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SSTI Digest
Geography: Wisconsin
People & TBED Organizations
President Bush announced he will nominate Assistant Secretary of Commerce Sandy Baruah to serve as the administrator of the Small Business Administration.
The Rensselaer County Regional Chamber of Commerce has created the Economic Development Partnership to help businesses relocate to or expand in the county.
Barbara Fleisner has been hired as executive director of Centergy, the Central Wisconsin Alliance for Economic Development.
Dr. Lee Herron has joined the Georgia Research Alliance (GRA) as vice president of commercialization. Herron previously was general manager, Biosciences, for the Advanced Technology Development Center.
Linden Rhoads was named vice provost of the University of Washington's TechTransfer department. Rhoads replace Jim Severson, who left to join a start-up company.
People & TBED Organizations
Lori Broyles was appointed coordinator of the Women's Business Center in Oklahoma City.
Two New Initiatives Aim to ‘Innovate’ and ‘Accelerate’ Wisconsin
Gov. Jim Doyle announced two new initiatives focusing on investments in manufacturing R&D and increasing angel and venture capital investment to grow new businesses.
With the goal of remaining globally competitive, the governor’s new Innovate Wisconsin initiative offers tax incentives to encourage manufacturers to increase R&D. Specifically, the plan calls for new ‘Innovate’ tax credits that are given to companies who increase spending on R&D by 25 percent over their three-year average. Companies would receive a $1 tax credit for every $1 spent above this threshold, which is capped at 50 percent of its tax liability, according to the governor’s office. Additionally, the plan calls for machines and equipment used in manufacturing R&D to be exempt from sales and property tax.
Better Late than Never: Wisconsin Budget Supports Energy, TBED and University R&D
Nearly four months into the current fiscal year, Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle signed into law the biennial 2007-09 budget last week, investing in renewable energy, university R&D and expanding tax credits to attract angel and venture capital investment.
The enacted budget includes $15 million in fiscal year 2008-09 for a renewable energy grant and loan program -- about half of the governor’s recommendation (see the Feb. 19, 2007 issue of the Digest). The program authorizes the Department of Commerce to award a grant or loan to a business or researcher to fund R&D, including demonstration projects into renewable energy technologies, development of renewable energy sources and infrastructure, the commercial application of renewable energy technology sources, and construction of one or more cellulosic ethanol production plants.
People & TBED Organizations
Colin Scanes is the new vice chancellor for research and economic development at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Scanes formerly was the chief economic development strategist at Mississippi State University.
Wisconsin Early-stage Capital Interventions Lead to Gains in 2006
Like many states, Wisconsin has struggled to attract consistent attention from the national venture capital industry. Capital can be especially difficult to obtain in the state, since entrepreneurs with limited resources are often unable to participate in the expensive and complicated process of presenting their cases to venture capital firms based on the coasts. To address this market failure, Wisconsin has established several programs to encourage the formation of local venture and angel capital groups and incentives for in-state equity investment.
People
Craig Heim was named licensing manager for start-up companies at the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation.
People
John Gee was named president and CEO of the Information Technology Association of Wisconsin.
People
Jim Rice, with the Information Technology Association of Wisconsin, announced his departure as the organization’s first president.
Wisconsin Offers Free Stem Cell Research Licenses
Last week, Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle announced his administration and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) had reached an agreement that would allow companies sponsoring stem cell research in Wisconsin to obtain a free, non-exclusive research license under the stem cell patents held by WARF. WARF, which manages more than 720 pending and 880 issued U.S. patents on University of Wisconsin at Madison technologies, will not charge Wisconsin research centers for licenses on its stem cell patents. The agreement is part of Gov. Doyle's plan to help the state capture 10 percent of the national stem cell market by 2015.
The WiCell Research Institute, a subsidiary of WARF and operator of the National Stem Cell Bank, offers technology licenses, stem cell lines, and training for university and private sectors researchers around the world. WiCell provides five of the 21 stem cell lines available for federal funding and maintains more than 460 academic and commercial licenses on human embryonic stem cells. Its licenses directly affect all U.S. companies and research in the field.
People & Organizations
The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay's Paper Technology Transfer Center has changed its name to the Paper Industry Resource Center.
People
Barbara Fleisner is the new vice president of economic development for the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce. She succeeds Paul Ehrfurth, who retired in June.