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SSTI Digest
USDA Pushes Bio-based Products through Federal Purchasing Power
Launching a revolutionary market-defining product like the iPod is one thing, but commercializing consumer products built on revolutionary manufacturing processes or new material composition have a much tougher time breaking into existing markets unless the new product comes with a significant cost-savings for consumers or quality improvement that warrants the expense. This is particularly true for technologies, services and products built on an energy conservation, waste minimization or other renewable/green platform.
An item that either addresses a public good or reduces a social cost (i.e. reducing health costs by reducing air pollution caused in the products manufacture) often has a difficult time remaining on the market because sufficient demand is not in place early enough in the products commercial life to achieve the economies of scale in production and mass distribution.
NSF Pumps $75M into New ERCs
Synthetic biology, quality of life technologies, fluid power, mid-infrared technologies, and structured organic composites are the five technology areas supported through the new Engineering Research Centers (ERCs) awards announced by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The centers will share $75.3 million to develop cross-disciplinary research programs advancing technologies that address major societal problems and provide the basis for new industries.
For more than two decades, the ERC program has fostered interdisciplinary research and education collaborations, in close partnership with industry, based on the realities of technological innovation and the development of new products and services. States often incorporate ERCs and state-sponsored university-industry research centers into their tech-based economic development strategies. In each center, scientists and engineers from a variety of disciplines collaborate on broad-based high-risk engineering research, developing fundamental engineering knowledge and test beds for important emerging technologies.
Useful Stats: Continuing Free Fall: Industry Share of Academic R&D by State, 2004
In each of the last five years, the percentage of U.S. academic R&D supported by industry has declined. Real dollar expenditures also have declined to only $2.107 billion. NSF wrote in an April 2006 Issue Brief, "The industrial sector is the first source of academic R&D funding to show a multiyear decline since the survey began, in FY 1953... Industry's share of academic R&D support in FY 2004 equaled its share in FY 1983, at 4.9 percent."
Understanding the reasons behind the trend are important before too many conclusions are drawn but one may ask: Should state and local policymakers for TBED be developing approaches to change the direction of the trend?
Probably.
Transforming Regional Economies: A Peek at the Conference Agenda
SSTI's is very excited to be holding its 10th Annual Conference in Oklahoma City, Oct. 31-Nov. 2, 2006. The event has become the premier professional development experience for the tech-based economic development community, the only event to bring together representatives from every aspect of transforming state, regional and local economies through science, technology, innovation and entrepreneurship.
One of the most respected elements of the conference each year is the series of 20-24 intimate breakout sessions that allow participants to explore the more important issues of tech-based economic development with their peers from around the country. The conversations are educational and advanced, stimulating new approaches and ideas to take home to your local or state TBED efforts. The full agenda will be released soon, but SSTI is pleased to give regular Digest readers the first peek at just some of the topics to be included at this year's conference:
Job Corner: Griffin Seeks Director of Laboratory Operations and Applications Development
Griffin Analytical Technologies, LLC, a producer of premium chemical detection systems, is seeking a director of laboratory operations and applications development. Griffin serves U.S. Departments of Defense and Homeland Security applications, environmental health and safety monitoring, and research and teaching laboratories. The director will manage the workflow of Griffins labs, manage a staff of five, support research programs, and support sales and marketing efforts. A Ph.D. degree is preferred. Applicants also should have experience in mass spectrometry, seven or more years of related laboratory work, and at least three years of laboratory management experience. More information on this opportunity is available through the SSTI Job Corner at http://www.ssti.org/posting.htm.
Nano Roadmap Offers Plan to Enhance NC's Economic Future
North Carolina could boost its economy by further leveraging the science of atoms and molecules, a new report finds. In A Roadmap for Nanotechnology in North Carolinas 21st Century, released earlier this month, a state task force comprised of academic and business leaders offers a number of ways North Carolina can use nanotech to provide secure more high-paying jobs for its economy. Of the group's 22 recommendations, 12 focus on enhancing the states overall technology economy, while 10 focus specifically on improving and developing North Carolinas nanotechnology community.
Transforming Regional Economies. Oct. 31-Nov. 2. Oklahoma City
SSTI is pleased to give regular Digest readers the first peek at the four intensive pre-conference workshops, which will precede SSTI's 10th annual conference on Nov. 1-2. Registration may be completed online at: https://www.ssti.org/Conf06/registration.htm.
Turning Innovations into Enterprises: A Practitioner's Guide to Technology Commercialization
A name and face familiar to many SSTI members, Dr. Randy Goldsmith, president of the Mississippi Technology Alliance, brings his internationally popular technology commercialization workshop to this years SSTI pre-conference in a half-day format especially designed for TBED professionals. The Goldsmith Technology Commercialization Model has been adopted by NASA and by economic development organizations in the United Kingdom, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kentucky and elsewhere.
Recent Research: Generous Schools Generate More Licensing Revenues
While money is often downplayed as a motivator for academic researchers, it turns out they are more like the rest of us than some thought, according to a new study from the London School of Economics and Political Science. The more a university shares its royalties with faculty researchers, the more overall licensing income that university earns, the study suggests.
In The Impact of Royalty Sharing Incentives on Technology Licensing in Universities, Saul Lach and Mark Schankerman contend that the design of intellectual property rights and other forms of incentives for faculty may have real effects on growth and productivity. The model is based on the Association of University Technology Manager's annual survey of university tech transfer activities.
K-12 Pilot Programs Shape Tomorrow's Entrepreneurs
A well rounded K-12 educational system has long been regarded as a prerequisite for robust regional growth. An accessible supply of early stage capital is another key ingredient for entrepreneurship. Can both be accomplished simultaneously?
A recent white paper from CFED suggests yes, public school systems can do more to prepare students for participation in the entrepreneurial community. Linking Youth Savings and Entrepreneurship proposes it could be as simple as combining existing education programs to encourage entrepreneurship while promoting sound personal fiscal management. The result is students building their own nest eggs to launch entrepreneurial opportunities once they finish high school or college.
Several pilot programs specifically address the need for entrepreneurial education in K-12 schools, adding a finance twist as well:
Census Bureau Survey Provides Key Data on Nations Population Changes
The Census Bureau recently released a 2005 update for American Community Survey (ACS), the most detailed demographic information available for nearly 7,000 areas including congressional districts, counties, cities and American Indian/Alaska native areas with a population of 65,000 or more.
ACS addresses one of the greatest challenges for demographers and economic development policy researchers -- the availability of current data on the nations changing and diverse population. Prior to the annual ACS, this information was historically gathered once a decade.
The 2005 ACS data include demographics such as sex, age, race, education, place of birth, marital status, education, veterans, disability status and U.S. citizenship. Additionally, the data represent the first update of key population characteristics since 2000 for 75 of the top 100 fastest-growing cities in the nation.
The ACS website allows comparison of several geographic units at once as well as mapping capabilities.
Useful Stats: Industrial Support for Academic R&D by State, 2000-2004
In 2004, U.S. industry-financed academic R&D totaled more than $2.1 billion -- a $54.9 million decrease from 2003, according to the National Science Foundations Survey of Research and Development Expenditures at Universities and Colleges, Fiscal Year 2004.
For the 2000-04 period, the U.S. as a whole experienced a decrease of 3.26 percent in academic R&D expenditures funded by industry sources -- 2004 was the third consecutive year that the U.S. total has slipped. It should be noted that during the 2000-04 period, academic R&D from all sources of funds saw an almost 43 percent increase (see SSTI's table from last week).
People
Mary Lawyer is leaving the Iowa Department of Economic Development to be the president and CEO of Des Moines' Downtown Community Alliance, effective Sept. 14.
Maneesh Sagar has been named director of investments at Connecticut Innovations.
Purdue University has hired Mark Smith as its new Workforce Innovations in Regional Economic Development project administrator.