SSTI Digest

Perhaps in no field more than biotechnology are the roles of alliances, mergers and acquisitions, and licensing so influential in determining the future success of a start-up firm. Pharmaceuticals are perhaps the best example of this. There aren't hundreds of big pharma companies around the world; there are perhaps a dozen, and, thanks to television advertising for meds, most are practically household names. To make it as a young biopharma business, most plan to be licensed up or bought out.

[Publisher's note: In last week's Digest, we prepared a table showing what I thought was per capita federal R&D spending by state for 2003. Some readers who are more astute than I questioned the data, and in reviewing how I used the NSF data, I discovered that I had done so incorrectly. My apologies to all for this error. We have removed the incorrect table from our website. The below article uses correct data to look at per capita federal R&D for the last five years and replaces the information from last week's Digest.] Using statistics from the National Science Foundation’s Survey of Federal Funds for Research and Development, SSTI has prepared a table ranking all 50 states and the District of Columbia in per capita federal R&D obligations from 1999-2003.  

John Cronin was named state director of the new Rhode Island Small Business Development Center at Johnson and Wales University in Providence. Cronin is CEO of the Rhode Island Manufacturing Extension Partnership. The Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC) named Dr. Steven Hillenius to replace Dr. Ralph Cavin as vice president. Cavin is retiring from the SRC leadership team at the end of the year. Yolanda Hunter is the new manager of the New River Valley Competitiveness Center in Radford, Va. Wayne Carpenter, former manager of the incubator, left to pursue private consulting work.

John Cronin was named state director of the new Rhode Island Small Business Development Center at Johnson and Wales University in Providence. Cronin is CEO of the Rhode Island Manufacturing Extension Partnership.

The Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC) named Dr. Steven Hillenius to replace Dr. Ralph Cavin as vice president. Cavin is retiring from the SRC leadership team at the end of the year

Yolanda Hunter is the new manager of the New River Valley Competitiveness Center in Radford, Va. Wayne Carpenter, former manager of the incubator, left to pursue private consulting work.

The Virginia Piedmont Technology Council (VPTC) selected Jerry MacLean as its new executive director. MacLean replaces Gail Milligan, who will remain with VPTC through June to assist with the transition.

The Purdue Center for Regional Development has appointed Ed Morrison to the position of economic policy advisor.

Yuka Nagashima was named executive director of Hawaii's High Technology Development Corporation.

Automation Alley, which promotes economic growth in Southeast Michigan, has hired Noel Nevshehir to direct its international business center.

The Northern Virginia Technology Council Foundation has changed its name to the Equal Footing Foundation to better communicate its mission to the community.

The Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation at Massachusetts Institute of Technology named Leon Sandler as its new executive director.