SSTI Digest

Technology-focused incubators are an important component to fostering entrepreneurial development in a region by nurturing businesses in the earliest stages of development and helping them grow into larger companies that employ high-wage workers and bring new technologies to the market. The following select announcements provide an overview of new incubators from across the nation, illustrating the vital role of entrepreneurial development in growing high-tech regional economies. Ann Arbor Spark announced last month a new location for its proposed business incubator in downtown Ypsilanti, reports the Ann Arbor News. The 8,500-square-foot incubator, which is expected to open in December, will provide space for 10 start-up technology companies for two years, the article states. Battle Creek Unlimited announced in August they are developing a virtual incubator as a Web 2.0 network to match high-tech start-up companies with universities and public entities. With partial funding from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, the virtual incubator will offer services including quick access to resources, business progress monitoring, and the ability…

Armed with professional advice from mentors in scientific fields and free access to sophisticated design and engineering software, teachers and students from Hawaii, Kansas, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Vermont and Virginia will participate in a national competition to solve a real-world engineering challenge defined by the aviation industry.   The idea behind the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Real World Design Challenge is to create a pipeline of highly qualified workers by preparing high school students for careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields based on issues facing high-tech and defense industries.   Ralph Coppola, director of Worldwide Education for Parametric Technology Corporation, said many aerospace and defense companies that work as contractors to national security agencies are concerned the U.S. is not producing enough qualified workers who must be able to work on both the defense and commercial side. A survey conducted with these companies in the Northeast found 54 percent of the workforce is 45 years or older and one-third are eligible for retirement today. At the same time, engineering…

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…

When given a list of seven technology categories to possibly target and invest money and resources over the next 10 years, 37 percent of U.S. respondents selected “fuel efficiency and alternative fuels” as their leading choice, according to a national survey commissioned by the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA) in Virginia. The remaining choices provided by the survey, which was conducted in March 2008, were as follows (ranked by overall popularity): Medical – 30 percent; Environment – 14 percent; Security and defense – 10 percent; Transportation – 3 percent; Space exploration – 3 percent; Telecommunications and media – 2 percent; and, Don’t know/Not sure – 1 percent. While pursuing green energy strategies may be the top choice for respondents as a whole, slight differences appear within the survey’s demographic groups. About 33 percent of women selected medical technologies as their top choice, making it the highest category for women. This was followed by 30 percent of women naming fuel efficiency and alternative fuels as being the highest priority. Forty-three percent of men…

Regional and industry cries of a highly skilled worker shortage, particularly for scientists and engineers appear well grounded based on a recent InfoBrief from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The Foundation reports in 2006, the unemployment rate for scientists and engineers in the U.S. fell to 2.5 percent. Decreasing from 3.2 percent in 2003, the figure is the lowest unemployment rate measured since the early 1990s using the Scientists and Engineers Statistical Data System, NSF reports.   The findings are quite sobering when paired with this week’s release of the widely covered report by America’s Promise Alliance that reveals more than 1.1 million children in the U.S. drop out of high school each year. NSF defines scientists and engineers as including people who have received a bachelor’s degree or higher in S&E or S&E-related academic fields and people without an S&E degree working in S&E or S&E-related occupations. Unemployment for the U.S. labor market as a whole was 4.7 percent in 2006, about 2.2 percentage points higher than the unemployment rate for scientists and engineers in that year. …

Adjourning from the 2008 legislative session on March 13, Virginia legislators passed the fiscal year 2008-10 biennial budget but immediately called for a special session to resolve differences in the proposed capital outlay plan that supports university R&D and commercialization efforts.    Gov. Tim Kaine unveiled the bond package in December, which includes funding to upgrade university research buildings and laboratories and purchase new research equipment. The bond package also targets construction projects focused on developing a skilled workforce (see the Dec. 19, 2007 issue of the Digest). Lawmakers will reconvene April 23 to act on the bond package and to consider the governor’s amendments and vetoes to the state budget.   Faced with a projected budget shortfall of $339 million for the remaining fiscal year and more than $1 billion in FY09-10, Gov. Kaine announced last month a revised budget revenue proposal to his original recommendations unveiled late last year.   To address the shortfall, Gov. Kaine called for reductions across executive budget branch agencies, targeted cuts to many of his own…

The Indiana Business Incubator Society announced its plans to become a formal organization.

Facing a projected budget deficit of more than $600 million, Gov. Tim Kaine told lawmakers the state must invest more money in research and commercialization efforts to accelerate Virginia’s progress in key areas.   Anticipating the state’s investments in R&D will pay off in the future, Gov. Kaine unveiled a $1.65 billion bond package for higher education needs that includes support for researchers and research facilities aimed at R&D and commercialization. The governor’s fiscal year 2009-10 budget includes an additional $44.3 million for colleges and universities and continued funding for research across the state’s higher education institutes. The bond package targets 75 projects for new construction and renovation focusing on developing a 21st century workforce in emerging fields such as science, engineering, education and health care. Upgrades are needed to provide researchers with the equipment to develop cutting-edge technologies, Gov. Kaine said in a press release. The proposed General Obligation Bond, which would be provided through the Virginia College Building Authority, must receive support from the General…

A complete description of this opportunity and others is available at http://www.ssti.org/posting.htm. The U.S. Civilian Research & Development Foundation, a nonprofit organization that promotes international scientific and technical collaboration, is seeking a program manager for its Partner Development Program. The ideal candidate for this position is a highly motivated individual with a background in business development, marketing or international business who can network with U.S. industry and pursue new U.S. and Russian partner development opportunities. A bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience is required; a master's degree is preferred. Candidates also must have 2-4 years of prior work experience managing projects, with specific expertise in one or more of three fields: business development, marketing or international business.

Chris Copenhaver, an employee of the Department of Economic Development in Roanoke, Va., was named the city's first entrepreneurial specialist.

Many Digest stories in recent years have described the actions of states and regions to build a stronger educational foundation in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. The National Science Board (NSB), the policy-making body of the National Science Foundation, released its recommendations to improve the ability of all American students to receive the necessary skills and knowledge to successfully participate in the workforce of the future. In A National Plan for Addressing the Critical Needs of the U.S. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education System, NSB describes two central challenges of equal importance that form the core of their actionable steps: (1) Ensure a coherent STEM education system throughout the entire country, and (2) ensure that U.S. students are educated by well qualified and highly effective teachers.   The report offers some perspectives on America’s lagging rankings in STEM critical thinking skills compared to other industrialized nations and includes information from the National Center for Education Statistics, which reports 30 percent of first-year college students take…

Virginia could capitalize on its strong energy R&D foundation of universities, federal laboratories and businesses through coordination among research activities and by creating a consistent funding stream for federal R&D funding and technology commercialization, finds a new state energy plan released last week.   Mandated by SB 262 from the 2006 General Assembly, the Virginia Energy Plan outlines specific goals and recommendations that set forth energy policy for the Commonwealth over the next 10 years. Under the plan, the state will reduce the rate of growth in energy use by 40 percent, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent and seek to increase in-state energy production by 20 percent. The plan also calls for expanding consumer energy education and increased R&D within the areas of nuclear technologies, alternate transportation fuels, coastal energy production, and carbon capture and storage. Economic development opportunities are found within the state’s institutes of higher education, federal laboratories and businesses. However, the challenge is coordinating the varied R&D activities in ways…