SSTI Digest

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

An economic diversification package recently approved by officials in Orange County, Florida, is intended to offset some of the post-September 11 difficulties experienced by the local economy. More than $1 million for the Orange County Economic Stimulus Package was approved in late January by the Board of County Commissioners. The initiative provides funding for five measures, including:

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. Return to the top of this page

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. 

On Wednesday, South Carolina Governor Jim Hodges announced the appointment of a 38-member Steering Committee of the Technology Transition Team. The group, chaired by the president of the South Carolina operations of BellSouth, consists of business leaders, technology entrepreneurs, financial executives, research university leaders, and government representatives. Technology Transition Team responsibilities include:

While venture capital is harder to come by these days in most parts of the country due to the dot-com crash and stock market declines, investment capital may flow more easily in two southern states based on two initiatives. Florida: $450 Million for CAPCOs Considered The state legislature is currently considering CAPCO legislation to triple the maximum limit for tax breaks granted to insurance companies that invest in Florida companies through venture capital funds. Senate Bill 1130, passed unanimously in the Banking and Insurance committee this week, now moves to the Commerce and Economic Opportunities Committee for consideration. More information is available at: http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Welcome/index.cfm

Growing and keeping an educated workforce, one ready to help build a technology-based economy, is one of the greatest challenges even the most high-tech areas. The problem can be quite severe. For example, a new statewide survey of Florida college students, conducted by Leadership Florida and Nova Southeastern University, revealed that only 48 percent of the students plan to remain in Florida after graduation. (For a copy of the Florida survey report see http://www.leadershipflorida.org/survey.asp)  Who Will Stay and Who Will Leave?, a forthcoming report from the Southern Technology Council (STC), provides one of the first in-depth looks at what factors influence graduate migration behavior after college. With emphasis on recent science and engineering graduates, STC identified several individual, institutional, and state-level predictors of student retention using a series of regression analyses of 44 different variables. 

Dr. Frederick Humphries, president of Florida A&M University and SSTI Board member, has announced he will retire this summer from the university.

Encouraging venture capital investments, creating R&D tax exemptions, and establishing three new technology-based organizations are just a few of the recommendations included in the first annual report of ITFlorida.com. The 34-member Information Service Technology Development Task Force was created by state legislation last year to assess the health of Florida's information technology industry. The Task Force also was required to recommend policies and legislation that would advance telecommunication networks and information technologies within the state.

The Florida legislature recently approved legislation creating the Florida Space Research Institute (FSRI), an independent, industry-led organization designed to coordinate the space-related research capabilities of several public and private universities. FSRI will strive to expand the universities’ involvement in space research and education, and to insure that state academic resources are available to support the space-related needs of industry, NASA, and the military.

The seven-member board, which includes representatives of Enterprise Florida, the Spaceport Florida Authority, the Florida Space Business Roundtable, the Florida Aviaiton Aerospace Alliance, Bionetics, Command & Control Technologies, and Boeing, held its first board meetings in early October.

Brent Gregory has announced his resignation as Vice President for Technology Development with Enterprise Florida to accept a position in the private sector.