SSTI Digest

Florida Incubators Form Alliance to Expand Services

The Seminole Technology Business Incubation Center (STBIC) and the University of Central Florida Technology Incubator have partnered, and the benefits are expected to be widespread, the Orlando Sentinel recently reported. STBIC – a joint venture of Seminole County, Seminole County Port Authority and Seminole Community College – is supported by grants from NASA and the Technological Research and Development Authority, which sponsors Florida programs that enhance education and economic development. Eight companies already are housed by SBTIC, but up to 15 more are expected to join in the next year.

A recent study by the Council for Education Policy, Research and Improvement finds that State University System Centers and Institutes (C&Is) in Florida are cost-effective and creative settings for scientific discovery, technological innovation, policy development, teaching and instruction and public outreach activities. Public Postsecondary Centers and Institutes, a 175-page comprehensive review of C&Is in the state of Florida, also finds that the economic benefits of C&Is extend broadly throughout Florida affecting job creation, gross regional product, personal income, state taxes, and other direct financial benefits. According to the report, approximately 50 percent of all time spent by C&Is in FY 2000-01 was spent on research activities, 30 percent on instructional activities and 20 percent was devoted to service to the community and professional organizations.

Ray Gilley, president of Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission, has been appointed chairman of Workforce Florida.

The Center for Economic Forecasting and Analysis at Florida State University has completed a New Economy index for Tallahassee, showing how the Florida capital compares with 66 MSAs and, in a second analysis, a comparison of 20 Florida MSAs. Tallahassee ranks 11th among all MSAs assessed, a finding the authors suggest confirms "the city's economy has a number of very strong advantages."

The new index strives to build on the The Metropolitan New Economy Index, a study released by the Progressive Policy Institute in April 2001 that established a framework within which to rank the nation's 50 largest metropolitan areas.

Florida's High Tech Corridor and LaGrange, Georgia, have been named two of the world's top seven "intelligent" communities in a recent report by the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF), a project of the New York-based telecommunication group World Teleport Association.

In The Top Seven Intelligent Communities of 2002, the Corridor is recognized for its work in developing the region's high-tech workforce and as an effective collaboration between academia, the private sector and local and state government. Other ranked communities include Bangladore, India; Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Seoul, South Korea; Singapore; and Sunderland, UK.

The ICF's yearly award honors the seven top communities or regions it sees as pioneers or role models for the development of vibrant "Digital Age communities." To be chosen, the communities must meet at least one of the five Intelligent Community Indicators defined by ICF:

Enterprise Florida has named Darrell Kelley as its new president and chief executive officer effective August 5. Kelley currently is the president of the defense-related technology incubator, MILCOM Technologies.

Senate Bill 1844, signed by Governor Jeb Bush this week, provides $30 million to create Centers of Excellence and includes several other key elements of the Florida Technology Development Initiative, proposed by Governor Bush in his State of the State speech this year.

The Centers of Excellence program is intended to foster innovative, cutting-edge technology research at Florida's colleges and universities, develop commercially viable applications for that research, and recruit high-tech industries and thinkers to the state.

Technology sectors highlighted in the announcement include simulation, optics and space technology, biotechnology, nanotechnology, and artificial intelligence. The legislation permits the centers to support new facilities, laboratories and endowed academic chairs.

Other provisions of the bill include:

The University of Florida is seeking a creative and versatile individual to assist in partnership development and commercialization of technologies for UF and its sponsoring agencies. The primary responsibility for this position will be to serve as Deputy Director for the Environmental Systems Commercial Space Technology Center (ES CSTC), a NASA sponsored environmental research center. Additional responsibilities include assisting in new proposal development for UF, particularly those opportunities requiring cooperative multi-discipline research with commercial application. Applications are due before June 20, 2002. More information is available on SSTI's website at: http://www.ssti.org/posting.htm

Rick Kovar, executive director of the Rhode Island Technology Council for the past two years, resigned from his position. The 242-member Council is beginning the search for a new director.



John Anderson, CEO for Enterprise Florida since 1996, has announced his retirement effective in June. The nonprofit organization that handles economic development for the state has been accused in recent months for negative audit findings by the state, overstating its impact figures, and for Anderson's comment that the organization is not in the job creation business.



The North Carolina Technological Development Authority is going through staff cuts and reorganization after a critical audit caused the state to pull its funding. Five management and staff positions, comprising 40 percent of the organization's workforce, have been eliminated to regain the state's support and public confidence.



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In his fourth State of the State Address, Governor Jeb Bush outlined a new $100 million university-based initiative focused on nanotechnology and biotechnology.



"I propose that we dedicate $100 million to create the Florida Technology Development Initiative. This initiative will build centers of excellence among our universities dedicated to the key research necessary for building our promising technology sectors. New facilities, laboratories, and endowed academic chairs will be the catalysts for entrepreneurial investment. If we build it, they will come. If we seize this opportunity, the best and the brightest academics, researchers, innovators, and entrepreneurs will call Florida home. And they in turn will help build businesses that will fuel our economy for the next century," Gov. Bush said.



The Governor's written budget request provides more details on the proposal:

Gov. Ronnie Musgrove is appointing Robert J. Rohrlack, Jr. as the new Director of the Mississippi Development Authority. Mr. Rohrlack is currently the Chief Executive for the Alliance for Economic Development in Gainesville, Florida.