SSTI Digest

Indices also are created at the regional and local level as well. Once again, while there is some crossover in measures, there are also significant differences that reveal some regional variation and shifts in priorities. This section highlights: regional indices for Washington D.C. (Potomac) area, Silicon Valley, Tri-Cities area in Washington State, the Roanoke region and Philadelphia; and national metro area studies compiled by the Progressive Policy Institute, the Milken Institute, the Brookings Institution and AEA. A matrix presenting the common indicators among the local indices is available here.

Some characteristics that STTI has found to represent a good index would contain some, if not all, of the following:

One of the more popular sections of the SSTI Weekly Digest — according to our annual surveys of readers — are the periodic useful stats, which point to or present comparative statistics across cities or states. Fortunately, because we try to standardize the information for more meaningful interpretation, several of these tables provide useful data for developing a local or state innovation index. The following webpage provides a list of all 56 useful stats articles and tables included in SSTI Weekly Digest since the series began in May 2000: http://www.ssti.org/Digest/Indices/usefulstats.htm

Additional links that can be helpful in compiling data for innovation indices and that are frequently used in the indices cited in this issue are:.

More than $11 million in two New York State Assembly grants will support several new incubators for Brooklyn and Queens. The investments were recently announced by Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Assembly members representing the two boroughs.

A $4 million investment for the creation of a SUNY Downstate Advanced Biotechnology Incubator project aims to spur the development of a new cluster of biotechnology and medical technology companies in Brooklyn. The project will provide affordable space, services and access to resources essential to start-up companies engaged in the commercialization of technologies developed at SUNY Downstate, as well as to other biotechnology and medical start-ups and early stage companies.

Once completed, the Advanced Biotechnology Incubator will accommodate approximately 32 new start-up companies that are expected to create an initial 200 jobs, with an estimated 400 new jobs within five years.

Michigan's NextEnergy Center, the central component of Gov. John Engler's $50 million fuel cell initiative, will be located within Wayne State University’s Research and Technology Park in Detroit, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) recently announced. Wayne State is situated in the Woodward Technology Corridor, one of 11 SmartZones located across Michigan.

Innovation Philadelphia, the public-private partnership dedicated to enhancing the global innovation economy of Philadelphia, has unveiled the first Innovation and Entrepreneurial Index, a comprehensive study examining where Philadelphia stands in relation to key competitors in the Innovation Economy.

The Index was compiled by measuring the Philadelphia region against seven other competitor regions: Baltimore, Boston, New York City, Pittsburgh, Research Triangle (Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill), San Diego, and Washington, D.C./Northern Virginia. The Philadelphia region scored in the second half of this group.

With more than 700 facilities around the country, federal laboratories and research centers can provide many resources for communities to tap as they strive to develop tech-based economies: technologies available for transfer and commercialization; facilities and technical staff available to partner with companies and universities for research; and, connections to funding and procurement opportunities.

Below are two recent announcements that demonstrate just a couple of the approaches that can be used to nurture a stronger partnership with nearby federal laboratories.

The National Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers (NCEC) presented on Tuesday the 2002 NASDAQ Entrepreneurial Excellence Awards to entrepreneurship centers at Babson College, Indiana University-Bloomington, and Saint Louis University.

The award recognizes achievements and efforts of entrepreneurship centers in the following areas: entrepreneurship research, outreach to emerging ventures, entrepreneurship curriculum, community collaborations, special projects, and overall prestige and recognition in the entrepreneurship field. The award honors centers that have made and will continue to make enormous contributions in advancing entrepreneurship as the force in economic growth throughout the world.

The use of Congressional earmarks on federal agency budgets to support projects and programs in academic institutions has exploded since 1996, according to statistics compiled by and reported in the September 27, 2002 issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education.

Whether measured by the number of institutions involved (up 27 percent over 2001), the number of individual earmarks (up 35 percent), or the total dollar value involved (up 10 percent), the 2002 federal budget saw a record use or abuse of the technique to circumvent competitive review of proposals. The Chronicle reports there were 1,645 individual earmarks garnering 668 institutions a total of $1.84 billion in 2002.

For comparison, 128 schools received a total of $300 million through 215 separate earmarks in fiscal year 1996.

With more than 1,000 links to socio-economic data sources, EconData.Net provides a convenient and valuable starting point for gathering information to understand regional economies. Funded by the Economic Development Administration, EconData.Net is a 100 percent free website offering easy access to state and sub-state socio-economic data for practitioners, researchers, students and data users in general.

EconData.Net provides eight sections on its website to help locate data:

Minnesota Technology, Inc. (MTI), the state's leading tech-based economic development corporation, currently is searching for a dynamic individual with top-notch skills to help bring federal technology transfer activities to Minnesota companies. The successful candidate will develop partnerships with federal labs, identify opportunities for tech transfer activities, and assist companies with the development of proposals, agreements and licenses, and implement solutions to enhance their ability to compete and grow.

Successful applicants will hold a Bachelor's degree or equivalent in Manufacturing/Engineering, Science or related field (advanced degree is preferred). Experience in new technology development and commercialization, and product development; experience with DOD, DOE, NASA, NIST or other federal labs is required.

Anthony Armstrong returns to the Indiana 21st Century Research and Technology Fund as its new director.

Bay Area Regional Technology Alliance (BARTA) has been renamed the TechVentures Network as the Bay Area's leading source of access to financing, business data and services for emerging technology.

John Bradley is the Tennessee Valley Authority's as its first chief of economic development. Bradley had been senior vice president of economic development at the Memphis Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Randy Goldsmith resigned as President & CEO of the Oklahoma Technology Development Corp to assume the role of President and CEO of the San Antonio Technology Accelerator Initiative.