SSTI Digest

Nearly $1.5 million in grants from the OneGeorgia Authority will go toward specific initiatives promoting technology-based economic development in Georgia. The awards are part of almost $7.5 million in grants and loans being awarded to 16 of the state's most economically distressed communities. Among the $1.5 million awarded was a $499,910 grant to the Georgia Medical Center Authority for the development of a 14,820-square-foot Life Sciences Incubator. Located in one of Georgia's premier medical research zones and partnering with the Medical College of Georgia, the incubator is expected to create up to 75 jobs within five years by spinning off entrepreneurial start-up medical companies to Tier 1 and 2 counties located in this economically depressed region. Additional grants of $500,000 and $499,243 were made to other regions for the construction of two technology centers. The centers will nurture start-up technology companies with high growth potential. All of the awards were made possible through Georgia's Equity Program, which helps communities and regions build the necessary…

Jack Spencer is the new president of the Georgia Biomedical Partnership.

The Georgia Research Alliance (GRA) is facilitating the expansion of VentureLab at the state’s research universities. Piloted at the Georgia Institute of Technology, VentureLab is a strategy for enhancing and accelerating the process of spinning new technology-based enterprises out of university research. GRA President C. Michael Cassidy defined the goals of VentureLab as providing earlier and increased awareness by the business and investment community of university commercialization opportunities and providing an easier and more efficient process for turning these technologies into new companies or new markets for established companies. “Through VentureLab, we will be able to combine a number of existing programs with new strategies that streamline the commercialization process. The ultimate goal is to maximize the return on the state’s investment in university research,” Cassidy said. In the pilot program, consultants and Venture Fellows worked with 75 faculty, identifying 20 projects with commercial potential. From the 20, five startup opportunities are being…

Baton Rouge  The Louisiana Business and Technology Center (LBTC) celebrated on Wednesday its 13th year of existence with a reception at the Louisiana State University Faculty Club, honoring those tenants to graduate from the center's incubation program. LBTC, a small business incubator located on the campus of LSU in Baton Rouge, began in 1988 as a joint venture between LSU, the Greater Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce and the Louisiana Public Facilities Authority. The center has over 45,000 sq. ft. of office space that is currently leased to 20 tenant companies and has graduated 82 companies since 1988, including 66 companies still in operation.  Folkston, Georgia  A vacant school in Folkston soon will be home to the Okefenokee Education and Research Center, according to the Georgia Edition of The Florida Times-Union. Two million dollars from the state General Assembly and an agreement between the Georgia Wildlife Federation and Folkston is making way for the center. The first phase of the project will house researchers and student…

The 2001 Farm Bill  H.R. 2646, awaiting action by the full U.S. House of Representatives, includes authorization language to provide $50 million in funding for the Value-Added Grants Program to provide grants for start-up, farmer-owned, value-added processing facilities. The bill also would provide authorization for regionally planned rural development pilot programs and would continue the Research Initiative for Future Agricultural Systems at a program level of $145 million per year for fiscal years 2004 through 2011. The press release for the version of the bill approved by the House Agriculture Committee can be found at: http://agriculture.house.gov/press/pr010727.html  According to an August 26 Des Moines Register interview with Senator Tom Harkin, chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, the Senate version of the bill, currently before the committee, would authorize $150 million for matching funds to support equity investments in value-added agriculture.  Georgia  A September 13 wire story from the Associated Press reports a…

Albany, New York  The Times Union reports the second coming of the Center for Economic Growth Technology Council, which, after eight years on hiatus, held a kick-off event Wednesday to launch several ambitious goals: establish two business accelerators, develop a technology roadmap of the region’s R&D assets, offer business and technical consulting services, and expand the area’s venture capital networking activities. The paper reports one of the accelerators will be geared toward nanotechnology firms. More information is available at: http://www.ceg.org/ Beatrice, Nebraska  County economic development officials are teaming up with the local power company and Southeast Community College to establish an information technology business park, according to a July 18 Omaha World Herald article. Construction has started on the first 9,100 sq. ft. building which is expected to be attractive for businesses needing space for call centers and data processing divisions, the paper states. The college will offer businesses training services and part-time student labor.…

Atlanta, Georgia The Atlanta Journal and Constitution reported on June 20 that the  Robert W. Woodruff Foundation is donating $5 million toward the acquisition of land for Midtown Park, a 15-acre development project to anchor the Atlanta Technology Corridor. The article reports Midtown Park will soon house the Advanced Technology Development Center, a state-funded technology incubator, and the Yamacraw Design Center, the state’s $200 million research/economic development initiative.  Coordination of the Midtown Park project is being handled by the University Financing Foundation, a nonprofit organization that assists Georgia colleges and universities to obtain research equipment and facilities. Buffalo, New York The Buffalo News reports the University of Buffalo (UB) is taking over management of its Technology Incubator to allow for expanded services for its tenants. The article reports the nonprofit Western New York Technology Development Center, the anchor tenant and current manager, will continue to…

Editor's Note: The third installment of SSTI's look at recent speeches and budget proposals to demonstrate the priority governors are placing on tech-based economic development and math & science education. Georgia Governor Roy Barnes, FY2002 Budget Address, January 11, 2001 – new and increased funding http://www.ganet.org/governor/speech/press.cgi?prfile=PR.20010112.02 $500,000 for distance learning programs to provide expert teacher training $4.5 million in additional funds for the Yamacraw Mission, the centerpiece of the state's tech-based economic development strategy Indiana Governor Frank O’Bannon, State of the State Address, January 17, 2001 – new initiatives and new funding, reauthorization of existing efforts http://www.state.in.us/gov/state/2001/2001sos.htm $50 million school readiness program with several initiatives, including a middle school summer math program and 500 master reading and math teachers in the selected schools $30 million quality teaching initiative to…

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) requests cooperative agreement proposals to support an intervention epidemiologic research study of HIV/AIDS. The purpose of the program is to evaluate how different levels of antiretroviral therapy affect HIV-1 infection. Eligible applicants include public and private nonprofit organizations, governments, universities, research institutions, hospitals, and Indian tribal organizations. A total of $400,000 is anticipated to fund two awards. Proposals are due by August 17, 2000. To view the complete RFP, visit: http://www.cdc.gov and click on “funding.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also seeks proposals for Injury Control Research Centers (ICRCs) to advance the prevention, treatment and control of injuries through multidisciplinary approaches. Funding will be provided to applicants in regions that do not currently have ICRCs as well as applicants in regions with centers that must re-compete for funding. Eligible applicants include nonprofit and for-profit organizations, including hospitals, universities, research institutions…

One year ago this month, in the midst of a booming economy, Georgia Governor Roy Barnes announced a new $100 million, five-year initiative to advance the state’s position in the research and production of key components of the global economy. The Yamacraw Mission, named after one of the state’s first colonial settlements, focuses on research, education, and economic development in microchip design and high-bandwidth communications. The Mission coordinates the activities of three usually disparate approaches -- a large state center of excellence, an education and training program, and an industrial inducement program -- under a single, unified technology-based economic development strategy and office. On a smaller scale, the Pittsburgh Digital Greenhouse, a $13.2 million initiative focusing on high definition video and systems-on-a-chip technology, represents another example of this new model for state science and technology policy (see the 7/23/99 issue of the SSTI Weekly Digest: http://www.ssti.org/Digest/1999/072399.htm) Research Five Georgia institutions currently…

Bill Todd, President of the Georgia Research Alliance (GRA), has announced he will leave GRA early in 2000 to join a new technology seed investment fund.