SSTI Digest

Greg Main, Oklahoma's former secretary of commerce, has been named president and CEO of the Oklahoma Technology Development Corp., which runs the Oklahoma Technology Commercialization Center.

Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry has named Tulsa businesswoman Kathryn Taylor to serve as Secretary of Commerce. The position oversees the state's economic development, commerce, and  tourism activities. David Lopez, a retired officer of SBC Communications, will serve in the voluntary, unpaid position as the Governor's economic development advisor.

The Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology (OCAST) has provided the state an 8:1 return on its $78 million investment since 1993, according to From Concept to Commercialization, a new OCAST impact report, and accompanying press release. The state's leading organization for building a tech-based economy finds its client companies also have enjoyed a 90 percent survival rate.

Formed in 1987 by state government leaders, OCAST nurtures start-up companies in the biotechnology, telecommunications and manufacturing industries through a spectrum of financial and technical assistance programs that ranges from early research through commercialization. The center's impact report highlights the successes of some of these programs.

The Oklahoma Technology Development Corporation (OTDC), a private, not-for-profit corporation dedicated to the creation and expansion of high-technology businesses in Oklahoma, is seeking a President and Chief Executive Officer. OTDC operates the Oklahoma Technology Commercialization Center, a state-funded initiative of the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology designed to stimulate and encourage technology-based business growth and assist with the processes of technology commercialization and early stage business development.

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.

Meeting Challenges in the New Economy, recently released by the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology (OCAST), presents a comprehensive look at Oklahoma's position in science and technology. 



In the report, an advisory team of 14 individuals suggests future initiatives and action in areas critical for Oklahoma's progress in economic growth. Longitudinal databases are used to provide insight and monitor progress in the areas, which are arranged in the following categories: Funding In-Flows, Human Resources, Capital Investment and Business Assistance, and the Technology Intensive Business Base. 



The team selected three areas of emphasis under most categories and compared Oklahoma's national ranking in 1997 (most current data available) with the rank they believe needs to be attained by 2005. Among the team's projections, some admittedly generous in likelihood, are the following: 

With the establishment of a $1 million trust fund to serve as seed money, the new Oklahoma Institute of Technology intends to position the state as a national leader in information technology, engineering, and biotechnology. Governor Frank Keating signed Senate Bill 694 into law June 8, creating the public-private collaboration. Tulsa World news reports indicate supporters of the institute anticipate raising a $100 million endowment for the project and securing additional state support.

Several objectives are laid out in the legislation for the institute to pursue, including: 

Oklahomans need “to make fundamental changes in the way we see ourselves and the way we do things...to prevent us from slipping farther and farther behind, languishing on the sidelines of the New Economy,” according to a 14-member committee of public and private sector leaders. 

Co-chaired by the State Treasurer and the Governor’s Chief of Staff, the committee was formed by the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology (OCAST) to study publicly-funded seed and venture capital initiatives around the country and make recommendations for Oklahoma. The committee found that “unless Oklahomans address some core perception and infrastructure issues, the existence of adequate and growing investment capital is impossible.” 



The committee identified five strategic directions to pursue: 

Bill Sibley has been named as President of the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology. Mike Irby, who has been serving as Acting President for OCAST, will be retiring at the end of the year.