SSTI Digest

SSTI is hosting an informal phone call on Wednesday, May 13 at 2:00 PM EDT to answer your questions about the 2009 Excellence in TBED Awards. Who should join the call?  Anyone considering submitting an application for the 2009 awards cycle or anyone who wants to learn more about the program will find the call useful. What should I expect? SSTI will present a brief overview of the program, including its mission and philosophy, followed by ample Q&A time to answer any questions regarding the application process, the entry guidelines and the evaluation criteria. We will also share some helpful hints provided by past judges. When is the call and how do I dial-in? The call is scheduled on Wednesday, May 13 at 2:00 EDT. You must register in advance to participate in the call, at which time you will be provided with the dial-in information. To sign up, visit: http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?key=ptpNtZjc_WjTWYHUYeVkWHw Dan Berglund, SSTI President and CEO, will be hosting the call. Participants are invited to submit their questions ahead of time to awards@ssti.org. More information is available at: www.sstiawards.…

The role of a technology incubator or accelerator for supporting nascent firms generally is regarded with the utmost importance by the tech-based economic development community. Tech incubators provide essential resources for startup companies to develop and commercialize new technologies, leading to the creation of high-quality jobs. With estimates suggesting there could be as many as 5,000 incubators of all shapes and sizes worldwide, finding the latest and best practices for tech business incubation could be a challenge. Fortunately, award programs, such as the currently open SSTI's 3rd Annual Excellence in TBED Award, can help call attention to some of the most successful approaches. The longest running award program for incubation is offered by the National Business Incubation Association (NBIA), which recently announced its top incubation programs, clients and graduates as part of its 2009 awards competition. San Jose BioCenter was named the 2009 Randall M. Whaley Incubator of the Year, the organization's most prestigious honor for technology incubators. The BioCenter and the six other award recipients were recognized at a ceremony during NBIA's 23rd annual…

Last week, the Board of Trustees at the University of Toledo approved the creation of a School of Solar and Advanced Renewable Energy. The School will integrate faculty from multiple science, engineering, and business disciplines to offer its own degrees and perform collaborative research, often with industrial partners associated with the region's established solar energy and photovoltaics cluster. Building a cluster of academic and industrial research can happen without policy interventions; however, Toledo's situation is different. The region's leadership in advanced renewable energy is the result of deliberate choices and continual injections of funding by a host of public and private partners. So how did Toledo do it? The maturation of Toledo's advanced energy cluster is rooted in the actions of a handful of entrepreneurial researchers. When paired with the resources from regional, state, and federal entities, in addition to the knowledge base from existing industries, the solar energy cluster eventually grew to employ thousands of people in Northwest Ohio. In the last year alone, five photovoltaic startup manufacturers have sprung up in Toledo, joining a…

The Ohio Department of Development invites bids for two Requests for Proposals (RFP) to provide evaluation services and other forms of technical assistance for the state's fiscal years 2010 and 2011.  Proposals for either opportunity are due by May 29. Specifically, Development is seeking contractors for the following: Evaluation of proposals submitted for funding under Ohio Third Frontier and other technology-based economic development programs supporting research and cluster development (i.e., targeted vertical industries) programs administered by Development, and to provide technical assistance to Development regarding research and cluster development programs and initiatives. More information is available at: http://www.ohiochannel.org/your_state/third_frontier_project/rfp.cfm?rfp_id=94466. Evaluation of proposals submitted for funding under Ohio Third Frontier and other technology-based economic development programs supporting entrepreneurial assistance and early stage capital initiatives administered by Development, and to provide technical assistance to Development regarding entrepreneurial assistance and early stage capital initiatives. More information is…

Complete descriptions of these opportunities and others are available at: http://www.ssti.org/posting.htm. The Illinois Manufacturing Extension Center (IMEC) has posted a job opening for vice president, service development and delivery, to plan, organize and initiate activities aimed at achieving IMEC's objectives in service/product delivery to MEP small manufacturers, OEM/large manufacturing, and non-manufacturing markets.  Other duties include consulting services development and leadership, value stream management, service/product development and improvement, and corporate planning and coordination. The candidate must have 10 or more years of experience in the leadership of a business or organization comparable to IMEC. The College of Wooster is seeking a director of the Center for Entrepreneurship. The primary responsibilities of this position are to oversee, coordinate and direct activities across campus for students, faculty, alumni and representatives from the community to promote entrepreneurial thinking. Demonstrated commitment to entrepreneurial thinking and action within an educational environment are required. Qualifications include an advanced…

In honor of Earth Day, SSTI has prepared a special edition of the SSTI Weekly Digest focused almost exclusively on green issues, ranging from a round-up of recent developments to encourage the creation and growth of alternative energy companies to a profile of Toledo's solar success story. Enjoy the news, and pass this issue along to others you think would be interested-but do it electronically, please.

Make 2009 your organization's year to be recognized as a national leader in the TBED community! Legislative leaders and key stakeholders need to know the valuable impact of TBED on local, state and regional economies. SSTI's Excellence in TBED Awards showcase these accomplishments and tell the story of how successful TBED initiatives have responded to a critical need by applying innovative approaches to generate substantial economic gains for their region. As an award winner, you: Gain positive exposure for your initiative; Enhance your organization's public image by promoting awareness of critical TBED issues; and, Showcase your accomplishments during dedicated breakout sessions at SSTI's annual conference. For these reasons and so many more, mark your calendars now for the tentative schedule of the 2009 Excellence in TBED Awards: Call for applications - April 21 Deadline for applications - June 16 Winners recognized - SSTI's 13th Annual Conference, Oct. 22-23, 2009, in Overland Park, Kansas More information about the awards program  and past award winners is available at: http://www.sstiawards.org…

Today's Digest marks SSTI's 600th issue. The Digest's growth in circulation and coverage over the past 13 years parallels the explosive expansion of activities to strengthen regional economies through technology-based economic development. From its humble beginnings as a two-page fax sent out to 50 people on Friday March 1, 1996, to its current world-crossing circulation now in the thousands, the Digest remains committed to delivering timely information that will help state, local and university TBED practitioners succeed. For the history buffs among our readership, nearly every past issue of the Digest is archived on our website: http://www.ssti.org/Digest/digest.htm. The Digest is made possible solely by the financial support of our membership. We encourage our readers to thank them directly (a list is available here) and to join them in becoming an SSTI member to help sustain the oldest free newsletter dedicated to serving the nation's entire TBED community.

More than 50 research funding opportunities totaling more than $100 million were sent to SSTI Members this week in SSTI's Funding Supplement. This members-only electronic publication provides readers with application information, eligibility criteria and submission deadlines for hundreds of research and economic development funding opportunities offered by the federal government and others. Additional information about SSTI Membership is available at:  http://www.ssti.org/benefits.htm

Kentucky Highlands Investment Corporation has named Jim Carroll as director of its Center for Entrepreneurial Growth. Catapult Bio, a nonprofit organization designed to help transform emerging research discoveries into business opportunities, accelerating the commercialization of life sciences in Arizona, announced its official launch with a grant of up to $14 million from Abraxis Bioscience. Ohio Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher resigned as the state's development director to run for the U.S. Senate. Gov. Ted Strickland has named Mark Barbash, who had been the state's chief economic development officer and was the former Columbus development director, as interim state director. Fisher will continue in the position of lieutenant governor. The Michigan Economic Development Corporation announced, pending formal approval by the board of directors on Feb. 26, D. Gregory Main will replace James Epolito as president and CEO of the economic development organization effective April 1. Troy Runge has been named director of the Wisconsin Bioenergy Initiative, a public-private partnership in bioenergy research, outreach, training and economic development based in the…

The complete description of this opportunity and others are available at http://www.ssti.org/posting.htm. TechColumbus, Central Ohio's advocate for tech-based economic development, has partnered with the Ray and Barney Group to conduct an executive search for a vice president for finance and administration. The position reports to the president & CEO and is responsible for leading and executing the finance and administration functions of TechColumbus. The ideal candidate should have five to ten years of experience in leadership roles, strong leadership skills, and be a flexible and collaborative team player with a hands-on management style.

The complete description of this opportunity and others are available at http://www.ssti.org/posting.htm. The National Business Incubation Association, (NBIA) the world's leading organization advancing business incubation and entrepreneurship, has retained ELF Associates to recruit a Chief Executive Officer. The CEO will be responsible for the accomplishment of the organizational and programmatic goals and objectives including Board  governance and support; executive leadership and management; program management; external relations, financial management; human resource management; information management and administrative operations; and marketing/member relations. A bachelor's degree and familiarity with the industry are required. A minimum of 5-10 years of professional management and leadership experience in the business incubation industry is preferred.