditional commitment to research
- More research opportunities for scientists and engineers
- Targeted research grants for early career scientists and engineers
- New federal funds to buy equipment and upgrade research laboratories
- A New Agency for Transformational Energy Research
- High-Risk, High-Payoff Research
Improve K-12 Science/Math Education
- Scholarships for Future Teachers of Math & Science
- Math & Science Teacher Training Programs
- Summer Academies for Teachers
- Advanced Placement Courses in Math & Science
- Specialty Math & Science High Schools
- Internships and Summer Programs for Middle and High School Students
Increase the Talent Pool by Improving Higher Education
- Scholarships and Fellowships for Future Scientists
- Attracting the Brightest Foreign Students to our Universities
Grow the U.S. Economy by Providing Incentives for Innovation
- Doubling the Research & Development Tax Credit to Encourage Innovation
- Creating a Tax Credit to Encourage Employers to Invest in Employees’ Education
- Development of Science Parks
The legislative actions of PACE are distributed across three separate bills: PACE-Energy Act (S.2197), PACE-Education Act (S. 2198) and PACE-Finance Act (S.2199). All three bills are available through Thomas Locator, the legislative website managed by the Library of Congress: http://thomas.loc.gov/
R&D Spending to Rise in 2006; Inflation to Outpace Fed Support
Total funding for research and development is expected to increase by approximately 2.9 percent to $329 billion in 2006, according to the joint Battelle-R&D Magazine annual forecast. The projected increase, from the estimated $320 billion spent in 2005, covers all R&D expenditures across industry, government and academia.
- The federal government is expected to spend $96.6 billion funding R&D efforts, a modest increase of 1.8 percent over the $94.9 billion spent in 2005.
- Industrial expenditures on R&D are expected to reach $211.9 billion in 2006 -- an increase of 3.5 percent over the $204.8 billion expended in 2005.
- Academia and other non-profits make up the remaining expenditures of $20.4 billion with academia increasing by a slim 1.1 percent and other non-profits increasing by a healthier 3.7 percent.
A running - and important - theme revealed from data and trends throughout the report "is that the support of research and development runs the risk of being viewed as an expense and a luxury, rather than an investment, and one that can be shelved until more funds are available," said Battelle's Jules Duga, a senior research leader and co-author of the forecast.
The federal deficit will have a significant impact on the extent to which R&D funds will be available within the overall category of discretionary spending. The massive unforeseen expenditures associated with the war in Iraq and hurricane relief programs have put a major squeeze on almost all aspects of the budget.
The continued trend toward the globalization of R&D will have a significant impact on the U.S. A projected shortfall of people in the future generation of scientists, engineers, and researchers remains an area of concern that is exhibited in trends in the industrial market as well as in the federal government.
The global war on terror continues to impact federal R&D, but the majority of funds directed toward it will be concentrated on the development, rather than the research, side.
Funding is basically flat for 2006 with the exception of a few special initiatives such as expanded space exploration and energy development activities.
Federal Outlook
The report notes federal support of R&D has undergone significant changes in both content and direction over the past few years, especially with respect to programs related to the global war on terror. However, the initial increases in R&D following the Sept. 11 attacks have not been sustained. Areas that are seeing sustained impact are the broadening and deepening of technology capabilities related to threat identification and amelioration, as well as the reorganization of existing programs such as those of the Department of Homeland Security.The anticipated across-the-board reduction in federal support for R&D "does not bode well for the support of initiatives that have been touted to return the U.S. to prominent positions in different areas of science and technology," Duga said.
The long-term impact of reduction in basic research funded by the government is raising concerns because industrially funded research generally does not satisfy the same criteria or have the same long-range impact on the technological strength of the country.
Industrial Outlook
Surveys covering anticipated industrial funding indicate a slowly-increasing optimism relative to total commitment to R&D. However, a trend of note is the difference between how much industrial support will increase and how it is distributed between domestic and foreign performers. Major increases in the funding of off-shore R&D performance, coupled with the expansion of off-shore facilities, will have an impact on the U.S. R&D enterprise.While earlier data showed a favorable "balance of trade" in the funding of R&D - with foreign company support of R&D performed in U.S.-located facilities outdistancing the amount of R&D funded abroad by U.S. companies - the gaps had been narrowing over the past few years. Recent studies reveal that the total amount of foreign direct investment is shifting heavily toward India and China, and that the R&D component of this investment is increasing as well. In addition, Eastern Europe is expected to be a growing actor in this field.
Increasing Expenditures by States
The forecast acknowledges the more progressive role state governments are assuming in supporting targeted research areas and investing in the associated university infrastructure. Several states - such as California, Arizona, Iowa, Ohio, New York and Texas - have proposed significant new funding for a variety of R&D programs in an effort to promote research and an environment for economic development. A great deal of this investment has been in the biosciences, but states are also investing in other emerging technology areas such as nanotechnology.The forecast emphasizes, in particular, that the long-term future health of the U.S. R&D enterprise, and the benefits that accrue, can be significantly impacted by the near-term decisions related to funding, education and globalization.
Battelle has been issuing the R&D funding forecast for 36 years, the last 10 in conjunction with R&D Magazine. It relies on a variety of primary and secondary sources, including documents and data from the federal budget, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and the Industrial Research Institute.
The full report of the 2006 R&D Funding Forecast will be printed in the January issue of R&D Magazine in late January. Reprints will be available then by contacting Battelle's Jean Hayward at (614) 424-7039 or haywardj@battelle.org.
Fresno Must Transform into a Creative Economy or Get Left Behind, Report Says
To survive economically in an innovation-based economy, Fresno needs to foster the creativity of its people and attract others into the population, says a recent report from the Fresno Creative Economy Council. While encouraging creativity to spur innovation and economic growth has captured the attention of cities and regions across the continent, how to accomplish that goal is less clear for many. Civic leaders for the central California community of 460,000 believe they have charted an achievable course.The report to Mayor Alan Autry and the Fresno City Council looks at four spheres of change for transforming Fresno into a community that will retain, attract, develop, and support knowledge workers. These include mindset, smart growth, urban living, and quality of place. Within each sphere are strategic goals alongside several recommendations to be implemented by city leaders.
Fresno either will become a part of the creative economy or will exist to provide cheap services to cities and regions that are thriving in the creative economy, the report states. Regions that merely provide services to the dominant economy can expect lower incomes and continued flight of the best and brightest citizens, not unlike Third World economies.
Following in the steps of several other cities and states throughout the U.S., Fresno leaders recognize the importance of building and supporting a progressive work environment in order to compete for knowledge workers in the 21st Century. In 2004, for example, the Vermont Council on Culture and Innovation released the nation's first statewide economic development strategy based on creative economy theories (see the Dec. 20, 2004 issue of the Digest).
The Fresno Creative Economy Council reviewed and shared information and research on the creative class movement and interviewed subject matter experts in key areas to develop its recommendations, which include:
- Educate the municipal staff and general public on the 2005 Fresno General plan and encourage their support;
- Develop a strategic marketing plan to communicate the brand and image of the area both internally and externally;
- Support arts, culture and music in the Fresno area through zoning ordinances and funding opportunities;
- Commission a formal study researching the potential for Fresno to become a national leader in clean technology;
- Prioritize the preservation of existing structures and offer incentives to restore rather than rebuild;
- Create efficient public transportation routes to and from Downtown and the Tower District to Fresno State;
- Provide free Wireless (Wi-Fi) access to the Downtown core; and,
- Review city policies to support the technological needs of start-up businesses.
The report is a follow-up to the 2005 survey, Livability Priorities for the Fresno Creative Class. Respondents to the survey were clustered into three groups: knowledge workers who have lived in the area for over five years; knowledge workers who have recently arrived in the area; and future knowledge workers currently seeking higher education. This group was then benchmarked against a sample of general population workers who are not considered knowledge workers. The Lyles Center for Innovation, which conducted the survey, indicated its the intent was to gain insight on the livability of the city.
Respondents were polled on the factors that are important when choosing a place to live and asked to rate how Fresno compared. The city exceeded levels of importance in the areas of access to outdoor recreation, ethnic and cultural diversity, and away from urban life. However, respondents said that Fresno was low in meeting levels of importance in the ability to have a job they are happy with, entertainment venues, and arts and creative scene.
Making the Grass Greener: Recommendations to Retain, Attract, Develop, and Support Knowledge Workers and other council reports are available at http://www.fresnocec.org/.
Links to this paper and more than 3,000 additional TBED-related research reports, strategic plans and other papers can be found at the Tech-based Economic Development (TBED) Resource Center, jointly developed by the Technology Administration and SSTI, at http://www.tbedresourcecenter.org/.
Southern Growth Seeks Input on Innovation Survey
Southern Growth Policies Board has launched its 2006 online survey at http://www.southern.org/main/surveyintro.shtml to poll Southern citizens on their attitudes towards innovation and technology, and their role in the economic future of the region. All Digest readers within the Southern Growth's service-area are encouraged to share their opinions and ideas on strategies for increasing the role of innovation and technology in southern businesses, universities and governments, and the potential of technology to create jobs and wealth in the South. The 12-question survey should take only a few minutes to complete.Responses will be incorporated into Southern Growth's 2006 Report on the Future of the South and in presentations at the Southern Innovation Summit conference on June 4-6, 2006, in New Orleans, Louisiana. To learn more about the conference or Southern Growth, visit http://www.southern.org/conf.asp.
Bill Badger announced he will resign as president and CEO of the Anne Arundel County Economic Development Corp. to take an executive position with M&T Bank.
Roger Biagi was named to the newly created position of director of government relations at the New York State Office of Science, Technology and Academic Research.
The North Carolina Solar Center promoted Steve Kalland to the position of executive director.
Thomas Persons Sr., president and CEO of the South Carolina Technology Alliance, was appointed to the newly created South Carolina Venture Capital Authority.
Toucan Capital announced the appointment of Dr. Phillip Singerman as a new Venture Partner.
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