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SSTI Digest
Vermont Prepares for Wi-Fi with New Broadband Initiative
The city of Montpelier, Vt., will soon join the ranks of other high-tech cities as it prepares to implement its first Wi-Fi “hotzone” in the central downtown area. With support from Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt), city officials and local businesses, the Vermont Broadband Council recently launched MontpelierNet, a high-speed Internet network that will bring wireless broadband Internet access to the city.
The network is designed to expand and improve high-speed telecommunications services, reduce costs for the city, and provide faster transmission at a lower cost to businesses in the area. MontpelierNet is comprised of three phases, which include:
Louisiana Tech Fund Gets $2.3M for Startups
Two years following its creation, the Louisiana Technology Fund has $2.3 million to help the early-stage technology companies for which it was intended, the Baton Rouge-based Advocate reported earlier this month. The fund stems from 2002 legislation that revived Louisiana's Certified Capital Companies (CAPCOs) program.
With the initial pool of money, the fund could support up to 12 Louisiana technology startup companies. The money is derived from the state's CAPCOs, which are required to invest 10 percent of their earnings into such startups. The state's four research parks, located in Baton Rouge, Lafayette, New Orleans and Shreveport, will oversee the fund, according to the Advocate.
Senate Passes Legislation to Protect Research Collaborations
A bill designed to encourage collaborative research among universities and between universities and industry passed the Senate last Friday. The Cooperative Research and Technology Enhancement (CREATE) Act of 2004 will allow researchers and inventors who work for different organizations to share information without losing the ability to file a patent.
Passage of the bill has been supported by the Association of American Universities (AAU), the American Council on Education and the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges. These proponents argue the need for the amendment to federal patent and trademark law stems from a 1997 court decision (OddzOn Products Inc. v. Just Toys) that deemed information shared among collaborators may be deemed a prior art, which could invalidate a patent unless there is a single owner of the invention.
Wyoming Project Engages Community Support for Entrepreneurship
A pilot program meant to spur entrepreneurship with community involvement is set to begin in Torrington, Wy., in the next two months. A joint venture between the Goshen County School District, Eastern Wyoming College, and Goshen County Economic Development, the project, Planned Approach to Community Entrepreneurship (PACE), is designed to facilitate small businesses and help them achieve higher success rates.
The Torrington economy is largely driven by entrepreneurship; however, the county has the fifth highest business failure rate after one year of operation and second highest after three years, according to a recent article in the Torrington Telegram. Starting and maintaining a business in the city has been a major source of frustration for local business owners, and community leaders are hoping PACE will help alleviate some of the frustration by actively involving residents in the project.
WGA Takes Aim at Clean, Diversified Energy for the West
Led by Govs. Bill Richardson and Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Western Governors' Association (WGA) announced last week it would support opportunities to develop a clean, secure and diversified energy system for the West and to capitalize on the region's energy resources. The New Mexico and California governors, respectively, are among those represented by the nonprofit WGA.
Western Governors adopted a resolution that builds upon recommendations the governors received from the nearly 700 participants at the North American Energy Summit, held by WGA in April. Among the major goals of the resolution is reaching 30,000 megawatts of clean energy by 2015 and a 20 percent improvement in energy efficiency by 2020.
Maryland, NSA Join Forces
A new agreement between the State of Maryland and the National Security Agency (NSA) is expected to lead to new technologies for both. The two formalized a partnership earlier this month, signing a memorandum of understanding at the Maryland State House.
The partnership joins NSA with Maryland's Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED). Present for the signing were Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich, DBED Secretary Aris Melissaratos, and Michael Hayden and Dr. Eric Haseltine of NSA.
Hayden, who doubles as director of NSA and as a lieutenant general for the U.S. Air Force, said the agreement will enhance the agency's "transformation efforts to provide quality intelligence to the national leadership while promoting economic prosperity in Maryland."
TBED's Role in a Free Market Economy
As the U.S. approaches the July Fourth weekend, during which time we celebrate all the good that is America, columnists and politicians across the country will sing the praises of free-market capitalism. And with our material abundance and relative wealth compared to the vast majority of the world's population, examples of success for our chosen economic system are numerous.
Readers of the SSTI Weekly Digest -- and there are thousands of you -- may recall, however, that most economic development policy is intended to address the failures of our market system. Or at least to prod it along to certain conclusions that it may not reach if left entirely to its own devices. For example:
Missouri Enterprise Seeks President and CEO
Missouri Enterprise Business Assistance Center, a Rolla-based, multi-office nonprofit organization that provides business and technical assistance to manufacturers, agricultural producers and startups, is seeking candidates for the position of President and Chief Executive Officer. The full description and application instructions can be found at http://www.missourienterprise.org/Ceo.asp
Fully-Funded MEP in FY05?
The roller coaster ride that represents Washington's manufacturing policies and fiscal investments took a turn that was welcomed by MEP supporters when the House subcommittee for Commerce, Justice, and State appropriations last week decided to fund the Manufacturing Extension Partnership at $106 million in fiscal year 2005.
More than two-and-one-half times the Administration's FY 2005 request of $39.6 million, the appropriation would return the program to its FY03 funding level.
The bipartisan outpouring of support for MEP has been substantial since the popular NIST program suffered the 63 percent cut in FY04 -- the result of a bit of budgeting gamesmanship that backfired during the debacle that represented the FY04 appropriations process.
AMA Calls for Gov't Registry of All U.S. Clinical Trials
Many states and communities across the country want to be leaders in the much anticipated bio-based economic boom. Even more companies are hoping to create the next great multi-billion-dollar pill. For a few firms, that push for profits may be too great, replacing the original focus on human health or environmental issues.
Last week, in response to concerns about the impact of pharmaceutical industry sponsorship on research outcome, quality and publication bias, the American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates called for the Department of Health and Human Services to establish a comprehensive registry for all clinical trials conducted in the U.S.
The new registry would ensure that trials with negative as well as positive results are publicly available, by providing every clinical trial with a unique identification and ensuring publication or placement on an electronic database of all results from registered trials.
Commission Offers Guidelines to Strengthen European Research
Scientific research, technological development and innovation are the heart of a knowledge-based economy, and in order to strengthen this sector in Europe, the European Union’s (EU) research budget needs to be doubled, according to a new plan released by the Commission of The European Communities.
Science and Technology, the Key to Europe’s Future offers guidelines suggested by research commissioner Philippe Busquin and other scientists and researchers. In March 2002, the EU set the objective of increasing the European research effort to 3 percent of the European GDP by 2010, an effort referred to as the Lisbon strategy. To provide a response to the objectives of the strategy, the Commission initiated a plan focusing on key topic in future research efforts.
Virginia Launches $12M Rural Broadband Initiative
One of the more interesting uses of funds from the national tobacco settlement with the states, Virginia officials announced a $12 million economic development and broadband technology infrastructure initiative to serve more than 25 towns, cities and counties of rural Virginia.
The Regional Backbone/Roots of Progress Initiative (RBI) will create 700 miles of new fiber optic cable that will connect five cities, 20 counties, 56 industrial parks and provide high-speed Internet access to nearly 700,000 citizens and more than 19,000 businesses throughout Virginia at a 20 percent reduction in high-speed Internet access costs. Construction is scheduled to begin in October and expected to be completed by January 2006.