SSTI Digest

Gov. Bev Perdue last week announced a number of proposals designed to grow the state's economy and create jobs by focusing on the small business sector. The JobsNOW Small Business Assistance Package involves three areas of assistance, including tax incentives, statewide support for small businesses, and expanding the N.C. business preference to help small businesses compete for state contracts. Proposals include tax credits for investors in innovative startup companies, expanding the cap from $7.5 million to $10 million on the qualified business venture tax credit, and providing a matching state grant to help North Carolina businesses compete for SBIR funding. Gov. Purdue also is expected to recommend adjustments to the biennial budget next week. Read the press release.

North Carolina State Treasurer Janet Cowell has announced credit services group Credit Suisse will serve as manager of the state's new $230 million innovation fund. The fund, drawn from public pension dollars, will invest in North Carolina-based technology businesses over the next five years. Though full investment guidelines have not yet been developed, investments will be aimed towards high-growth industries, including life sciences, clean energy and other high-tech industries. Read the announcement at: http://www.nctreasurer.com/News/Files/3152010_4123_TREASURER%20COWELL%20ANNOUNCES%20NC%20INNOVATION%20FUND%20FINAL.pdf.

Carl Bauer is retiring from federal service and leaving the National Energy Technology Laboratory effective Feb. 28, following a four-year tenure as the laboratory’s director. Joining the Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse as executives in residence are Maureen Peszko and Michael Lang. Pierre Queiroz de Oliveira will be joining the program as an executive associate. The North Carolina Biotechnology Center has tapped Gwyn Riddick, director of its Piedmont Triad Office, to lead a new statewide agricultural biotechnology initiative as the vice president, Ag/Bio Initiative.

To foster strategic investments and policies in the knowledge and innovation economy, Gov. Bev Perdue recently signed an executive order establishing the North Carolina Innovation Council. The council is responsible for advising the governor on public and private investments and polices to promote innovation, move innovative ideas from the lab to the marketplace more efficiently, and strengthen collaboration among business, academia, and local government. A press release is available from the governor’s office at: http://www.governor.state.nc.us/NewsItems/PressReleaseDetail.aspx?newsItemID=773

Kathy Collins has been appointed as the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Network (WEN) regional director in Madison. Previously, Collins worked as the technology and financial development manager in the Commerce Division of Business Development. Ron Cox has been appointed as the assistant dean for economic development in the engineering college at Iowa State University. He retains his current position as director of CIRAS, the Center for Industrial Research and Service. Frank DiBello, a veteran aerospace consultant who’s been Space Florida’s interim president since May, was named as the permanent leader of the aerospace development agency. Utah Gov. Gary Herbert appointed businessman and philanthropist Spencer Eccles to lead the Governor’s Office of Economic Development. Eccles, son of the former First Security chairman and CEO Spencer Eccles, will be joined by Josh Romney, son of former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney. The younger Romney will serve as the state’s national business recruitment policy advisor. John Hardin has been named Executive Director-Office of Science and Technology, a Division of NC Commerce. Mike…

Federal stimulus funds approved earlier this year by Congress are doing more than filling budget gaps in states across the nation. During a year in which it otherwise may be virtually impossible to direct much funding to starting initiatives aimed at growing the economy, many states are using federal stimulus funds to implement new programs. In North Carolina, Gov. Bev Perdue recently announced that several green energy programs focusing on job creation and promoting greater use of renewable energy resources will be funded through a portion of the state's share of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds. In June, Gov. Perdue announced the U.S. Energy Department's approval of $75.9 million in federal stimulus funds with authorization to spend $30.4 million immediately. The state will receive the remaining funds as it shows successful implementation of the plan, according to the governor's office. Two key components of the approved plan include: $18 million to create an Energy Investment Revolving Loan Fund that will provide no- and low-interest loans for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects to businesses, nonprofits, local governments,…

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. The Florida STEM Council, funded by a $580,000 grant from Workforce Florida, has been created to connect education, workforce, business and economic development leaders to identify opportunities to build and measure the state's supply of workers with skills and knowledge in these fields to support innovation in existing and emerging industries. Malcolm Kahn has been appointed vice president for enterprise development & licensing at Stevens Institute of Technology. Kansas Technology Enterprise Corporation has named Kevin Carr as interim CEO, replacing Tracy Taylor, who resigned last month. Jill Kline has been named the new Wyoming Entrepreneur.Biz associate state…

J. Mike Books is leaving his post with the Indiana Health Industry Forum to become the first economic development director for the city of Columbia, Missouri. He also will serve as president of the Regional Economic Development Inc. Brooks will assume his new responsibilities on July 15. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the appointment of Judith Canales as Administrator for Rural Business and Cooperative programs in USDA's Rural Development agency. Donald Cardon, who has been serving as director of the Arizona Department of Housing since March, was named director of the Arizona Department of Commerce. John Chaffee has assumed the post of president and CEO of North Carolina's Eastern Region Development Commission. His predecessor, Al Delia, left when he was appointed as Gov. Bev Perdue's policy director. Howard Gobstein is now the Executive Officer and Vice President of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. Toronto's MaRS Innovation has appointed Dr. Raphael (Rafi) Hofstein as President and CEO, effective June 8. Jeff Mason, currently senior vice president and chief business development officer for the…

The technologies developed at the nation's 700 federal laboratories and research centers impact the health, energy, security, and agricultural needs of the country. They have a substantial effect on the economic growth of the U.S., especially as these technologies are commercialized. Improving efforts for commercialization from federal laboratories is a central focus of the Federal Laboratory Consortium (FLC), as they are tasked by federal legislation to assist state and local governments and regional organizations with the transfer of technologies. The State and Local Government Committee of the FLC highlights several productive partnerships with TBED organizations in their Federal Laboratories & State and Local Governments: Partners for Technology Transfer Success publication. Through these kinds of partnerships, organizations with an abundance of federal labs nearby or those lacking proximity to the labs can access the technologies and know-how at the labs. In addition to the case studies, the publication contains contact information for the FLC regional coordinators across the county as well as an index of the FLC-affiliated laboratories in each state.…

For many states facing a challenging budget year, level funding for science and technology is welcome news to the tech-based economic development (TBED) community. With the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act earlier this year, governors are seeking solutions to stimulate their respective states' economies through new and expanded programs within specific priority areas. The following states recently unveiled budget proposals that would continue or grow TBED investments using a combination of federal stimulus money and state and local funds. Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn unveiled a $26 billion capital plan that includes investments in energy and the environment and access to capital programs to boost job creation and retention. The Illinois Jobs Now initiative would be financed in part with federal stimulus funds. More than $1 billion in federal recovery money would be directed to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) for programs promoting renewable energy, energy efficiency, clean coal technology, broadband deployment, electric grid expansion, and science and technology research. Highlights of the proposed FY10 Capital…

The following overview is a synopsis of select recent announcements from research parks across the nation, including groundbreakings and development plans to support vibrant regional economies based on science, technology and innovation.  The University of Missouri Mizzou Innovation Center is the anchor research tenant in the new Missouri Innovation Park - a 500-acre knowledge-based science and technology park being developed by the City of Blue Springs and the university. The project will support public research organizations, private businesses, and other research-related organizations establishing business clusters that focus on commercializing technological innovations. Initial seed capital is provided by the Blue Springs Economic Development Corporation, the City of Blue Springs and Kansas City Power & Light. Tenants are expected to move into the research park within the next five to 10 years, reports the Columbia Daily Tribune. Plans for a 350-acre biomedical research campus in Kansas City were unveiled last month by Oxford Redevelopment Company. The proposed development, which is called Oxford on the Blue, is part of an overall concept…

Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell named George Cornelius, the immediate past president and CEO of Arkema Inc., as secretary of the Department of Community and Economic Development. Mark Crowell, head of economic development and technology transfer at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has been appointed vice president for business and technology development at the Scripps Research Institute. Robert De Wit, a former Pfizer Inc. executive, has been appointed president and chief executive officer of the business incubator of Western Michigan University's Parkview Campus. Michael Dockter has been hired as the new associate vice chancellor for research and technology transfer and chief research officer at Arkansas State University. David Edgerly, who for the last two years has headed Maryland's Department of Business and Economic Development, will resign from his post. Jim Fram, the president and chief executive of the Bartlesville Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Bartlesville Development Corporation, is resigning. He will leave Feb. 2 to become the senior vice president of economic development for the Tulsa Metro Chamber. Nate…