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SSTI Digest
Incubators in the News
During the last eight weeks, communities across the U.S. have witnessed the rise or fall of small business incubators. Here are some of the developments:
Albany, N.Y. — A major expansion of the Albany College of Pharmacy will include incubator space for drug discovery enterprises related to research at the new Center for Medical Science to be built nearby. Plans for the incubator fall under the college's $10 million capital campaign launched in 2000 to increase faculty research, gain new space and offer scholarships to students.
Augusta, Ga. — The Georgia Medical Center Authority is partnering with the Medical College of Georgia to create an incubator designed to grow life sciences companies. The 15,000-square-foot Life Sciences Business Development Center will enable MCG to recruit investigators looking to develop their discoveries and secure patents.
People
In January, Phil Bond, the Undersecretary for Technology in the U.S. Department of Commerce, took on the additional responsibilities as Chief of Staff.
James Hayward, CEO of a biotech materials supply company, has been named the first chairman of the Long Island Life Sciences Initiative. Joseph Scaduto is serving part-time as the new executive director for the group.
John Hightower, executive director of the Baton Rouge Technology Council for the past seven months, has resigned to resume a career in public relations and lobbying. The Council has started a search for his replacement.
Don Smith has been appointed Vice President for Economic Development at the new Mellon Pitt Carnegie Corporation. MPC, a joint venture of the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University, is intended to coordinate the economic development and tech commercialization activities of both schools.
People
In January, Phil Bond, the Undersecretary for Technology in the U.S. Department of Commerce, took on the additional responsibilities as Chief of Staff.
People
James Hayward, CEO of a biotech materials supply company, has been named the first chairman of the Long Island Life Sciences Initiative. Joseph Scaduto is serving part-time as the new executive director for the group.
People
John Hightower, executive director of the Baton Rouge Technology Council for the past seven months, has resigned to resume a career in public relations and lobbying. The Council has started a search for his replacement.
People
Don Smith has been appointed Vice President for Economic Development at the new Mellon Pitt Carnegie Corporation. MPC, a joint venture of the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University, is intended to coordinate the economic development and tech commercialization activities of both schools.
People
Jack Sommer is the new executive director of the Rhode Island Technology Council. Sommer previously worked with Student Advantage in Boston.
People
The Indiana Technology Partnership named Jim Wheeler as its new president. A former partner with Andersen LLP, Wheeler takes the position vacated by Tom Miller last fall.
Canada Launches National Innovation Strategy, $125M in Scholarships
During the 1970s, Canada routinely topped the U.S. in terms of real growth in gross domestic product per capita. As recently as 1990, Canada enjoyed the fourth highest standard of living in the world but slipped to seventh by 1999.
The two long-term initiatives launched in the last two weeks by the Canadian National Government — a National Innovation Strategy and the Trudeau Scholarships — and the $2.7 billion (CND) Fuel Cell research program created last year reflect the country's commitment to reversing these trends.
Canada's Innovation Strategy
Unveiled last week by Industry Minister Allan Rock and Human Resources Development Minister Jane Stewart, Canada's Innovation Strategy has two strategic thrusts that are expected to drive economic growth and social development in Canada over the next decade.
Index, White Paper Offer Foray into Silicon Valley
While Silicon Valley lost jobs last year — the first decline since 1992 — value added per employee, a measure of productivity, increased 4.6 percent to $170,000 compared to $56,000 nationally, according to the Index of Silicon Valley 2002 released in January by Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network.
The above figures and other economic data contained in the Index measure annual progress toward the long-term goals of an innovative economy, livable environment, inclusive society and regional stewardship established by Joint Venture in Silicon Valley 2010.
The Index suggests that while the Valley faces short-term economic challenges, its long-term prospects remain strong, given continuing innovation and productivity gains. Important progress also is being made on long-term goals.
California Doubles Number of RTAs
Last week, Governor Gray Davis announced the award of three grants to support the creation of new Regional Technology Alliances (RTA) for the Inland Empire, San Joaquin Valley, and Sacramento/Capital regions. The three new non-profit organizations join existing RTAs in Los Angeles, San Diego and the San Francisco Bay area to provide decentralized business support services for innovative, California-based technology firms.
Because the RTAs are designed by the tech community within the particular service area, each RTA offers regionally-customized approaches to technical assistance, securing financing, and other business support.
The three new RTAs, expected to open by May, will receive $200,000 in state matching grants from the California Technology Investment Partnership (CalTIP). The RTA and CalTIP programs are administered by the California Technology, Trade and Commerce Agency's Division of Science, Technology and Innovation.
Advanced Study Math, Science Programs Deserve Boost, Report Says
High school courses for advanced study in mathematics and science should focus on helping students acquire in-depth understanding rather than the more superficial knowledge that comes from covering too much material too quickly, according to a new report from the National Academies' National Research Council.
Learning and Understanding: Improving Advanced Study of Mathematics and Science in U.S. High Schools concentrates on biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics in Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) programs in U.S. secondary schools. Although AP and IB have raised the level of mathematics and science education in the U.S., the report says, their efforts to emphasize the key concepts in science disciplines have not been realized because of the excessive number of topics covered in each subject.