SSTI Digest

Mark Robinson resigned as chief operating officer of the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council to join the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Robert Coughlin will replace Thomas Finneran as the new head of the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council by October. Coughlin is Gov. Deval Patrick's undersecretary for business development.

Gov. Patrick has appointed Sharon Gillett to head the newly created Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Cable. Gillett previously served as a principal research associate and chair of the Broadband Working Group for the industry-sponsored Communications Futures Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and was a member of the Boston Wireless Task Force.

While many parts of the country are looking for innovative means to increase the number of citizens and businesses connected to high-speed Internet in both urban and rural areas, two governors recently announced initiatives targeting the further extension of broadband services throughout their states. Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick declared the commonwealth would invest $25 million into a new “broadband incentive fund” to be managed by a division of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC), named the Broadband Institute. Under the plan, private companies will compete for funds to install equipment such as network fiber and wireless towers in rural areas that currently do not have broadband. According to the MTC, 32 towns in Massachusetts lack broadband access and 63 municipalities only have broadband in a limited area. The program’s goal is to make broadband available to all communities by 2010. Ohio’s recent moves have targeted the expansion of broadband delivery to multiple stakeholders, including state and local government. Gov. Ted Strickland signed an executive order that extends and strengthens the state’s broadband…

Business incubators, known for the business support services they provide entrepreneurs, have shown themselves through the years to be a valuable resource in the process of starting and growing companies. Office and laboratory space provided at a reduced cost to tenants is just one of the benefits. Many incubators also offer access to university research, mentoring and seed and venture capital in order to encourage entrepreneurship and ensure the success of new high-technology start-up companies. According to a recent study by the National Business Incubation Association (NBIA), the business incubation industry has grown steadily in recent years, with the number of incubation programs in North America nearly doubling between 1998 and 2006. The study indicates 1,100 business incubation programs were operating in North America in early 2006 - up from 587 in 1998 and 950 in 2001 - and more than half (54 percent) of these programs were mixed-use incubators that accepted a variety of clients. Another 39 percent focused on assisting technology companies. Based on extrapolations from survey data, NBIA estimates that in 2005 alone, North American incubators…

Against the backdrop of BIO’s annual meeting, held this week in Boston, Gov. Deval Patrick unveiled a comprehensive, collaborative Massachusetts Life Science Strategy. The plan includes a 10-year, $1 billion investment package to support biomedical and stem cell research. Key to the governor’s Life Science Initiative is passage of legislation yet to be introduced that will strengthen the Massachusetts Life Science Center and, according to the governor’s press release, “charge it with the execution of a life science mission focused on science and economic development, strategic investments at critical stages of the development cycle, and collaboration with the private sector to create innovation infrastructure critical to both researchers and companies.” The governor also announced his commitment to making targeted investments in companies that encourage life science economic development in the Commonwealth. Highlights of the proposal include a $1 billion investment package to provide funds to: Bridge the NIH funding gap – A competitive grant program to make up for recent losses and flat NIH funding at the state’s public and private…

Please plan on joining us in Baltimore on October 18-19. You can learn firsthand how the Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund successfully secured the increase in funding and how the initiatives are progressing, all while enjoying the view of the gorgeous Inner Harbor (see related story in this Digest). In a few weeks, we'll be asking our members to evaluate ideas for conference sessions. These ratings determine the topics we focus on and the sessions being offered. While all interested parties can submit ideas, only members receive the exclusive opportunity to finalize the conference agenda by voting on session topics. You are invited to participate in the process by becoming a member today by visiting http://www.ssti.org/benefits.htm "The SSTI National Conference gives me and my team the opportunity to discuss and network with people who understand 'technology and innovation ideas and strategies' that no other group in the country understands", said Tom Persons, president and chief executive officer of the South Carolina Technology Alliance. "It is always a shot of adrenaline, you just want the conference to go on another few…

The gradual aging of the American workforce and the domestic migration of young workers may be at fault for slow economic growth in many states that have historically been successful in promoting high-tech business, according to this year’s Index of the Massachusetts Innovation Economy. The 10th anniversary edition of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC) publication reports that the state shows several signs of recovery from the technology bust of the early 00s, but cites accelerating population loss among 22- to 34-year-olds as a major challenge for high-tech industries. The group warns that if Massachusetts continues to lose skilled younger workers, the state will be ill-equipped to capitalize on advances in emerging technologies, such as renewable energy, nanotechnology and the life sciences.   Over the past decade, the Index has monitored key innovation indicators in Massachusetts and other leading technology states. MTC compares the state’s performance in critical technology areas to its peer states, including Virginia, Minnesota, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Illinois, New Jersey, North Carolina, California, and New York. Last year…

The fifth installment to Walkin' the Tech Talkin' Gov Walk (see the April 17, May 8, June 5 and June 12 issues of the Digest) covers the outcome of the 2006 Massachusetts legislative sessions. Following is a synopsis of bills passed and budget appropriations relevant to tech-based economic development and the priorities outlined in respective gubernatorial addresses at the beginning of 2006. Massachusetts The legislature last week enacted Gov. Mitt Romney's economic stimulus bill. During his State-of-the-Commonwealth Address, Gov. Romney asked for legislative support for the bill he proposed a year ago (see the Jan. 23 issue of the Digest). The bill includes $80 million to spur activity in the life sciences and technology sectors, creates a $13 million cultural facilities fund, and invests $23 million in workforce development and training. It also establishes a new office to bring wireless or broadband Internet access to the entire state and provides scholarships for students who pursue math and science careers. A main focus of the economic stimulus legislation is to support and grow the…

The Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation at Massachusetts Institute of Technology named Leon Sandler as its new executive director.

Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney named Deborah Shufrin as director of the state's Department of Business and Technology. Shufrin replaces Renee Fry, who stepped down to serve as the governor's duputy chief of staff.

Douglas Foy, Secretary for Commonwealth Development for Massachusetts, announced his resignation effective in March.