SSTI Digest

North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue recently signed off on a package of economic incentives for small businesses, including tax credits for interactive digital media firms, particularly those that collaborate with the state's research universities or community colleges. Digital media companies, including video game studios, are eligible for a 15 percent income tax credit; 20 percent for higher education collaborations. The bill also provides a 35 percent tax credit for research performed within one of the state's Eco-Industrial Parks.

Read the bill ...

A recent report from the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices provides states with a blueprint to create a skilled workforce based on the success of the Automotive Manufacturing Technical Education Collaborative (AMTEC). AMTEC is a partnership of 30 community colleges and 34 auto-related plants in 12 states that worked to identify and implement improvements in technical education for workers in advanced automotive manufacturing. The report offers a model for how states can work collaboratively with industry, community colleges and each other to increase the quality and value of technical training.

Read the report ...

A $108.3 million increase would be nothing to refuse in a tight budget scenario, except Congress has set a goal to double the $5 billion Office of Science (OS) budget and the figure is slightly less than half of the $218 million increase the Obama administration requested for FY 11. The information is taken from the recent action by the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development on the Department of Energy's 2011 budget. Within OS, the $2.2 billion energy efficiency and renewable energy programs would bump up by $45 million, far below the Administration requested increase of $113 million.

Read more from the American Institute of Physics.

UMass Donahue Institute is seeking a director for the economic and public policy research unit (EPPR) that consists of an outstanding team of twelve research and professional staff. Along with a commitment to public service, the ideal candidate will be a knowledge leader, outstanding communicator, program developer, collaborator and experienced manager and researcher. Familiarity with relevant research areas and potential clients in Massachusetts and New England, including industry, government, professional associations, and nonprofit organizations is preferred. Minimum qualifications include a Ph.D. in economics, public policy, sociology, or related discipline; experience in applied economic research; and demonstrated management experience.

Read more job postings

Crafting a regional TBED strategy is a difficult proposition. First, you figure out where you are. You check the data, conduct surveys and talk to the right people. Then, you figure out where you need to go. You look at other regions, and, again, talk to the right people. Using that information, you try to chart a course from where you are to where you want to be. The path, however, is rarely a straight line. Economic development is a messy business, and regional economies are subject to an unlimited number of factors: global economic trends, state and federal politics, the cultural cache of cities, the work of local researchers, and so on.

TBED has never been more vital to state and regional growth, but there are no easy answers. We are still in the midst of a global economic crisis that has shaken regional economies and state budgets. And there is the potential of more than 30 new governors, each with their own economic agenda.

Want to know more about the Obama Administration's innovation strategy? SSTI is pleased to welcome two key administration officials to this year's conference. Ginger Lew, Senior Counselor to the White House National Economic Council (NEC) and the Small Business Administration (SBA), and Brian McGowan, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce and COO for the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), will discuss the administration's plans to support innovation.

In her roles at NEC and SBA, Ginger Lew serves as the administration's economic policy advisor on a broad range of matters that impact small businesses. She co-chairs the White House Interagency Group on Innovation and Entrepreneurship and leads the White House Interagency Taskforce on Regional Innovation Clusters.

Recently, the administration has been soliciting input from around the country on the various roles that universities play in regional economic development. Ms. Lew will share some of what the White House has learned from that process, and discuss the administration's current thinking on university commercialization.

Voters in more than 30 states will go to the polls to choose a governor later this year. For TBED professionals, gubernatorial elections can mean uncertainty. Will the next administration put economic development and technology on the agenda? Will the new governor support existing agencies and programs, or will he/she introduce new initiatives? What will happen to the budget for TBED programs?

We know you have questions. That's why SSTI's 14th Annual Conference will feature leaders who can speak with unparalleled authority about the view from the governor's mansion and what it takes to create and sustain successful statewide initiatives. SSTI is honored to have three of Pennsylvania's governors for a plenary session in which they can share their perspectives and experiences. They are:

What are the steps in building a successful regional alliance?

How can my region benefit from the Obama Administration's vision for innovation?

Where should I look for funding now with state budgets so tight?

These questions are probably similar to questions that you are facing in this tough fiscal climate. SSTI's annual conference allows you to structure your conference experience around the most vital issues for accelerating your region's innovation successfully. A new addition to the 2010 conference allows you better tailor your conference experience to resolve your questions!

At the 2010 conference, there will be six thematic "tracks" to cover the most pressing concerns of the TBED community. The tracks for the 2010 conference include:

Pennsylvania invites all SSTI conference attendees to a networking reception at the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens Tuesday, Sept. 14. Guests can immerse themselves in 17 distinct botanical experiences while exploring this thriving attraction that showcases advanced green-building practices, sustainable gardening and a new environmental awareness.

The event promises to be a wonderful environment to reconnect with colleagues and network with conference attendees, speakers, and our local hosts over cocktails, delicious hors d'oeuvres and an array of innovative food stations.

Transportation to and from the Omni William Penn and the event will be provided, beginning at 6:15 PM.

The reception is made possible by the support of the conference's 27 Local Sponsors.

The way we interact with our colleagues has forever changed in the face of social networking, teleconferences, and email. But the need for personal, one-on-one interaction to ask questions, bounce ideas off one another, and share best practices is still very much alive. SSTI and our host sponsors have assembled nationally recognized experts in six key areas related to TBED in a one-of-a-kind workshop designed to open the paths of conversation for candid questions and discussion in speed dating format — minus, of course, the uncomfortable gaffes and awkward silences in real speed dating.

The transition from finite energy sources such as fossil fuels to renewable energy sources is on. The U.S. government, European Union and China are directing billions into the development of renewable energies. Most states have adopted energy standards to encourage the change. Private investments in renewable energies also have surpassed investments in fossil fuel technologies. Economic opportunities and challenges for regions across the country abound as a result.

Energy issues don't stop at the power plant, whether they are large centralized facilities or distributed at each household or business. With the urgent need to combat climate change and become more globally competitive, decreasing our energy use and pollution byproducts is important in everything and will affect all we do — including how we approach economic development.

After this year's Big Reveal, Wednesday, Sept. 15 at lunch, join practitioners named as best practices in the field of tech-based economic development as they gather during a thought-provoking session to discuss only the most important issues for the TBED community — lessons learned, how to measure impact, and how to communicate success to sustain programs. SSTI is rolling out an entirely new format for the session this year designed to engage audience members through an intimate setting featuring an interview format led by Peggy Shults, President and CEO of Lytmos Group, LLC.

Achieving Excellence in TBED
3:45 PM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday, September 15

Past Excellence in TBED Award Winners

James & Esther King Biomedical Research Program (2009)
Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholars® Program (2007)
Expanding the Research Capacity

Washington Technology Center Research & Technology Development Program (2009)
Maryland Technology Transfer Fund (2008)
Georgia Research Alliance VentureLab (2007)
Commercializing Research