SSTI Digest

Gov. Jodi Rell recently announced the results of a study of the strengths and weaknesses of Connecticut’s infrastructure for innovation, technology transfer and development of new businesses. A report prepared for the Connecticut Technology Transfer and Commercialization Advisory Board of the governor's Competitiveness Council presents the results. The report examines successful university-based technology transfer and commercialization initiatives in the U.S. and at the University of Cambridge in England. It notes five factors that could help states position their universities as centers of innovation and business growth: strong academic leadership and research capabilities, availability of early-stage capital, commitment to and support of entrepreneurship programs, and the existence of infrastructure such as innovation centers, incubators and research parks. While Connecticut is home to renowned universities such as Yale University and the University of Connecticut and ranks high in patents generated, the report finds, the state has a relative lack of early-stage capital and incubation space…

Study Suggests Cultural Changes in Universities Could Be Key to Promoting Greater Tech Transfer Despite legislation, policies and financial incentives, universities still struggle to motivate professors to participate in technology transfer. A few well placed individuals engaged in entrepreneurship could create a culture encouraging others to be involved in technology transfer activities, according to a new study by Janet Bercovitz of Duke University and Maryann Feldman of University of Toronto presented at the Minnesota Cluster-Entrepreneurship Conference in September 2004. In Academic Entrepreneurs: Social Learning and Participation in University Technology Transfer, the authors review those factors influencing individual researchers in their decision to file invention disclosures – the first step in the commercialization process. The study draws its conclusions from qualitative interviews and quantitative analysis from departments within two university medical schools. Bercovitz and Feldman found empirical support for the following organizational factors: Graduates from…

Many minority population groups are historically underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. This is particularly true of the country's Latino population, one of the fastest growing segments of the U.S workforce. As a result, several state and regional tech-based economic development programs are looking for ways to broaden participation in STEM fields. A recent evaluation of a Texas program finds encouraging results, perhaps suggesting a model for others to replicate. Students who attend the Hispanic Engineering Science and Technology Week (HESTEC) have a greater interest in pursuing science and engineering careers, a better perception of the engineering field, and more positive attitudes about graduating high school and enrolling in college than those who do not attend, according to a study from the Center for Border Economic Studies (CBEST) at the University of Texas-Pan American. To better understand the factors that shape students’ attitudes in science and engineering and to determine the impact of HESTEC, a three-part survey was conducted both before and after…

Led by the Fort Myers-Cape Coral metro area, a burgeoning retirement and tourist destination on the state’s southwest coast, Florida landed seven of the top 15 metros in Milken Institute’s 2004 Best Performing Cities Index released last week. The others are West Palm Beach-Boca Raton (4th), Daytona Beach (5th), Sarasota-Bradenton (6th), Fort Lauderdale (9th), Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater (12th) and Naples (15th). The Milken index ranks the 200 largest U.S. metropolitan areas based on their ability to create and sustain jobs. It includes four measurements of technology output growth and one- and five-year measurements of employment and salary growth (see "Useful Stats" story below). In past years, technology-oriented metros dominated the top of the ranking. In 2003, however, after the decline of America’s high-tech sector, the top-ranked cities were those with low costs, growing elderly populations, and reliable and stable sectors such as health care and government. Florida's dominance of the top end of the results suggests this year’s also ranking reflects some of that. Other metros also…

Using data from its 2004 Best Performing Cities Index, Milken has generated a comprehensive table ranking cities by one- and five-year measurements of job growth, wages and salaries, and relative high tech gross domestic product (GDP) growth, and other measurements. SSTI would like to draw readers' attention to one of those other measurements, Milken's high-tech GDP location quotient (LQ), which may be of some value to the tech-based economic development community. LQ is defined as a measure of high-tech concentration, with the U.S. given a value of 1.0. For the Milken study, metro areas having an LQ higher than 1.0 are said to be more concentrated in high tech sectors than the U.S. Based on 2003 data, 54 of Milken's 200 largest cities are at or above 1.0. At the heart of Silicon Valley, the San Jose, Calif., metro area continues to rank first with a value of 3.48, followed by Boulder-Longmont, Colo. (2nd), Albuquerque (3rd), Boise, Idaho (4th) and Portland-Vancouver (5th). Each of the 10 measures presented in Milken's table, as well as overall rankings, are fully sortable for the…

While federal law and our own moral ethics prevent us from putting her to work in the near future, SSTI is excited to welcome Madelynn Elizabeth Carr to the world as the newest member of the SSTI team. Ms. Carr was born to SSTI Executive Assistant Ruth Carr and her husband, Larry, on Wednesday, Nov. 17. The National Technology Transfer Center named James Goulka as its new CEO. Goulka formerly was president and CEO of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation in Scottsdale, AZ. Ken Marcus is the new director of the University of Arizona Science and Technology Park. John Nauseef has been appointed CEO of Dayton Development Coalition, filling the position to be vacated by Ron White when he resigns at the end of the year. Montana Gov.-elect Brian Schweitzer tapped Tony Preite to serve as director of the state Department of Commerce. Priete is currently director of the office of commercialization and economic development outreach at the University of Montana and is a former regional director for the Colorado office of the Economic Development Administration. Indiana Gov.-…

While federal law and our own moral ethics prevent us from putting her to work in the near future, SSTI is excited to welcome Madelynn Elizabeth Carr to the world as the newest member of the SSTI team. Ms. Carr was born to SSTI Executive Assistant Ruth Carr and her husband, Larry, on Wednesday, Nov. 17.

The National Technology Transfer Center named James Goulka as its new CEO. Goulka formerly was president and CEO of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation in Scottsdale, AZ.

Ken Marcus is the new director of the University of Arizona Science and Technology Park.

John Nauseef has been appointed CEO of Dayton Development Coalition, filling the position to be vacated by Ron White when he resigns at the end of the year.

Montana Gov.-elect Brian Schweitzer tapped Tony Preite to serve as director of the state Department of Commerce. Priete is currently director of the office of commercialization and economic development outreach at the University of Montana and is a former regional director for the Colorado office of the Economic Development Administration.

Indiana Gov.-elect Mitch Daniels has named Chuck Schalliol as his budget director. Schalliol had been on loan from Eli Lilly and Co. since April to serve as president and CEO of Central Indiana's BioCrossroads.