SSTI Digest

Do high-growth, tech entrepreneurs require different mentoring and educational assistance than other entrepreneurs? The Small Business Administration (SBA) has issued a Request for Information (RFI) on successful models, metric and programming for high-growth entrepreneurial mentoring and education. Responses will be used to shape future initiatives at SBA and other federal agencies. Comments must be received by July 12. The RFI and a presentation on the request are available at: http://www.ssti.org/rfi.htm

A group of prominent American businessman recently issued five recommendations on how the federal government should address the nations need for energy innovation. The American Energy Innovation Council, which includes Bill Gates from Microsoft, Jeff Immelt from General Electric, Ursela Burns from Xerox, Norm Augustine formerly with Lockheed Martin, John Doerr from Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, and Tim Solso from Cummins Inc., proposes a national oversight board for energy technology policy and billions in funding for energy research, commercialization and pilot projects. These recommendations would help increase U.S. economic competitiveness, mitigate the environmental toll of energy production and improve national security, according to the report.

The council's recommendations include:

Investments in innovation, research, education and other technology-based economic development priorities have been receiving considerable amplification since President Obama took office last year. For the past 18 months, the key agencies that support R&D and TBED initiatives have been promoting the need to move federal investments in economic development and research more toward innovation. The question is: will the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) let that happen?

OMB issued two memoranda on June 8 that present significant challenges to affecting real change in federal economic development priorities and launching any new programs. Reining in the federal deficit will require significant cuts in spending. The cuts that begin in FY12 should be done surgically rather than across-the-board, OMB asserts.

Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter recently signed legislation to fund initiatives around the state preparing workers for the clean energy economy. The Green Jobs Colorado Program bill, originally proposed last year by Gov. Ritter, was included in a package of sixteen clean energy related bills passed state legislature in May. Gov. Ritter believes that this package of bills will position Colorado as "a national leader in New Energy Economy."

A new Georgia center features a variety of resources to assist life science entrepreneurs. The Georgia Bioscience Commercialization Center, funded by Georgia Bio and the Georgia Research Alliance, offers incubation space, counseling for experienced bioscience executives, entrepreneur education, and connection to TBED organizations around the state. Read more ...

Citing further damage to the state's reputation as a place to do business, Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona, vetoed SB 2401, a measure to suspend Hawaii's high-tech tax credit, which provides a 100 percent refundable tax credit for investments in qualified high-tech businesses. Lt. Gov. Aiona also challenged the legislature's assertion that the bill would have saved the state $93 million a year, stating that it was uncertain whether revenues from the measure could have been counted toward the state budget because a number of investors and businesses likely were to challenge the measure in court if it became law, according to a press release. Lt. Gov. Aiona is acting governor while Gov. Linda Lingle travels overseas. Read the veto letter: http://hawaii.gov/ltgov/news/files/2010/SB2401%20-%20SOBJ.pdf

In support of President Obama's Educate to Innovate campaign, NASA launched a new STEM education initiative on June 10. NASA's Summer of Innovation provides thousands of middle school teachers and students the opportunity to participate in evidence-based summer learning programs in the math and sciences. These multi-week math and science-based pilot programs will occur through the summer at locations across the country. The program's goal is to cultivate a new generation of aspiring scientists, mathematicians, and engineers with an emphasis on increasing the participation of low-income, minority students. The program also will include flagship events and design competitions open to students and teachers nationwide.

Sponsorship opportunities are designed to help your organization build awareness and develop beneficial relationships with the nation's top state and regional tech-based economic development decisionmakers.

You can join with our great sponsors already onboard to take advantage of this powerful networking and outreach opportunity by contacting Noelle Sheets, SSTI director of membership services, at sheets@ssti.org or 614.901.1690. Please contact SSTI as soon as possible to request the 2010 sponsorship benefit information, as all national sponsorship opportunities are on a first-come, first-served basis. The deadline for inclusion in the conference brochure is June 30.

SSTI's 14th Annual Conference, Accelerating Innovation: The Road Ahead for Tech-based Economic Development will be held Sept. 14-16 in Pittsburgh.

SSTI would like to thank our current National Sponsors: