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Team NEO appointed Thomas Waltermire as CEO of the organization, a private sector-led economic development organization that helps to grow companies in Northeast Ohio.

Janice Whitehouse was named president of CyberMichigan, an institute within the nonprofit Altarum.

The University of Texas at El Paso hired Tony Woo as the assistant vice provost for research and technology transfer.

The innovation gap between Europe and the U.S. is shrinking by several measures, according to the latest benchmarking study from the European Union (EU). The size of the gap remains significant, however, due in part to factors such as an increasing public R&D intensity in the U.S. and a decreasing public R&D intensity in the EU.

 

Venture capitalists invested almost $2.5 billion in China in 2007, according to a new report from Dow Jones VentureSource. That figure is a 5 percent increase over the 2006, and the highest since 2001, despite a decrease in the number of deals. Though investment is not growing quite as quickly as it is in the U.S., where venture investment rose by 8 percent last year, China is becoming a key global market for venture investment.

 

Last week, three venture capital firms were chosen by the Department of Energy (DOE) to participate in its new Entrepreneurship in Residence (EIR) program, a pilot initiative designed to get advanced energy technologies out of the federal labs and into the marketplace. In the program’s design, an entrepreneur affiliated with each venture capital firm will work with the selected DOE laboratory staff in order to identify and evaluate marketable technologies.

 

Gov. Bobby Jindal unveiled his fiscal year 2008-09 budget to the legislature last week, focusing heavily on improving the existing workforce and creating a business climate that encourages entrepreneurship.

 

Using the state’s regional advantage, the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation (RIEDC) wants to create high-wage jobs in targeted industry sectors and establish new equity and financing programs that provide growth capital to sustain the ventures, the agency announced last week.

 

The following overview is a synopsis of selected recent announcements from research parks across the nation, including new tenants, groundbreakings and tools for financing start-up companies.

                       

The 2008 Excellence in TBED Awards call for applications is right around the corner, and this year, your organization could be recognized as a national leader in the TBED community.

 

As an award winner, you:

Rice University invites applications for a Baker Institute Fellow (postdoctoral researcher) to lead a new and potentially long-term project sponsored by the Baker Institute of Public Policy, the Computer and Information Technology Institute, and the Fondren Library.

Rob Atkinson resigned from the Progressive Policy Institute to become president of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, a new think tank.

Rob Atkinson resigned from the Progressive Policy Institute to become president of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, a new think tank.

Richard Bendis, an SSTI Board member, is leaving his position as president and CEO of Innovation Philadelphia to become president and CEO of True Product ID, Inc..

The Pennsylvania NanoMaterials Commercialization Center selected Alan Brown as its executive director.

Anne Conroy was named president of the Dutchess County Economic Development Corp., a nonprofit agency in New York.

Kansas Technology Enterprise Corp. named Trish Costello as its newest Entrepreneur in Residence.

The U.S. Senate confirmed Robert Cresanti as the Department of Commerce's undersecretary for technology, succeeding Phil Bond as head of the Technology Administration.

Krisztina Holly was named executive director of the University of Southern California's Mark and Mary Stevens Institute for Technology Entrepreneurship and Commercialization.

President Bush selected Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthorne to replace Gale Norton as secretary of the Department of Interior.

Thad LeVar was appointed deputy director of the Utah Department of Commerce. LeVar replaces Jason Perry, who was named director of the Utah Governor's Office of Economic Development (GOED). Richard Bradford, the former director of GOED, retired from state government after 13 years of service.

Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue appointed Debra Lyons to lead the newly created Office of Workforce Development.

Anthony Martoccia was appointed associate deputy administrator for the U.S. Small Business Administration's Office of Government Contracting and Business Development.

Sally Stroup, assistant secretary for postsecondary education for the U.S. Department of Education, is stepping down to pursue other interests.

The Ohio Business Alliance for Higher Education and the Economy named Reginald Wilkinson to serve as its executive director.