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SSTI Digest
Geography: Ohio
SSTI Editorial: FY08 Budget Request: Research Up; Economic Development Down
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:
More than 4,000 People Have Done It So Far. Have You?
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:
SSTI Website Provides Easy Access to Wealth of TBED Information
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:
Want Some Advice on Your TBED Efforts?
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:
People
Bruce Johnson, formerly Ohio's lieutenant governor and development director, was named president and CEO of the Inter-University Council of Ohio.
Digest, Funding Supplement Publication Schedule
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.
Obtaining the Resource Guide for TBED
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
SSTI Brought 1,400+ Funding Opportunities to Subscribers in 2006
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.
Brookings Provides Regional Strategies to Improve Great Lakes' Economy
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.
People
Columbus State University (Ga.) appointed James Bowie as director of its Columbus Technology Incubator.
People
Ohio Gov.-elect Ted Strickland announced he will nominate Lieutenant Gov.-elect Lee Fisher to be the state's development director.
Maximize Your Professional Development Dollars with Pre-conference Options
On Oct. 31, SSTI will offer four exciting options as pre-conference activities. Registration is separate from the full conference fee.
Transforming a Regional Economy: Moving Forward Together
How does a medium-sized city in a small state accomplish big things? How was a down-at-the-heels tract of urban landscape transformed into a 27-acre research park featuring a seven-building complex with 600,000 sq. ft. of Class A wet lab space and a 97 percent occupancy rate? How did the city convince its citizens to support one of the largest capital improvement projects in the country one that has already yielded more than $2.4 billion in public and private investment? This full-day session will provide answers and insights from the key players in the initiatives that have radically transformed the face of the community.