SSTI Digest

Looking for that perfect professional development opportunity for you or your staff. If so, the SSTI Web calendar of events should prove useful in your search. By visiting www.ssti.org/calendar.htm, you can view more than 170 technology-based economic development events. Events include: EntrepreneurshipWeek USA, Feb. 24 - March 3, 2007, sponsored by The Kauffman Foundation, The New York Times and Inc. magazine, will take place across the U.S. More information is available at: http://www.entrepreneurshipweekusa.com/ The FLC's 33rd annual national meeting, May 15-18, 2007, Making the Connection will be held at the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex in Arlington, Texas. More information is available at: http://www.federallabs.org/meeting/ SSTI's 11th Annual Conference, Oct. 18-19, 2007, will be held at the Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel in Baltimore. More information is available at: http://www.ssti.org/conference07.htm If you have an upcoming tech-based economic development event of interest to a statewide, regional or national audience, please let us know by contacting Robin Brunotts at 614.901.1690.…

When one looks beyond the first few pages of many sections of the agencies’ fiscal year 2008 budget request summaries, the mental concept of a television rerun appears. As SSTI staff pored through the budget this week, several found ourselves saying, “Didn’t we read the same thing last year?” In many cases, we did. And why not? Congress failed to consider most of the president’s budget proposals for FY 2007 when the same political party ruled the executive and legislative branches, so why not float the ideas again when power is split? Could they fare any worse than FY07 when so few budget priorities have emerged? Now some will say hold on. That could be a little too harsh an assessment of what’s going on in FY07. There are a few highlights this budget go-around: Research spending appears to be growing this year in the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy’s Office of Science, and the National Institute of Standards & Technology. The president asked for that in the American Competitiveness Initiative, and Congress may deliver much of the first year’s request. It may be a year without a final budget, but it also appears it will be a year…

In just under 50 days, more than 4,000 people have gone to SSTI's website to read A Resource Guide for Technology-based Economic Development. The guide provides insights into three of the most important elements of transforming regional economies: Positioning universities as economic drivers; Fostering entrepreneurship; and, Increasing access to capital. Readers of the guide will benefit from the wisdom and experiences of 58 experienced practitioners who have worked on these issues. Each section of the book provides insight into the characteristics and qualities shared among the best TBED policies and practices. Examples of key strategies from across the country are included, as well as special considerations, cautions or tips for each approach. A Resource Guide for Technology-based Economic Development, produced with support from the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration, is available as a free, downloadable PDF at http://www.ssti.org/Publications/Onlinepubs/resource_guide.pdf or as an inexpensive 90-page bound book (a format still more likely to be perused by most legislators or gubernatorial…

Looking for information on individual states or on key statistical indicators? If so, the SSTI Weekly Digest archives are a resource that should prove helpful in your search. By visiting www.ssti.org/Digest/digest.htm, one can browse headlines or view Digest articles dating back to 1996 or use any of these tools: SSTI's State & Local Story Index provides quick access to stories on all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, as covered in the Digest. The Innovation Indices contain a list of Digest articles covering assessment tools. Many states, regions and communities have prepared profiles of their economies using a variety of indicators or metrics. Several national indices also have been prepared during the past few years, and this list provides a quick one-stop resource of the Digest articles we’ve prepared on them. The Useful Stats Index provides direct links to the information and tables found in past Digest issues.  Contact Noelle Sheets, director of membership services, at 614.901.1690, if you have any questions regarding these resources or would like to learn about SSTI’s membership benefits.…

SSTI's most recent publication, A Resource Guide for Technology-based Economic Development, provides valuable insights into three of the most important elements of transforming regional economies: Positioning universities as economic drivers; Fostering entrepreneurship; and, Increasing access to capital. While distinct, these three elements comprise the heart of most state TBED strategies and are closely interrelated. Readers of the guide will benefit from the wisdom and experiences of 58 experienced practitioners who have worked on these issues. Each section of the book provides insight into the characteristics and qualities shared among the best TBED policies and practices. Examples of key strategies from across the country are included, as well as special considerations, cautions or tips for each approach. A Resource Guide for Technology-based Economic Development, produced with support from the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration, is available as a free, downloadable PDF at http://www.ssti.org/Publications/Onlinepubs/resource_guide.pdf or as an inexpensive 90-page bound book (a format…

Bruce Johnson, formerly Ohio's lieutenant governor and development director, was named president and CEO of the Inter-University Council of Ohio.

Due to the Christmas and New Year's Day holidays, the next issue of the SSTI Weekly Digest will be published during the week of Jan. 8, 2007. Publication of the Funding Supplement also will resume in January, following this week's issue (Dec. 18, due out by Thursday). Just a reminder, the Supplement is reserved for SSTI sponsors, affiliates and supporters. If you are not in one of these SSTI member groupings, but would like to be, sign up your organization today to begin your subscription to the Supplement. More information, including benefits and a link to a secure registration form, is available at http://www.ssti.org/benefits.htm.

A Resource Guide for Technology-based Economic Development is available from SSTI as a free, downloadable PDF at http://www.ssti.org/Publications/Onlinepubs/resource_guide.pdf or as an inexpensive 90-page bound book (a format still more likely to be perused by most legislators or gubernatorial staff than a pile of printouts). Single print copies are $15 plus shipping and handling. SSTI members receive a 10 percent discount on each order. The guide can be ordered by calling SSTI at 614.901.1690 or ordering it online at SSTI's bookstore: http://www.ssti.org/Bookstore/merchant.mvc

So far this year, SSTI's Funding Supplement has made its subscribers aware of more than 1,450 different opportunities to secure funding. Another 40-50 new opportunities will be included in this week's issue. If you aren't a subscriber, your client companies, academic researchers, and state and local TBED efforts are at a significant disadvantage. Finding alternate sources of cash to support the research and the commercialization goals of your client companies and academic researchers is a valuable service provided by the most successful state and regional TBED programs – those programs subscribing to the Funding Supplement. Competition for federal research funding is growing, particularly as program budgets have been relatively flat or declining in recent federal budget cycles. But your tech companies and faculty researchers are at the greatest disadvantage if they are not even aware of all the opportunities available to them. Don't remain in the dark for 2007. Sign up your organization as one of SSTI's affiliate members today to begin your subscription to the SSTI Funding Supplement. Membership has…

Ohio Gov.-elect Ted Strickland announced he will nominate Lieutenant Gov.-elect Lee Fisher to be the state's development director.

As Ohio's General Assembly is poised to vote this week on whether or not to join a multi-state/province compact to govern use of Great Lake waters, the Brookings Institution is recommending a similar regional approach for coping with the area's economic future. The states within the Great Lakes region need to leverage their aggregate strengths and implement a number of policy innovations in order to adapt to the changing nature of the economy, according to a report released by the Metropolitan Policy Program of the Brookings Institution. The Vital Center: A Federal-State Compact to Renew the Great Lakes Region defines this region as the parts of 12 states that share a common geography, history, access to natural resources and economy - an economy that is struggling to change its perception from a rust belt area to one based on knowledge production. Using a systems approach to identify policy recommendations for the region, the Brookings report provides solutions within educational, economic, social, and infrastructure contexts. Additionally, it advises that the region, with its 97 million inhabitants, leverage its political…

Columbus State University (Ga.) appointed James Bowie as director of its Columbus Technology Incubator.