In This Week's Issue
SSTI News and Analysis
Federal Agencies Release Information on Manufacturing
Institutes, Manufacturing Partnership
Last week, the Obama administration announced that it would
commit $200 million to establish three new manufacturing innovation
institutions in 2013 (see the May
8, 2013 issue of the digest). The announcement was
followed by the release of a
funding announcement for the first of those proposed institutes
— the Department of Energy-administered Clean
Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institute. The Department of
Defense released requests for information on the two proposed
institutes focused on
digital manufacturing and design and
lightweight and modern metals manufacturing. The Economic
Development Administration (EDA) also released a
funding announcement for the Investing in Manufacturing
Communities Partnership (see the April
24, 2013 issue of the digest).
The Department of Energy's (DOE) Clean
Manufacturing Innovation Institute will focus on wide bandgap (WBG)
semiconductors for power electronic devices, highly efficient and
reliable semiconductors that can produce low-cost, better
performing electronics to increase energy efficiency. The DOE
intends to make one award of up to $14 million in 2013 with a
potential $70 million in total funding over five years. A required
letter of intent is due July 11, 2013, and full applications are due
August 29. More information is avaialble at:
http://www.eda.gov/pdf/imcp.pdf
The Department of Defense (DOD) released two requests for
information (RFIs) intended to help DOD address issues related to
the proposed manufacturing institutes on digital manufacturing and
design and lightweight and modern metals. Administered by the Army
Contracting Command, the proposed digital manufacturing and design
institute would support R&D that addresses the life cycle of
digital data interchanged among myriad design,
engineering, manufacturing/maintenance systems and across a networked supply chain.
Public comments are due June 6 for the digital
manufacturing and design institute. The lightweight and modern
metals institute would accelerate the introduction and expand the
use of more affordable products made with high strength-to-weight
alloys that improve performance and reduce energy consumption.
Public comments for this RFI are due June 3.
Last week, the EDA also released a
solicitation for the Investing in Manufacturing Communities
Partnership (IMCP), a multi-agency initiative that will award up to
$4 million to support the development of up to 25 regional
implementation-ready strategies to attract and expand private
investment in the manufacturing sector and increasing international
trade and exports. Each region will receive up to $200,000 in
funding to develop their plan. Applications must be received by
June 13.
Read the announcement...
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Private Sector Partnerships Emphasized in North
Dakota's Centers of Excellence Successor Program
A new program that builds upon the successes of North
Dakota's Centers of Excellence and Research
Excellence programs will fund up to half of the cost of R&D and
commercialization projects conducted by the
state's research universities. Under Research
North Dakota (RND), the development and commercialization of new
products will be achieved on a project-by-project basis and state
funds will be matched with private-sector cash investment.
Just two years ago, the eight-year old Centers of Excellence
program was restructured as the Centers of Research Excellence to
place a greater focus on R&D and commercialization activities.
In their initial 2005 incarnation, the Centers of Excellence were
more broadly focused in areas spanning energy and advanced
manufacturing to workforce development and tourism (see the
May
2, 2005 issue of the Digest). As part of a statewide
effort to identify opportunities for growth in the coming years, a
task force unveiled in November a recommendation to establish the
Research North Dakota program as the successor to the centers
program in its report North
Dakota 2020 & Beyond.
Under the RND program, no new centers will be created. RND
grants will be used to fund the research
university's work in assisting private companies
with R&D and commercialization projects. Through this new
model, the development and commercialization of new products will
be achieved on a project-by-project basis, with the assistance of
state research and expertise. Lawmakers included $12 million in the
recently enacted 2013-15 biennial budget, the same amount approved
for the centers program last biennium. Unlike its predecessor, the
state funds will be matched with private-sector cash investment,
where prior matches could also include in-kind match.
The Department of Commerce will establish and administer the RND
grant program with input from the Centers of Excellence Commission
on grant award determinations. Commerce may use up to $6 million
for RND grants, $4 million for RND grants focused on biotechnology,
and $2 million for venture grants focused on commercializing
university technologies. This is a new component of the program
modeled after the Georgia Research Alliance VentureLab program.
The centers program has reported an economic impact of $634.6
million since its creation in 2005. Additionally, the program has
produced $14 in economic impact for every $1 invested, according to
an
annual report.
The Department of Commerce budget also includes $2 million for
Innovate North Dakota and $1.5 million to expand the Operation
Intern program, which provides internships, cooperative work
experiences and apprenticeship positions with employers. Innovate
ND is a public-private program that began in 2006 and helps
entrepreneurs create new businesses through an education-based
competition. Commerce recently set up a review process to help
improve the program and has since put the competition aspect on
hold for a year to study whether it could be more effective,
reports The Bismarck Tribune. An entrepreneurship program
manager also was hired and charged with helping educate the public
about entrepreneurial programs offered in the state. Since its inception, the program has resulted in 135 operating
businesses.
The North Dakota Department of Commerce budget bill is
SB 2018.
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What Makes a TBED Initiative the Most
Promising
?
Around the country, practitioners have gotten creative in their
efforts to solve problems seen as barriers to economic growth. In
Arizona, BioAccel has developed
an innovative approach to funding and serves as a promising model
for organizations dedicated to technology driven economic
development by working with universities, medical centers and
entrepreneurs to translate late stage discovery research into
commercial products. Similarly, NorTech, located in northeast Ohio,
has developed a Regional Innovation Cluster Model that puts theory
into practice to overcome challenges and accelerate successful
clusters to create jobs and attract capital. The goal of
SSTI's Most Promising award category is to highlight
programs that have demonstrated an innovative approach in design or
implementation to serve as models for other states and regions. If
your organization has a great story to share, please consider
applying for the 2013 Excellence in TBED awards and capture
national recognition for your efforts. Applications are due June
11. More information is available at: http://www.sstiawards.org.
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Regions Target Education Partnerships to Develop Next Generation Workforce
A recent report from Brookings suggests that, for a variety of
reasons, the value of a traditional four-year degree is
diminishing. At the same time, U.S. employers continue to reference
a general lack of employable skills as a major obstacle to
employment growth. Across the country, regions are using new,
innovative approaches to develop their local workforce while also
educating students to compete in a 21st century global
economy.
Should Everyone Go To College? published by Stephanie Owen and Isabel Sawhill of the Brookings
Institution's Center on Children and Families,
suggests there is a diminishing return-on-investment for
bachelor's degrees. The skyrocketing cost of
college tuition, combined with the rapid accumulation of national
student debt and decreasing value of traditional educational skills
in the modern workplace account for a widening degree of value in
traditional degrees.
These trends point to the need for regions to develop new forms
of educational training for K-12 students that teaches them
marketable skills and provides local high-growth businesses with a
well-trained workforce. Regions across the country are responding
by using new, innovative approaches to develop their local
workforce, boost regional competitiveness, and prepare youth to
compete in the 21st century global economy. Examples are
provided from New York City and the suburbs of Austin, Texas.
Global Technology Preparatory school in East Harlem, New York
City, has partnered with a program called Citizen Schools, which
aims to enhance the curriculum in urban public schools by inviting
members of the private sector to share their knowledge and skills
with students in after-school programs.
An article from Atlantic Cities reports that Citizen Schools
brings volunteers from corporations such as Google, Microsoft, and
Raytheon into over 30 middle schools in low-income neighborhoods
around the country. Professionals teach 10-week apprenticeships,
most of which focus on learning STEM skills. Students are learning
to make video games, build computers, and create and market
products, from a cadre of volunteer teachers.
Another example
in the Christian Science Monitor comes from Manor, Texas. On
his recent Middle Class Jobs & Opportunity
Tour,
President Obama visited Manor New Tech High
School. The school is part of the New Tech Network (NTN), a
nonprofit that works with 120 schools nationwide, 90 percent of
which are in public school districts. NTN builds curriculum by
working with local businesses and nonprofits to develop
student-centered projects that foster teamwork and problem-solving.
Unlike traditional educational models that split vocational and
college-prep education, New Tech curriculum teaches vocational
skills on a college-prep level to prepare students for high-skill
jobs in high-growth, tech-based industries. Students lead
consulting projects for local corporate partners and have used
crowdfunding portals to raise money for school projects. And in the
case of schools like New Manor, NTN also services a diverse group
of students, with a majority qualifying for free or reduced-price
lunches, and most hoping to become first-generation college
students.
These initiatives represent a fraction of the programs that
regions are experimenting with across the country, and the federal
government is actively seeking to promote these efforts. The Obama
administration's 2014 budget included a proposal
for $300 million for a High School Redesign competitive grant
program for districts that partner with colleges, businesses, and
nonprofits to develop the skills needed for future jobs. The
program would bolster existing efforts to support K-12 workforce
development. For example, with assistance from federal grants,
including the Investing in Innovation (i3) initiative, some states
have integrated NTN schools into their plans for improving
education and economic development. Indiana, a leader in education
innovation, now has 23 NTN schools.
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NOAA Aims to Improve Research Partnerships to Achieve Five-Year Goals
Earlier this month, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released their five-year plan for R&D activities that align with the
agency's long-term goals within a rapidly
changing society and environment. The plan, entitled Research
and Development at NOAA: Environmental Understanding to Ensure
America's Vital and Sustainable Future,
calls for expanding socioeconomic and integrated ecosystems
research and improving its internal and external technology
development partnerships. NOAA offers guidance to
stakeholders concerning the agency's specific
research objectives and plans for effective R&D management
practices.
Click here for access to the plan...
In recent years, R&D accounted for 12 to 17 percent of the
NOAA's total agency budget,
more than the 11 percent average for non-defense related agencies.
Moving forward, the agency is shifting its focus to address
societal challenges like population growth, migration, climate
change, and changing water supply. The majority of the plan is
composed of general goals that NOAA hopes to achieve to better the
global society and environment, and enterprise objectives or
desired outcomes for the agency specifically, including: climate
adaptation and mitigation, a weather ready nation, healthy oceans,
resilient coastal communities and economies; stakeholder
engagement, accurate and reliable data, and an integrated
environmental modeling system. Efforts in climate adaptation and
mitigation receive the largest investment when compared to other
agency goals.
Earlier this year, NOAA's Science Advisory
Board published an assessment of the agency's
portfolio and management of its R&D efforts. Based on surveys
conducted by an agency task force, many participants felt that
there are research areas that are not adequately represented in
the agency's long-term goals. Respondents noted
that research often is not focused on the
agency's long-term goals and that there is a
need for a more effective social science R&D
effort. They also pointed to a need for operational
improvement within the agency in regards to internal and external
communication, funding continuity for long-term projects, and
increased agency flexibility.
In addition to recommending agency expansion in underrepresented
topic areas, the advisory board also pushes for changes to the
organization and management of the agency's
R&D strategy to foster flexibility and achieve its long-term
R&D goals. In particular, the advisory board recommends that
NOAA should:
- Expand its capacity in the socioeconomic and integrated
ecosystem sciences;
- Emphasize, highlight, and provide incentives to support the
seamless integration of research and services in both its Research
to Operations (R2O) and Operations to Research (O2R)
enterprises;
- Work in partnership with its Science Advisory Board to form a
scientific task force to review existing observing capabilities,
examine options for more cost-effective observation and data
sharing strategies, and discuss evolving needs and sustainable
approaches for new observations and technologies;
- Enhance the responsibilities and authorities of the chief
scientist position to provide the tools to ensure that the total
R&D effort of NOAA is efficiently implemented and aligned with
the agency's strategic priorities;
- Maintain a strong and productive internal scientific staff in
its laboratories and centers;
- Assess the Cooperative Institutes in terms of their scientific
focus, funding and staffing levels to ensure that they have
sufficient support to adequately leverage agency investments and
align with agency priorities;
- Critically examine its distribution of R&D funds and
allocation of scientific staff within the agency to better align
with the Next Generation Strategic Plan;
- Capitalize on the support and skills of the extramural research
community by developing carefully targeted initiatives that meet
the needs of the Next Generation Strategic plan, that are stable
and consistent over time to enable year to year planning, and that
ensure the rsults are integrated into NOAA's
operations;
- Make the most of its existing talent and find ways to
accelerate and enhance learning and professional development of
that talent in light of the current federal budget situation; and
- Work closely with the Department of Commerce, the OMB, and with
Congress to create ways to manage its R&D funds more flexibly
and efficiently and to implement its new research priorities over a
period of several years.
Click here to view the NOAA Science and Advisory
Board's assessment . . .
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Community Initiatives Helping Overcome
Persistent Digital Divide
A recent
study by the Pew Research Center suggests that the United
States continues to suffer from a digital
divide
in Internet usage, a gap in accessibility and
digital literacy between rich and poor and urban and rural. While
corporate investment in national broadband infrastructure has
increased the quality of service for affluent urban populations
over the past decade, the expansion of service to disadvantaged
communities has been left to the public sector. Local communities
across the country are using new, innovative approaches to address
the issue.
The Pew Internet & American Life Project has been conducting
studies on national broadband accessibility and connectivity since
2000. Initial findings suggested a stark digital
divide
between populations across the country, with
high percentages of inner-city and rural populations lacking either
basic access or affordable access to broadband. The Pew
Center's latest report, released in April,
claims that although there has been significant improvement in
broadband connectivity, a national digital divide still persists. In
June 2000, 47 percent of American adults were Internet users,
compared with 78 percent as of August 2011. Twenty-eight percent of
households making $30,000 per year or less were Internet users
compared to 62 percent today; and 16 percent of Americans without
high school diplomas were Internet users compared to 43 percent
today. While those numbers mark a serious improvement in national
connectivity, it is important to note that high-speed connections
become ubiquitous in more affluent households, with 97 percent
connectivity for households that make $75,000 per year and 94 percent
connectivity for Americans who have graduated college.
A report from the Information Technology and Innovation
Foundation suggests that corporate investment in U.S. broadband
infrastructure is driving the general increase in national
broadband connectivity. Without significant federal or state
investment in broadband infrastructure, the U.S. has risen sharply
in global competitiveness rankings for connectivity, speed, and
Internet usage. Other countries that rank higher in global indices,
such as Singapore, Sweden, and South Korea, are densely populated
and do not contend with the same geographic barriers to broadband
rollout that are faced by U.S. service providers.
While corporate-driven rollout of U.S. broadband infrastructure generally has increased access and connectivity for American
consumers, there are lingering inequalities in service delivery
that impede the economic competitiveness of low-income Americans.
The digital divide has long-term consequences for national economic
growth and local policymakers across the country are stepping in to
address the issue. The Brookings Institution argues that
broad-based, national economic growth has not materialized in the
aftermath of the Great Recession in part because of an entrenched
digital divide defined by a national patchwork of corporate
broadband coverage and lack of large-scale, public investment (see
SSTI's
December 2012 Digest article).
The Institute for Local Self Reliance has published a
map detailing the efforts of 342 communities across the country
that are providing publicly owned and operated broadband access.
Publicly owned broadband networks often are provided free of charge
or below-market rates and, as illustrated in a new
Institute for Local Self Reliance report, the fastest broadband
networks in the country are being built by local governments.
Cities like Chattanooga, TN, and Lafayette, LA, are operating of the
fastest connections in the country.
The move towards community-owned, public broadband networks has
not gone unnoticed in the corporate world. Google has partnered
with a select group of communities across the U.S. (Kansas City,
Austin, and Provo, UT) to initiate the city-wide rollout of its
ultra-fast Google Fiber service. Google's
partner cities have been advertising the 100 Gigabit service both
as an investment to attract tech entrepreneurs and, as Austin
community leaders
have noted in a recent PRI story, a public resource for
underserved communities that will promote digital inclusion.
As communities continue to experiment with the provision of
city-owned broadband services, state lawmakers will be faced with
tough decisions over how to regulate broadband networks. Many
states have current laws that either prohibit or establish
significant barriers to the provision of Internet service as a
public utility. The FCC so far has refused to intervene in states
to allow public ownership of Internet services. Without large-scale
federal investment or intervention in state regulatory markets the
digital divide for U.S. households may continue to persist.
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Useful Stats
Patents and Patents Per 100k Residents by
State, 2007-2012
Between 2007 and 2012, the U.S. recovered from a
temporary patenting lull in the wake of the economic crisis,
jumping more than 43 percent. Most states shared in this patent
resurgence, though activity continues to be concentrated in a few
states. About one quarter of 2012 U.S. patents were awarded in
California, the leading patenting state. About half of all patents
were awarded in the top five states, California, Texas, New York,
Massachusetts and Washington.
SSTI has prepared tables showing total patents
and patents per 100,000 residents by state for 2007-2012. These
tables include updated data from USPTO for 2007-2010, and include
utility, design, plant and reissue patents (less statutory
invention registration). Download the tables in Excel format to get access to all of the data.
Over the past five years, patenting steadily
recovered from the 2007 stagnation, taking a major jump in 2010.
Despite the fluxuation, the list of leading states has remained
constant. Several states outside the top five made major gains
during the 2007-2012 period. Kansas, Washington, D.C., Wyoming,
South Dakota and Alaska all more than or nearly doubled their
number of awarded patents. Kansas, where patents jumped 110 percent
in five years, benefitted from a large increase in patent awards to
Sprint, the state's leading patenting
organization. The other states, and D.C., had more general
increases and relatively low numbers of annual patents across all
years.
Massachusetts and California also lead in patents
per 100,000 residents, with a nearly identical per capita rate. In
2012, Massachusetts lead with 92 per 100,000 (California had 91),
but over the past five years, the states have alternated in the top
spot. Washington followed close behind in 2012 with 87, followed by
Vermont and Minnesota.
Mapping the U.S. per capita patenting rate
reveals high levels of patenting activity on the West Coast, New
England and the northern Mid-Atlantic states. In the middle of the
country, only Minnesota, Colorado and Idaho rise to the top
quartile. The lowest patenting states are congregated in the
northern Mountain and Plains states (Montana, North Dakota, South
Dakota, Nebraska), the middle, western and Gulf South (Alabama,
Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee,
Kentucky and West Virginia) and Alaska and Hawaii. The highest
patenting state in the South, North Carolina, ranks 23rd in the
country.
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TBED People & Job Opportunities
TBED People and Orgs
Sean Greene has joined the
Case Foundation as entrepreneur in residence. Greene most
recently served as associate administrator for Investment and
special advisor for Innovation at the U.S. Small Business
Administration.
Jane Oates, assistant secretary for the Employment and
Training Administration, which oversees the
Job Corps program for the U.S. Department of Labor, has
announced her resignation effective at the end of the month.
Euan Robertson has been appointed president and
COO of
MaRS Discovery District. Robertson joins MaRS from the New York
City Economic Development Corporation
Doug Hockstad has been named the director of
Tech Launch Arizona, the revitalized Office of Technology
Transfer at the University of Arizona.
Sudarsanam Suresh Babu has been named the 11th
University of Tennessee-Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Governor's Chair. Babu will serve as
Governor's Chair for Advanced Manufacturing. He
begins on July 1.
Kalliat Vasaraj has been selected as
Louisiana State University's vice chancellor
of research and economic development.
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Job Corner
King Abdullah University of Science and
Technology is hiring a director of technology transfer
and innovation. This position reports directly to the VP for
Economic & Technology Development. This person will lead the
KAUST Innovation Ecosystem, comprised of partner universities and
Read more job postings...
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Staff Picks
Keeping America Safe through a Strong Manufacturing
Sector
Guardian Six Consulting LLC prepared a report for the Alliance
for American Manufacturing recommending 10 actions to identify
supply chain vulnerabilities and strengthen the U.S. Defense
Industrial Base. The number one recommendation is to increase
federal investment in high-tech industries.
Read the report...
Coalition to Double Charitable Funding for Basic Research
over Next 10 Years
The American Association for the Advancement of Science
announced that a new coalition aims to boost philanthropic giving
from a current average of $4 million annually to $8 billion in the
next 10 years. The seven members of the coalition
consist of five foundations and two research organizations.
Read more...
Which Companies Actually Matter?
A recent Kauffman report shows that scalable companies that are
disproportionate creators of jobs and wealth matter to cities,
states and countries. Anywhere from 125 to 250 of these U.S. companies
per year reach $100 million in revenue in a reasonable amount of
time without plateauing.
Read more...
MTU Trumps the 3D Printed Gun
This week, the Michigan Technological University announced a 3D
Printers For Peace contest to challenge people to figure out ways
3D printing can be used to benefit humanity. All designs must be
open source and will be judged based on innovation, feasibility,
presentation and overall effectiveness. Read more...
GenXers Focused on Lifelong Learning
A new study by the University of Michigan found that one in
every 10 members of Generation X are enrolled in classes to
continue their formal educations, and 48 percent of the generation
take continuing education courses, in-service training and/or
workshops.
Read more...
Kansas City Broke World Record for Business Speed
Networking
A total of 357 entrepreneurs, business owners, mentors and
supporters attended Kansas City's kickoff for
Global Entrepreneurship Week, breaking the previous record of 328
attendees held by Toronto. Organizers recently were notified that
Guinness officially set the record.
Read more...
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