SSTI Digest

In the midst of a national economic recession contributing to a record number of job losses in traditional industries, forward thinking states are exploring ideas and committing funds to help grow and diversify their economies and strengthen their renewable energy portfolios. Over the past several months, governors, legislators and economic development groups have announced new initiatives aimed at job growth and energy independence in the new economy. The following overview provides a sampling of green energy initiatives and investments from numerous proposals and announcements across the nation. Arizona Science Foundation Arizona (SFAz) announced a recent investment of $4 million to support five science-based businesses in the solar industry, according to an article in The Arizona Republic. SFAz also formed a new branch called the Solar Technology Institute to further support the industry. Projects approved for funding include development of reflectors that concentrate sunlight on solar panels, expansion of a photovoltaic testing laboratory, and development of software to help determine where to build power plants, storage sites and other energy…

In 2006, three Arizona CEO groups joined forces to create Science Foundation Arizona (SFAz), a nonprofit public-private partnership charged with making strategic investments to support university research, new high-tech businesses, K-12 STEM education and to leverage outside investment. The state provided public support for these efforts through the 21st Century Fund, which in its first year included $35 million for SFAz's grant programs. Recently, however, Arizona has begun cutting back their TBED investments through SFAz. Originally, the state had planned to allocate $25 million a year to the 21st Century Fund through FY10, but reduced the allocation in its second year and eliminated funding for FY09 (see the February 4, 2009 issue). Legislators are now considering omitting SFAz funding from the FY10 budget. To demonstrate the value of the organization, SFAz has released a new report detailing the contribution the state's investments have made and the additional work needed to build a competitive high-tech economy. SFAz's new report is being promoted as the first in a series of annual report cards measuring the state's progress in building an innovative economy…

Kentucky Highlands Investment Corporation has named Jim Carroll as director of its Center for Entrepreneurial Growth. Catapult Bio, a nonprofit organization designed to help transform emerging research discoveries into business opportunities, accelerating the commercialization of life sciences in Arizona, announced its official launch with a grant of up to $14 million from Abraxis Bioscience. Ohio Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher resigned as the state's development director to run for the U.S. Senate. Gov. Ted Strickland has named Mark Barbash, who had been the state's chief economic development officer and was the former Columbus development director, as interim state director. Fisher will continue in the position of lieutenant governor. The Michigan Economic Development Corporation announced, pending formal approval by the board of directors on Feb. 26, D. Gregory Main will replace James Epolito as president and CEO of the economic development organization effective April 1. Troy Runge has been named director of the Wisconsin Bioenergy Initiative, a public-private partnership in bioenergy research, outreach, training and economic development based in the…

Facing a $1.6 billion budget deficit, Arizona legislators set their sights on the state's three-year old 21st Century Competitive Initiative Fund. A group of four Republican lawmakers led the effort to remove the program's $22.5 million from the 2009 state budget, which was signed by new Governor Jan Brewer last week. The fund was started under former Democratic Governor Janet Napolitano, who recently left office to join the Obama administration as secretary of Homeland Security. The Fund supported the efforts of Science Foundation Arizona (SFAz), a non-profit corporation that matched the state dollars with private funds to strengthen Arizona's biomedical research and industry. With the cuts, the future of the organization is uncertain. When the initiative was announced in 2006, it was conceived as a way to leverage private funding to support bioscience education, research and commercialization. Three local groups, Greater Phoenix Leadership, the Southern Arizona Leadership Council and the Flagstaff 40, created the SFAz that year to help support bioscience and technology-based growth. Governor Napolitano provided an initial $35 million in funding for SFAz and committed…

The second installment of the Tech Talkin' Govs series includes highlights from state of the state, budget and inaugural addresses delivered by the governors of Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Oregon and Vermont.  Arizona  Gov. Janet Napolitano, State of the State Address, Jan. 9, 2009 "Arizona must stay on the path toward a greener future..We also must work to limit our greenhouse gas emissions through the Western Climate Initiative, and move forward in building a strong renewable energy sector, particularly with respect to solar energy. The entire nation is going in this direction - and Arizona has much to gain by being a leader." Colorado  Gov. Bill Ritter, State of the State Address, Jan. 8, 2009  "By reviving the Colorado Credit Reserve Program, we can give thousands of small businesses vital access to credit and capital. .. ". By enacting House Bill 1001, the job-creation tax credit I announced last month, we can level the playing field with other states when it comes to attracting new companies and new jobs. ... …

John Hindman announced his resignation as secretary of the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development. Governor Rick Perry recently announced Alan Kirchhoff of Austin has been promoted to director of Texas Emerging Technology Fund (TETF). Kirchhoff replaces longtime Perry advisor and former TETF director Mark Ellison, who left the Governor's Office to become associate vice chancellor of economic development for the Texas A&M University System beginning Oct. 1, 2008. Governor Jim Doyle appointed Richard Leinenkugel of the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing family as his Commerce secretary. Thomas Peterson, dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Arizona, has been selected as the new assistant director of the National Science Foundation's Directorate for Engineering. Elias Zerhouni, the director of the National Institutes of Health, announced his plans to step down at the end of October 2008.

Tony Armstrong, Indiana University executive director for engagement, has been chosen as the Indiana University Research and Technology Corporations new president and CEO. Jeff Costantine will retire this fiscal year as president of the Nashville Technology Council. The board of directors has begun the search for a new president. Joseph G. Danek stepped down as executive director of the EPSCoR/IDeA Foundation. He will continue work at the foundation as its senior advisor and will also remain senior vice president of the Implementation Group, a Washington consulting firm. James B. Hoehn, a senior associate at the foundation, became its executive director.  Monica Doss, the longtime president of the Council for Entrepreneurial Development who stepped down earlier this year, has been named director of the Kauffman Foundation FastTrac program. Mike Edwards, former assistant vice president and director of the Office of Research at the University of Notre Dame, has been named associate vice president for research in the Office of Research and Technology Management at Case Western Reserve University. Liam E. Leightley has been tapped as the new executive director of the…

Arizona legislators approved the fiscal year 2009 budget last week, providing funds for proposals aimed at stimulating the state’s economy through investments in higher education infrastructure and increasing R&D activity.   Proceeds from an expansion of the state’s lottery will finance $1 billion in bonding for construction projects across the state’s three universities, including $470 million for completion of the Phoenix biomedical campus and upgrades to several buildings. The stimulus plan, backed by a coalition of business, civic, nonprofit and educational groups, is twofold. First, the plan aims to boost job creation in the declining construction industry, and second, the infrastructure improvements will allow the state to accommodate for future growth at the universities in order to retain a knowledge-based workforce. The investment is a critical component of Gov. Janet Napolitano’s plan to double the number of bachelor degrees earned in the state by 2020.   Although universities will receive increased funds for capital construction, their overall operating budgets will sustain $50 million in cuts…

The Aerospace, Manufacturing and Information Technology (AMIT) Cluster of Southern Arizona has consolidated its operations with the Arizona Technology Council. Automation Alley was one of 19 organizations chosen to receive 'E' and 'E-Star' Awards, given by the president to recognize American export excellence. The nonprofit Automation Alley, an SSTI affiliate, supports Southeast Michigan's economy through a collaborative culture that focuses on workforce and business development. Raymar Dizon has resigned from the Maryland Venture Fund to become director of technology transfer at Mitre Corp. Jim Hayes, the president of the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama, passed away on June 6 after a long illness. Hayes was considered one of the state's top experts on economic development. James Ryan was named the first dean of the newly formed Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering being run by North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. The National Science Foundation has selected Edward Seidel as the director of its Office of Cyberinfrastructure. Tom Walker…

To speed the commercialization of technologies developed within the state's three public research universities, the Arizona state auditor general has made several recommendations that also may be of value to tech transfer efforts and academic institutions across the country.  Commissioned by the state legislature to conduct the assessment, the Office of the Auditor General analyzed the structure and performance of the individual technology transfer strategies adopted by the University of Arizona (UA), Arizona State University (ASU) and Northern Arizona University (NAU). The final report, released in mid-May, also benchmarks each school against at least 15 of its peers.   The auditor’s recommendations could be applied to institutions with any size of research portfolios. The three Arizona institutions vary greatly in the amount of R&D conducted – UA had $535 million in research expenditures in 2006, ranking 13th nationally, ASU $132 million and NAU had $21 million.   The three institutions also vary in their approach to management of their tech transfer efforts. The University of Arizona’s commercialization…

Offering customized workspace such as wet laboratories and specialized research equipment is one of the many benefits provided by technology-focused incubators. Access to university research, business mentoring and administrative support services often accompany the reduced rent facilities with the goal of growing technology companies into successful, self-sustaining enterprises. Following are select announcements of recently launched incubators and partnerships from across the nation.    GateWay Community College recently received a recommendation from the Phoenix Parks, Education, Bioscience and Sustainability subcommittee of the Phoenix City Council to enter into an intergovernmental agreement with the college to build a bioscience incubator laboratory with wet lab space, the Arizona Republic reports. The wet lab would be a minimum of 5,000 sq. ft. and located near the Phoenix Biomedical Campus.   Colorado’s first aerospace business incubator will provide services, less the office space, for companies involved in space technology and resource development. The 8th Continent Project at the Colorado School of Mines announced a $150…

Lori Broyles was appointed coordinator of the Women's Business Center in Oklahoma City. University of Arizona Economic Development recently made three staff changes: Molly Gilbert was promoted to assistant director of the Office of Economic Development. Ken Marcus, previously the director of the University of Arizona Science and Technology Park (UASTP), continues in the role of chief financial officer (CFO) for UASTP and the Arizona Center for Innovation and expands his duties as the CFO for the Arizona Bioscience Park and the Arizona Research Park Authority. Marshall Worden was named director of UASTP. The Angel Capital Association and Angel Capital Education Foundation have named Stephanie Hanbury-Brown – founder of Golden Seeds LLC, an innovative network of primarily women angel investors who identify and invest in women-led ventures – as the recipient of the 2008 Hans Severiens Award. The award recognizes one person each year for outstanding accomplishments in the advancement of angel investing. Mike Kluse is now the permanent director of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) after having served as PNNL's interim director for 16…