SSTI Digest

The Piedmont Triad Research Park laid off Bill Dean, director of the park, and Nancy Johnson, marketing director. Park officials said that the park's project manager and executive assistant also were laid off.

Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter announced that he has tapped Don Elliman, director of the Colorado Office of Economic Development, to serve as the state government's first chief operating officer.

Gov. Charlie Crist signed Florida's $66.5 billion 2009-10 budget into law last week, providing a mixed bag of funding outcomes for the state's existing economic development programs.

The two main components of the Florida Biomedical Research Programs administered by the Florida Department of Health emerge with large funding increases. The James and Esther King Biomedical Research Program will be given $27.2 million from the state biomedical research trust fund in FY09-10, up from $9.9 million in the previous year. Similarly, the Bankhead-Coley Cancer Research Program will receive $25.0 million, an increase from $9.0 million last year.

LEESBURG -- Lake County commissioners agreed to partner with the city and the University of Central Florida to beef up a business incubator in hopes of attracting more start-up companies.

The partnership includes $85,000 in county funds for the UCF Research Foundation to support the incubator's staffing. The incubator, which was created last year, is at the Leesburg Business & Technology Center on Market Street.

This is UCF's first incubator in Lake. It is designed to provide training and infrastructure to upcoming companies. Through an incubator program, businesses have a better chance of thriving, county officials say.

The partnership also includes the combined efforts of the Lake-Sumter Community College Business Resources Center and the Leesburg Chamber of Commerce.

Spectrum Bridge Inc. has become the first graduate of the University of Central Florida's Incubation Program Seminole County/Winter Springs office.

According to a release, the Lake Mary-based Internet marketplace and mapping technologies company joined the program in February 2008.

The company has begun generating revenue and completed rounds in venture capital funding totaling $8.1 million, said Esther Vargas-Davis, site manager at the Seminole County incubator office, in a release.

UCF's incubator program includes courses related to company growth, market growth and investment/funding strategy sessions for start-up businesses.

The program, which opened in 2008, is partnered with UCF, the city of Winter Springs, Seminole County and the Florida High Tech Corridor Council.

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick's secretary of Housing and Economic Development, Daniel O'Connell, resigned for personal reasons and was replaced by Greg Bialecki, an undersecretary who has been responsible for business development

SRI International announced that Stephen Ciesinski has been appointed Vice President of Strategic Business Development.

John Fremstad has left his post at the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission to join the BE&K Building Group.

Facing a $2.3 billion deficit in FY 2010, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist has proposed a new financing program to promote small business growth through the current financial crisis. Calling it an Economic Stimulus Plan, the governors.'s proposal will target small Florida-based companies with high-growth potential through direct loans and other support services. By focusing on small businesses, the state can target companies with good prospects for growth with a modest investment of taxpayer dollars, according to the press release accompanying the announcement. The price tag? Only $10 million.

The outcome of Tuesday's election resulted in several wins and some defeats for TBED among the more than 150 ballot measures presented to voters across the nation. Outlined below are the unofficial election results of select ballot measures from each state's respective election office and local media reports as of Wednesday, Nov. 5. More detailed information on the measures is provided in last week's issue of the Digest, which is available at: http://www.ssti.org/Digest/2008/102908.htm#election.

Arkansas Voters approved 63 percent to 37 percent a constitutional amendment authorizing the General Assembly to establish, operate and regulate state lotteries to fund scholarships and grants for residents enrolled in two- and four-year colleges and universities in the state. Voters also approved a measure to shift the state's budgeting from a two-year cycle to an annual cycle.

While the Presidential election takes center stage on November 4, voters in several states also will cast their votes on statewide ballot issues affecting the TBED community. In addition to the 11 gubernatorial races and more than 5,800 state legislative seats up for grabs, voters across the nation will consider measures to provide funding for public education, expand investment in alternative and renewable energy, lift restrictions on stem-cell research, and eliminate income tax and state spending caps. Following is a summary of selected ballot issues from across the nation.

Funding Public Education

Florida Florida voters will be asked to amend the state constitution to require that the legislature authorize counties to levy a local option sales tax to supplement funding for public community colleges. Ballot question 8 requires voter approval to levy the tax.

How should states determine the focus and location of significant investments into academic research? The process can easily become politicized when more than one research institution, sizable metropolitan area or major industry exist in the state. On occasion, geographic and political influences trump more rational factors, resulting in the “peanut butter effect” of dollars and activities being spread evenly across a state or across institutions at the possible detriment to having a meaningful impact.

Though the state of Florida has aggressively pursued research investment over the past few years, particularly in the life science, a new report finds the state is still struggling to build a sufficient pool of highly-skilled workers for its high-tech companies. The study, which was conducted at the behest of 19 local economic development organizations, finds the state has not yet made a complete transition from an agriculture- and real estate-based economy to one built on high-tech industry and innovation. Interviews with statewide stakeholders also confirmed there is a continuing need in the state to support innovations-based entrepreneurs through economic development organizations.

Complete descriptions of these opportunities and others are available at http://www.ssti.org/posting.htm.

CTC Tampa Bay is seeking a venture lab manager to establish and build its Venture Lab program. This postion involves bridging relationships with government, private sector, and university entities in order to support the growth of selected early-stage technology-based companies. The selected companies must offer innovative products and services that can potentially generate significant revenues from the defense/homeland security market and other dual-use markets. A BA/BS degree in science, engineering or business, plus at least 10 years of directly related experience (or an MA/MS degree, plus at least eight years of directly related experience), are required.

Gov. Charlie Crist signed the fiscal year 2008-09 budget into law last week, allocating nearly $79 million for energy-related projects to increase research and stimulate development and commercialization of alternative and renewable energy sources throughout Florida.   The Energy Diversity Package approved by lawmakers is significantly different from the $200 million proposal outlined by Gov. Crist earlier this year, with only a few of the original proposals left intact (see the Feb. 6, 2008 issue of the Digest). However, the appropriation is welcome news for the state’s technology-based economic development strategy, as Florida is one of many states facing a decline in revenue. Last week, Gov. Crist ordered all state agencies to reduce spending by 4 percent in the coming fiscal year.   Lawmakers appropriated funding for the following projects under the Energy Diversity Package: