SSTI Digest

Crisp, clean air, blue waters and autumn leaves are just a few reasons why fall is the best time to visit Northeast Ohio. Cleveland was ranked as the number one “Most Livable City” in the U.S. by the Economist in 2005, primarily because it has all the benefits of a major city without sacrificing quality of life. Cleveland+ is home to major research institutions and healthcare organizations; major league sports teams; world-class cultural institutions; and great museums and entertainment attractions. Also considered an up-and-coming food destination, Cleveland offers some of the best, elegant, unique and casual fare around. Don’t miss out on your opportunity to network and meet a few new friends over dinner. SSTI is organizing a dine-around Cleveland with small group reservations being held at several exclusive establishments around the city. Sign up at the conference registration desk. More information on Cleveland events is available at: http://www.ssticonference.org/Conf08/cleveland.htm

SSTI conference “regulars” know that this event is the field’s most stimulating and rewarding professional development investment one can make. Each year’s agenda provides new perspectives and approaches to dealing with common problems, new issues and the latest trends and challenges facing your efforts to encourage regional innovation. You can expect: In-depth examinations of some of the best state and regional approaches to cultivate a bright economic future. Unparalleled networking with the right people within the tech-based economic development community. Stimulating dialogue and thought-provoking exchange between great thinkers, old friends and new peers from across the country. Renewed energy and personal resolve to address the challenges of strengthening your state or local economy. A great social networking opportunity enjoying the vibrancy of all Cleveland has to offer. This year, SSTI is adding even more elements, making it the most complete and complex conference yet. You won’t want to miss out on our new networking, entertainment and wellness events: National Innovation Reception – An annual highlight of the…

SSTI’s 12th Annual Conference is made possible by the support of our lead host sponsor, NorTech, a team of Ohio co-hosts, and the generous support of our national conference sponsors. SSTI extends its appreciation and thanks to the following exemplary organizations serving as our national sponsors: Kansas Technology Enterprise Corporation Greater Oklahoma City Chamber GSP Consulting National Centers of Excellence (NCOE) Ben Franklin Technology Partners Georgia Research Alliance Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development Maine Technology Institute (MTI) Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO) North Carolina Board of Science and Technology Ohio Department of Development Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development Washington Technology Center ASME Center for Engineering Entrepreneurship & Innovation Battelle Economic Modeling Specialists Inc. (EMSI) Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer (FLC) Lytmos Group Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Ohio Supercomputer Center New Economy Strategies, LLC Technology Innovation Program (TIP) The Trent Lott National Center of Excellence for Economic Development…

Most Digest readers know access to equity capital serves a critical role in encouraging regional innovation. But the stats on venture capital (VC) deals demonstrates all too well that money isn't flowing freely everywhere. The economy also is presenting challenges for equity deals, making exits more scarce. How can underserved areas attract early-, seed and late-stage capital? Keeping with the underlying theme of "Where Does TBED Go from Here?" for SSTI's 12th annual conference, we are quite excited to announce David Wilhelm, founder and President of Woodland Venture Management, will provide the keynote address on the topic of making successful VC investments anywhere. Woodland Venture Management is a company dedicated to the proposition that entrepreneurial vision and managerial talent may be found anywhere, including the hills of central Appalachia and the prairies of the Midwest. To this end, Mr. Wilhelm launched Adena Ventures and Hopewell Ventures, with a combined $140 million under management, bringing investment capital to high-growth companies situated in these underserved regions of the country. Today, these VC funds have invested millions of…

Entrepreneurship education courses continue to appear across the country. A large-scale commitment was announced recently, as eight Arkansas two-year colleges will offer degrees and certificates in entrepreneurship this fall. The broad availability is expected to help create a culture of entrepreneurship that extends from regions capitalizing in the emerging fields of bioscience and nanotechnology research to the rural pockets of the state in need of high-paying jobs.   Last month, the curriculum was approved by the Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board, prompting eight of the state’s 22 community and technical colleges to join a consortium with two additional schools seeking approval in October to begin implementing the curriculum. The degree option is for an Applied Associates Degree in Business Management or a stand-alone certificate in Entrepreneurship.   While some areas of the state are home to large Fortune 500 companies, including Wal-Mart in Bentonville and Tyson Foods in Springdale, other regions are unlikely to attract big corporations that provide jobs, said Donna Wood, associate vice president of global business…

Four leading members of the technology-based economic development community were elected to the State Science and Technology Institute (SSTI) board of trustees today, each bringing fresh perspective and unique insight on issues affecting SSTI’s nationwide network of policymakers and practitioners working to improve state and regional economies through science, technology and innovation.   The four will join SSTI’s existing nine trustees in providing strategic guidance and oversight for the organization’s 39 state sponsors and 148 affiliates and supporters. Representing government, higher education and industry sectors, the new appointees are: Rebecca Bagley, deputy secretary for the Technology Investment Office of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, which serves as a catalyst for growth and competitiveness for Pennsylvania companies and universities; Ernest “Ernie” Dianastasis, managing director of CAI’s Delaware Valley Operation, a global information technology consulting, integrating and outsourcing services organization and chairman of First State Innovation, a nonprofit initiative to…

The full-color, full-conference brochure will hit the streets next week but we wanted to give Digest readers the first peek at what promises to be a very special event for the technology-based economic development (TBED) community. SSTI’s 12th Annual Conference will be held Oct. 14-16, 2008, at the Intercontinental Hotel Cleveland. As you scan the conference schedule on the website, you’ll discover we’re putting together our most complete and complex conference yet. Everything at the event is designed to help state, regional and university-based TBED initiatives answer two central questions arising repeatedly across the country – questions needing answers for the field and for the entire national innovation system: How do we make the most significant difference or impact for our regional economy? Where do we go from here? This is the TBED community’s not-to-miss event of the year, as once again, more than 300 top TBED practitioners are expected to attend from across the entire U.S. We closed registration early last year because we ran out of space – don’t let it happen to you in Cleveland! Register your TBED…

Being associated with the premiere professional development event of the year for the nation's technology-based economic development community can yield tremendous returns for your company, organization or program. Exposure and unrivaled networking opportunities are presented through SSTI's annual conference -- broadening the reach and deepening the impact of your marketing dollars. Last year’s sold-out conference included more than 350 representatives from 48 states and four countries. Sponsorship opportunities exist to let professional attendees know that your organization is actively involved in innovation and tech-based economic development. Starting for as little as $2,000, you can highlight your organization -- and a conference registration is included! Your organization can take advantage of the powerful reputation of SSTI’s annual conference and connect with the leading thinkers and decision makers in the field. Only one exhibiting opportunity remains, and a limited number of additional recognized sponsorship categories is available, including recognition on the conference proceedings CD-ROM, morning yoga and fitness runs, Falcon…

Last week, Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland signed an executive order that immediately allows all U.S. veterans eligible for the Montgomery GI Bill, their spouses, and their dependents to enroll at in-state tuition rates at Ohio’s public colleges and universities. Titled the Ohio GI Promise, the policy effectively allows all U.S. veterans to attend college for free in Ohio, once the new federal GI bill goes into effect on Aug. 1, 2009. Ohio law gives the Chancellor of the state’s system of higher education the ability to determine which students can be deemed residents of Ohio. As outlined in Gov. Strickland’s executive order, all veterans along with their spouses and children who decide to live in Ohio to attend the state’s public colleges and universities will effectively be considered Ohio residents eligible for the reduced tuition rates. Other components of the executive order include: Establish a council to market and monitor the educational opportunities for veterans at Ohio colleges and universities; Hold a university system-wide conference in the fall of 2008 to advance policies to assist veterans and share best practices; Expand the Ohio…

Steve Bazinet has been hired as executive director of the Maine Center for Enterprise Development. Rahindra Bose is Ohio University's new vice president for research and creative activity and dean of the graduate college. David Fouts was selected as the next president and chief executive of MAGNET, the Manufacturing Advocacy & Growth Network. Fouts replaces Fatima Weathers, who served for a year as acting president. Denichiro Otsuga was named the first director of technology transfer at South Dakota State University. Harris Pastides was selected to replace Andrew Sorensen as University of South Carolina system president. Sorenson retired after six years at the helm. Linden Rhoads was appointed as vice provost of the University of Washington's TechTransfer unit. Rhoads starts her new position Aug. 14. Hunter Roberts, South Dakota's interim state energy director, was appointed to the post of energy policy director. Brent Tolman is the new executive director of the Workforce Development Alliance in Idaho. Sterling Wharton was hired as program director for Georgia's Centers of Innovation program.

Summer camps focusing on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields are typically designed to spark youth interest and introduce students to career options in these critical areas. However, a vital component of these programs is exposure to scientific challenges that many classroom settings cannot provide. Recognizing this exposure as beneficial to both teachers and students, several programs are targeting educators with the goal of enhancing instructional methods in the classroom in order to increase student achievement in the STEM fields. The following are examples of professional development programs for science teachers from across the country offered over the summer months.   Kansas Middle school science teachers in Kansas are moving out of the classrooms and into University of Kansas (KU) laboratories this summer to participate in university-level research with the goal of enhancing their content backgrounds and ability to apply research-based instruction. The Middle School Science Academy Research Experiences program is a three-year, multi-phase initiative funded by the Kansas Board of Regents that targets two school districts…

NorTech is inviting all SSTI conference attendees to an opening reception at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Tuesday, Oct. 14, from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Just like the music it pays homage to, inside and out, the Rock Hall exudes coolness. From the adventurously wide-open architecture and eye-popping displays to the sing-along soundtrack of continuously streaming rock and roll hits, this is one museum experience that really gets your heart pumping. Adding to the excitement, Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher, director of the Ohio Department of Development, will provide brief remarks on the importance of state government investments in technology-based economic development (TBED) and Ohio’s model for investing in TBED, including the $1.6 billion Ohio Third Frontier project. Lt. Gov. Fisher also will highlight Ohio’s Thomas Edison Program, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, and address how the Ohio Third Frontier and Edison programs have helped the state evolve a broader set of TBED strategies and programs to move Ohio’s economy forward. And yes, there's more. This celebratory event provides a wonderful pre-conference opportunity to reconnect with…