SSTI Digest

Many areas of the country are lamenting the workforce challenges presented by the out-migration of technically skilled college graduates, a “brain drain” for short. Two studies released during the past few days, however, provide positive data to the contrary for Michigan and the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania metro region. Michigan The Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and the Presidents Council, State Universities of Michigan released a study showing the large majority of technically educated Michigan university students remain in the state after graduation. Tracking the patterns of approximately 30,000 high-tech sector graduates from 1997 through 2000, the researchers found Michigan retained 79 percent of graduates in the life sciences, information technology and engineering sectors who entered the workforce in high-tech positions. Even more positive for the state’s technology companies, 55 percent of students who moved to Michigan to attend a public university in these fields stayed in the state after graduation. The study…

What are you doing to protect your state or local economy from technological advances that will completely overturn an industry 10, 20, 30 years from now?  With the prospect of someday losing 27,000 high-paying tech jobs at 15 automotive engine and powertrain plants, Michigan has unveiled a plan to position the state as a leader when automotive applications of fuel cell technology make the internal combustion engine obsolete.  Commissioned by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and the Michigan Automotive Partnership, the strategic plan and market study call for the state and automotive industry to jointly:  Create a Michigan Advanced Automotive Powertrain Technology Alliance;   Investigate the feasibility of creating a power electronics Center of Excellence;  Establish a Michigan Hydrogen Infrastructure Working Group to include the investigation of necessary changes and lead time requirements for service and repair of infrastructure related to fuel cell and alternative technology vehicles;  Promote…

The latest semi-annual state fiscal survey, released jointly this week by the National Association of State Budget Officers and the National Governors' Association, reconfirms the increasing pressure on state coffers found six months ago. Slowing revenues and increasing Medicare and health care costs have resulted in 16 states reducing expenditures in the current fiscal year by $1.6 billion. Eleven states also are reducing their FY 2002 revenue projections. An average of only 1.3 percent growth in state revenues is estimated from 2001 to 2002. Budget officials in seven states are preparing for declining expenditures in FY 2002. The survey can be downloaded at http://www.nasbo.org/Publications/PDFs/FSJUN2001.pdf The impact of state fiscal matters on funding for tech-based economic development initiatives and investments in university research varies dramatically. Big winners capture Digest headlines, such as the Pennsylvania story this week and the June 15 article on Texas’s $800 million spree. Many states, because of tight budgets, are expecting…

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), in partnership with several public and private organizations, has outlined a plan to address telecommunications infrastructure needs across the state. LinkMichigan, released last week, addresses several telecommunications infrastructure issues or concerns that were increasingly facing the public and private sector, including: Dissatisfaction with broadband or bandwidth availability in the state. Lack of an adequate backbone infrastructure in many regions of the state to carry fast-speed broadband traffic. Little or no information on availability and accessibility of telecommunications infrastructure. Lack of understanding by many communities as to the importance of developing telecommunications infrastructure in their region. Four recommendations are outlined to construct a state-of-the-art telecommunications infrastructure throughout the state, including: “Leverage Statewide Public Demand to Create a High-Speed Backbone: The Michigan Department of Management and Budget is being asked to…

During the first days of March, Michigan Governor John Engler announced the implementation of two programs through the Michigan Virtual University to integrate information technology into the state’s education system. Laptops for Teachers On March 6, the Governor ceremoniously distributed the first laptop computers in the Teacher Technology Initiative (TTI) announced last year. The program allocates up to $1,200 for each eligible educator to receive a computer complete with software, including a productivity package, Internet access, a warranty and web-based professional development. It is funded by a one-time $110 million appropriation made last year by the state legislature, providing 90,000 Michigan teachers with computers and Internet access. TTI applications from some 211 school districts were processed during the months of December, January and February, representing 23,839 teachers and an investment of $28.6 million. Because more than 60,000 teachers have completed the required online assessment, more…

Concerned that it currently lacks the “critical mass” required to be a leader in biotechnology, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) has prepared the Michigan Life Sciences Strategy, which outlines a plan to develop its universities, industries, and infrastructure to nurture biotechnology entrepreneurship over the next decade.  In developing the strategy, MEDC conducted three studies: a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis; a comparative analysis of competitor states and best practices in public biotech programs; and a situational analysis of Michigan's current portfolio of programs and activities related to life sciences. The best practices and comparison analysis are drawn from Maryland and North Carolina.  Specific policy recommendations are presented across four broad vision strategies for Michigan, including:  Foster a vibrant entrepreneurial culture to support the formation and growth of life sciences firms in Michigan.  Establish mechanisms to promote in-state industry-university collaboration…

Last week, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) announced the findings of Michigan: The High-Technology Automotive State, a new study that demonstrates that the state’s high-tech workforce is dramatically larger than previously reported by national rankings. The MEDC study shows that the American Electronics Association (AEA) uses a narrow definition of high-tech in their annual ranking, Cyberstates 4.0, which was released the next day. Under current AEA reporting guidelines, high technology jobs in the auto industry and other traditional industrial sectors are excluded from the Cyberstates data. According to the new MEDC report, which uses the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics definition of high-tech industries, there are 530,492 high-tech workers in Michigan, compared to 96,013 reported by the AEA. As a result, Michigan’s ranking, viewed as critical by the MEDC to changing the nation’s perception of Michigan as a high-tech center, moves to 4th in the country from 17th in Cyberstates. Ohio and Pennsylvania, among others, also benefit from the new study. Massachusetts, Florida,…

Mike Wojcicki, chief operating officer and vice president of research at KTEC, has been named President of the Modernization Forum (ModForum) in Livonia, Michigan

The Manufacturing Modernization Forum (ModForum), located near Ann Arbor, Michigan, is a trade association for groups who help smaller manufacturers improve their productivity and performance. The not-for-profit organization seeks applications from qualified candidates to fill the position of President/CEO. Resumes will be accepted until November 24. More information may be found at the S&T Job Corner on the SSTI website (http://www.ssti.org/posting.htm ) or by contacting: Cindy Stotesbery, ModForum President Search, Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership, 2601 Crossroads #145, Madison, WI 53718, Phone: 608-240-1740.

The September 3, 1999 issue of the SSTI Weekly Digest contained some errors in the SBIR tables. The correct information is below. Revised tables are available for review on our website at:  http://www.ssti.org/Digest/Tables/090399t.htm In the Department of Education's SBIR Phase II awards, the totals for Michigan and Minnesota were inadvertently switched. There were no Phase II proposals received nor awards made to Michigan firms this year. Minnesota firms submitted two proposals, both of which were selected for Phase II funding. The Department of Education awarded one award out of three proposals received from firms located in Wisconsin. In the table, we accidently relocated these businesses to Wyoming. No Education Phase I SBIR proposals were received from Wyoming firms this year. In the table presenting NASA SBIR Phase II awards, the correct statistics for Michigan are 0 awards from four proposals. The correct figures for Mississippi are two awards to two different firms from three proposals submitted.

With a $50 million appropriation in FY 2000, the State of Michigan has made the first installment toward spending $1 billion over the next 20 years for life sciences research, development, and commercialization. The funding is derived from Michigan's tobacco settlement. Other public and private sources are expected to match much of the state's investment over the two decades.   In late July, Governor John Engler signed a bill funding a "life sciences corridor," an effort to make four Michigan research institutions -- the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Wayne State University, and the Van Andel Institute -- among the nation's most important for biotechnology applications. The annual allotment will be portioned out to three program areas: 40 percent will support a Basic Research Fund, to be distributed to projects from the four institutions on a competitive basis; 50 percent will go to a Collaborative Research and Development Fund, with emphasis on testing or developing emerging discoveries in partnership with biotech firms; and, 10 percent will go to a Commercialization Development Fund to invest in start-up…

The new Michigan Economic Development Corporation has released its strategic plan to increase the growth of technology-related jobs in the state. The report, State Smart: Michigan, outlines more than $6 million in new initiatives and several tax incentives to encourage technology-based growth in three key industry sectors: life sciences, information technology and advanced manufacturing. The plan's initiatives are divided among three categories: "Smart Ideas" to develop a base of university research for commercialization and a marketing program to enhance Michigan's image as a high tech state; "Smart People" for technology-based workforce development; and, "Smart Capital," to encourage technology investments through R&D funding, tax credits and reforms, and infrastructure improvements. Some of the specific "Smart Ideas" initiatives include: establishing a $2-million-per-year university research matching fund to help academic researchers leverage federal and private funding in information technology, electronics and emerging sectors; hiring marketing specialists and…