As the most comprehensive resource available for those involved in technology-based economic development, SSTI offers the services that are needed to help build tech-based economies. Learn more about membership...
SSTI Digest
Geography: Ohio
Conference Reminder
Just a reminder that early registration for SSTI's Second Annual Conference, Science and Technology Programs: Catalysts for Economic Growth, are due August 31. The conference will be held September 24 & 25 in Columbus, Ohio. Full details can be found on SSTI's home page at www.ssti.org or by calling SSTI at 614/421-SSTI (7784).
DIGEST TAKES A VACATION
During the month of August, the SSTI Weekly Digest will be published every other week. The Digest will be published August 14 and August 28. It will resume weekly publication September 4.
SSTI SPONSORS SECOND ANNUAL CONFERENCE
The State Science and Technology Institute is sponsoring its second annual conference "Science and Technology Programs: Catalysts for Economic Growth" on September 23 and 24.
The conference will explore best practices, trends, and new developments in technology-based economic development programs.
The conference program includes the following sessions:
SMALL BUSINESS PERSON OF THE YEAR NAMED
Ross Youngs, president of Univenture, Inc. of Columbus, Ohio, has been named the National Small Business Person of the Year. Youngs was selected from a field of 53 Small Business Administration (SBA) small business winners representing the fifty states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Guam.
The national entrepreneur award is a highlight of SBA's national Small Business Week celebration. Small Business Week, now in its 35th year, honors the contributions of the nation's small business owners. Winners are selected on their record of stability, growth in employment and sales, sound financial reports, innovation, and the company's response to adversity, and community service.
Youngs founded Univenture ten years ago after developing a lighter, cheaper and more environmentally friendly product for displaying and storing compact discs. Today, Univenture is a $15 million dollar business that employs 119 people.
Universities as Catalysts for Economic Growth Workshop
The National Business Incubation Association (NBIA) is sponsoring a workshop entitled "Building University Engines for Academic Excellence, Technology Commercialization and Entrepreneurship." The workshop will he held on May 30, 1998 in Philadelphia, PA.
The keynote speaker will be Michael Hooker, chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Among the programs featured are Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Northwestern University, University of Texas at Austin, Georgia Institute of Technology, and the University of Maryland. More information on the workshop is available on NBIA's website at www.nbia.org/ conf/conf.htm or by calling 740/593-4331.
People
Dr. Walter Plosila has joined Battelle Memorial Institute as Vice President, Public Technology Management. He served most recently as the executive director of the North Carolina Alliance for Competitive Technologies (NC ACTs).
Correction
The December 19, 1997 issue of the SSTI Weekly Digest reported an incorrect FY 1998 appropriation for the Advanced Technology Program (ATP). The correct amount is $192.5 million.
NBIA Releases Study Demonstrating the Impact of Business Incubation
The National Business Incubation Association (NBIA) has released a new report that confirms that business incubators are helping to build healthy, long lasting businesses, and they are doing it at minimal cost with a good return on investment to supporters.
The report was conducted by the University of Michigan, NBIA, Ohio University and the Southern Technology Council under a grant from the U. S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration. It examines the impact of business incubators which house early stage companies and provide on-site management and a full array of business planning, marketing and financial services.
The study indicates that:
SSTI Releases Strategic Planning Report
The State Science and Technology Institute (SSTI) recently released State Science and Technology Strategic Planning: Creating Economic Opportunity. This report is the first comprehensive study of state science and technology strategic planning processes.
Prepared under a grant from the Economic Development Administration, Creating Economic Opportunity describes the key factors that contribute to the successful development and implementation of state science and technology strategic plans.
The study found there were ten best practices for successful strategic plans:
Calendar of Events
October 29, 1997
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers will sponsor Accessing Technology in Rhode Island. The briefing will provide information on state and federal technology resources available to assist businesses. For more information contact Reese Meisinger at 202/785-3756 or meisingerr@asme.org
October 29 - 30, 1997
The National Technology Transfer Center is hosting a training course entitled Technology Assessment in Ridgecrest, CA. For more information call 800-678-6882, or visit http://www.nttc.edu
November 10-11, 1997
SSTI Releases Issue Brief on State Science and Technology Strategic Planning
The State Science and Technology Institute (SSTI) recently released an issue brief that examines the current efforts of states to write and implement science and technology strategic plans. The report is entitled An Overview of State Science & Technology Strategic Planning.
The issue brief (1) presents an overview of states' science and technology strategic plans and the process by which they were developed; (2) examines the extent to which the plans explicitly address the needs of distressed areas; and, (3) describes science and technology strategic planning activities in Maryland, North Carolina, North Dakota, and Vermont.
SSTI found that 13 states adopted statewide science and technology strategic plans between 1991 and 1995. During this same time, 29 states adopted overall economic development strategies, some of which addressed the science and technology base in the state or the needs of particular technology-based industries.
Position Available
The Modernization Forum, a national association for the manufacturing extension community, seeks a project manager to join its team of professionals who work with the manufacturing extension community nationwide.
The project manager's responsibilities will include report research and writing, analysis of trends relevant to manufacturing extension, project management, direct interaction with member organizations across the country, and significant contributions to seminars and the annual national conference.
The complete job description can be found on SSTI's home page at http://www.ssti.org. For more information, contact Carol Lessure, Research Director for The Modernization Forum, at 313/271-2790 ext. 7, or by e-mail at clessure@modforum.org