SSTI Digest

With economic development at a crossroads, SSTI's Annual Conference will re-examine every facet of the field. This year's conference will offer breakout sessions in four thematic tracks: strategic direction, universities in economic development, investment & capital and from theory to practice. Participate in the track that most suits your interest, or mix-and-match to create a unique conference experience.

Conference tracks include:

Following the highly anticipated unveiling of 2012 award recipients during a special ceremony on October 29, the winners will meet with attendees for one-on-one interaction to share stories and offer advice. True to roundtable format, this session moves you around the room to promote dialogue and exposure to different viewpoints in the tech-based economic development field.

Learn from some of the freshest thinkers in the game on topics such as gaining momentum and support from legislators and key stakeholders; developing partnerships with community and industry leaders; and, measuring results to help convey impact and successes to the public. Learn more: http://www.ssticonference.org/?page_id=89.

Beautifully adorned to capture the spirit of the ocean, the Arctic Room at the Georgia Aquarium is your starting point to re- connect with colleagues, experience close encounters with majestic beluga whales, and simply enjoy an evening among friends. This lively event provides a wonderful pre-conference opportunity to network with conference attendees and our local hosts, Invest Atlanta and Clark Atlanta University, over drinks and light hors d'oeuvres by Wolfgang Puck Catering. The event begins at 6:00 PM on Sunday, October 29. Learn more: http://www.ssticonference.org/?page_id=297.

SSTI's conference is packed with timely and thought-provoking workshops, discussion groups and networking opportunities certain to keep you busy during your Atlanta stay. But to fill the gaps in between and maximize your experience, we've arranged some exciting activities geared toward improving your overall wellness and better connecting you to the people you most want to meet and share ideas.

Hatha Yoga
6:15 AM Monday, October 29, & 6:30 AM Tuesday, October 30
Start your days in Atlanta re- laxed and re- juvenated by attending a complimentary Hatha yoga class. Our amazing instructor will guide you through softly flowing movements and deep breathing that will feel wonderful after a day of traveling and help focus your mind for the conference activities ahead. This session is designed to accommodate all ages, shapes, sizes and flexibility levels. Not one bit of experience needed and registration is not required. Grab your hotel towel or bring your yoga mat and come as you are!

A limited number of conference sponsorship opportunities remain. Due to numerous requests, we have unveiled highly visible interactive opportunities at the right price point. A few of the exciting options include:

SSTI extends its appreciation and thanks to the following exemplary organizations helping to make SSTI's 16th Annual Conference a success.

Tom Ridge, the first secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and a former governor of Pennsylvania, has been elected chairman of the State Science and Technology Institute's (SSTI) Board of Trustees. As chairman, Ridge will lead the board in providing strategic guidance and oversight of SSTI's operations as the group works to encourage economic growth through science, technology and innovation. "SSTI focuses on issues central to our nation's competitiveness," said Ridge. "Many of the interests and areas that I'm passionate about, such as rebuilding America's manufacturing sector, align with SSTI's mission. I look forward to helping them advance their goals." Ridge was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1982 prior to serving as Pennsylvania's 43rd governor. In 2001, he became the first assistant to the president for Homeland Security and in 2003, the first secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The Obama administration today announced the 12 winners of the multi-agency Rural Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge. Approximately $9 million in federal funding will help support rural public-private partnerships to promote job creation, accelerate innovation and provide assistance to entrepreneurs and businesses in a wide range of industrial sectors in rural regions across the country. Economic development partnerships and initiatives in Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Hampshire, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia will receive awards ranging from nearly $200,000 to over $1 million from participating federal agencies. Based on grantee estimates, it is expected that in the short term a total of 2,990 jobs will be created or retained and $35.5 million in private investment will be leveraged. In the long term, grantees estimate that a total of 6,460 jobs will be created or retained and $69.6 million in private investment will be leveraged.Read the release...

A bill introduced less than three months ago to spur economic activity through high-impact university-industry R&D projects and provide tools for tech-based startup companies was passed with overwhelming support in the legislature. In addition to the matching fund, the bill includes funding to provide paid internships to startup technology companies and establishes an entrepreneur and startup venture capital mentoring program. Measures to address the state's skills gap and promote manufacturing competitiveness also are included.

In the first half of 2012, venture capitalists invested $13.1 billion in 1,707 deals, according to data from the quarterly survey conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) and the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA). This represents a marked decline from the first half of last year, when investors completed 1,942 deals with $14.7 billion. Though activity picked up in the second quarter (Q2) in 2012, both deals and dollars remained lower than the same quarter last year. The slowdown may be a reflection of some larger structural changes, as the entire industry contracts and venture capital (VC) dollars become concentrated in the hands of fewer firms. Since many of the remaining large firms are focused on information technology (IT) companies, IT deals have increased while investments in other sectors has declined.

In 2010, eight of 13 Western U.S. states currently maintain at least one tax exemption to encourage research and development according to a report from the Council of State Governments. In Trends in Western State Business Incentive, CSG looks at trends in the type and number of incentive business programs being used by 13 Western states — Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. Among the report's findings, all 13 states had tax incentives targeted at building a knowledge-based economy including:

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has released a breakdown of federal research and development (R&D) funding by research area. The report includes FY10 spending, FY11 preliminary spending levels and proposed FY12 levels. In 2010, national defense led the list of research priorities, receiving 59 percent of all U.S. R&D spending. Health research captured another 21.5 percent of spending. NSF provides tables for each research area that separate spending by federal agency and program. Download the data at: http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/nsf12322/.