SSTI Digest

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Bureau of Business Research and Department of Economics has released its latest edition of the State Entrepreneurial Index, a state-by-state analysis of entrepreneurial activity. The index uses five components — percentage growth and per capita growth in business establishments, its business formation rate, the number of patents per thousand residents and gross receipts of sole proprietorships and partnerships per capita — to rank states in business formation and innovation. New York, Washington and Massachusetts placed in the top three spots, while Oregon, Delaware, Kentucky, Texas and Rhode Island all rose more than 25 spots since the last list was published in 2008. Read the list...

The University of Connecticut seeks a vice president for economic development to provide strategic leadership and direction in building and capitalizing on facilities, expertise and technology available at UConn and in improving state economic prospects in high-value industries. This is a new position reporting directly to the president.

Recent legislative actions supporting technology-based economic development include level funding for the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, funding to support programs of the Minnesota Science and Technology Authority and the expansion of two state programs in support of technology and life sciences companies in New Jersey.

Massachusetts
The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, a quasi-public agency charged with implementing the state's 10-year, $1 billion Life Sciences Initiative, will receive $10 million in FY12, the same as last year. The appropriation is contingent upon a consolidated net surplus for FY11. The center has so far committed $217 million in state funds, leveraged more than $710 million in additional outside investment, and created a projected 7,000 jobs, according to the agency.

The full budget can be viewed at www.mass.gov/gaa.

Steven Chu, Secretary of the Department of Energy, announced $2 million in available funding for the National University Clean Energy Business Challenge — a nationwide network of regional university-based clean energy business creation competitions. The intent of the initiative is to "inspire, mentor and train students from across the country to develop successful business plans to create a new generation of American clean energy companies." Participating teams of students will work with experienced mentors from the energy industry and startup community, along with university and national lab-based researchers, to develop the business plans. The winning teams from the regional competitions will compete for a National Grand Prize at a competition held in Washington, D.C., in early summer 2012.

Gov. Pat Quinn this week signed into law two bills in support of tech-based companies and student entrepreneurs. SB 107 builds on the state's Technology Development Account, which allows the state to invest up to 1 percent of its investment portfolio in venture capital firms that in turn invest in technology-based businesses. The new law increases the amount to 2 percent. Companies may use the funding for R&D, marketing new products and workforce expansion. Another bill signed by Gov. Quinn creates the Higher Education Technology Entrepreneur Center Act. This allows the board of trustees at the state's public universities and community colleges to establish a technology entrepreneur center. The centers will offer mentors, workshops, a structured course of work study to bring an innovation from concept to market, and provide contacts with potential private-sector investors.

Michigan's InvestMichigan! Mezzanine Fund is slated to become the Small Business Administration's (SBA) first licensed Impact Investment Fund through the agency's new Impact Investment Initiative. The SBA initiative, which is part of the White House's Startup America initiative, uses the existing infrastructure of the Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) program to encourage small business growth. Participating funds must make place-based investments in small businesses in underserved areas, or investments in the clean energy and education sectors. SBA will provide $80 million to the Michigan fund, along with another $15 million from Dow Chemical Company and $35 million from Michigan Growth Capital Partners. Read the announcement...

The National Science Foundation (NSF) recently awarded a five-year, $10 million grant to the Stanford Technology Ventures Program (STVP) to create a national center for entrepreneurship engineering. STVP will partner with the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance (NCIIA) to develop resources for undergraduate entrepreneurship programs at engineering schools across the country. Read the announcement...

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper unveiled the Colorado Blueprint: A Bottom-up Approach to Economic Development, "a document that responds to outlines the steps that will be taken by the Hickenlooper Administration over the next few years to support and promote economic development across Colorado. "The plan consists of six focus areas and 24 action items to spur the state's economic development. The six areas are:

• Making Colorado more business friendly;
• Recruiting and retaining businesses;
• Increasing access to loans for businesses;
• Increasing tourism;
• Workforce training; and,
• Cultivating innovation and technology.

The diversity and scope of a federal laboratory's mission, congressional support and oversight, and the centralization/decentralization of technology transfer functions at the agency and laboratory levels are among the factors that affect technology transfer and commercialization at federal laboratories, according to a recent report sponsored by the Department of Commerce. Findings are based on literature review and discussions with technology transfer personnel at federal agencies and laboratories.

In conducting a review on peer-reviewed publications and texts and through interviews, the authors found that underfunding of technology transfer that leads to commercialization is still a significant problem today. When asked what barriers prevented them from doing more technology transfer that leads to commercialization, the most common answer from researchers was a lack of dedicated and sustained resources.

About 60 percent of U.S. academic R&D spending support research in the life sciences, according to data released by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Engineering R&D, the second largest target of spending, accounted for 15.7 percent of total academic research expenditures. While California leads the country in total spending in every science and engineering field, the District of Columbia leads in per capita spending in life sciences, physical sciences, psychology and social sciences. Other leaders in per capita spending include Maryland (math and computer sciences, and engineering) and Alaska (environmental sciences).

SSTI has prepared a table showing total and per capita academic R&D expenditures by state and by field of study. The Excel version includes tabs for each field, which include state rank, per capita spending and rank of per capita spending. (See the June 20, 2011 issue for total 2004-09 expenditures and spending by funding source.)

The High Technology Development Corporation, an agency of the State of Hawaii, is responsible for promoting and advancing technology-based economic development in Hawaii. They are currently seeking applicants for two positions:

HTDC Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program Coordinator will mainly provide project support and assistance to the HTDC MEP center director and MEP project manager, reviewing documents to ensure state and federal regulatory compliance plus assisting with tracking, compiling and enter project progress data.
HTDC Economic Development Specialist will work closely with the HTDC executive team to plan, organize, staff, implement, and track projects as well as provide support for programs and innovation centers across the state.

Lawmakers in several states wrapped up their 2011 sessions in time for the new fiscal year, which begins on July 1 for most states, allocating funds and passing bills in support of tech-based economic development. Read more...

Delaware lawmakers established a new Job Creation Tax Credit and extended the scope to include clean energy technologies. Read more...

Maine Gov. Paul LePage signed a bill expanding the state's Seed Capital Tax Credit. Read more...