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SSTI Digest
People
Sheri Stickley, vice president of SSTI, will be leaving SSTI on March 2 to accept a position with the Oklahoma Department of Commerce. Sheri was one of the primary authors of A Resource Guide for Technology-based Economic Development, and we wish her well in her new position. Oklahoma's gain is our loss, but we look forward to benefiting from her advice and wisdom as she enters a new chapter of her career.
Willem Bakker was named president of the Technology Entrepreneur Center and executive director of the Information Technology Coalition, both in St. Louis.
Jan Lesher was named director of the Arizona Department of Commerce, replacing outgoing Gilbert Jimenez.
People
Sheri Stickley, vice president of SSTI, will be leaving SSTI on March 2 to accept a position with the Oklahoma Department of Commerce. Sheri was one of the primary authors of A Resource Guide for Technology-based Economic Development, and we wish her well in her new position. Oklahoma's gain is our loss, but we look forward to benefiting from her advice and wisdom as she enters a new chapter of her career.
People
Willem Bakker was named president of the Technology Entrepreneur Center and executive director of the Information Technology Coalition, both in St. Louis.
People
Jan Lesher was named director of the Arizona Department of Commerce, replacing outgoing Gilbert Jimenez.
People
Dick Munson is stepping down as executive director of the Northeast Midwest Institute to help start Recycled Energy Development, LLC.
People
Sherrie Preische resigned as executive director of the New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology to accept a position in the private sector.
People
Connecticut Innovations appointed Dr. David Reed to the position of executive in residence.
People
The Maryland Technology Development Corp. has appointed Renée Winsky as its new executive director.
Tech Talkin’ Govs, Part IV
This is the fourth installment of SSTI’s look at the Inaugural, Budget and State of the State Addresses delivered in the past week. Earlier installments, published Jan. 29, Jan. 15 and Jan. 8, are available through: http://www.ssti.org/Digest/2007/headlines07.htm
Selected excerpts of the most recent batch of speeches are provided below:
Connecticut
Gov. Jodi Rell, Budget Address, Feb. 7, 2007
“I am also bringing vitality to our state’s job picture and economy throughout my budget ... in expanding the state’s job creation tax credit to entice more new development, in increasing support for small business innovation research, in assisting the CT Center for Advanced Technology with subsidies to develop a fuel cell cluster.”
Iowa
Texas Governor Wants $300M Boost for Emerging Technology Fund
Texas Gov. Rick Perry unveiled his budget proposal for fiscal year 2008-09 with an additional $300 million to recapitalize the state’s Emerging Technology Fund (ETF). The program provides loans and grants to commercialization projects with ties to state universities, and to create research centers in key technology areas. The funding would represent a significant expansion of the program, which received $200 million when it was established in 2005 and no new funding in 2006.
Recent Research: Study Questions the Success of Bayh-Dole Approach to University Patenting
Over the past 27 years, the Bayh-Dole Act has been frequently cited as critical for university tech transfer in the U.S. The Act allows universities to assume ownership over the intellectual property (IP) produced on campuses, whenever that property derives from research funded in whole or in part by the federal government. The possibility of financial returns from licensing agreements or on the sale of IP gives institutions an important incentive to engage in applied research and move their discoveries to market.
$65M Available for Labor's WIRED Initiative
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently announced it will provide $65 million in new grants under the Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) Initiative.
Launched in February 2006, the WIRED initiative focuses on the role of talent development in driving regional economic competitiveness, job growth and new opportunities. The goal of WIRED, as described by DOL's Employment and Training Administration, is to expand employment and advancement opportunities for U.S. workers and catalyze the creation of high-skill and high-wage opportunities in regional economies. Regions across the country are provided with ongoing technical assistance, in addition to grant funding, to help achieve these goals.