People
Gov. Don Siegelman has named Anne Payne to director of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs. Payne has been serving as ADECA's assistant director since last August.
City, Chamber Partner for Birmingham Future as Tech Mecca
If the corporate leaders, educators, scientists, and technology entrepreneurs who make up the Birmingham Area Technology Task Force have their way, Birmingham, Alabama in the 21st century will be a mecca for technology-based businesses and jobs.
Tech Talkin' Govs VI: A Final Look at the 2001State of the State, Budget Addresses
Editor's Note: The sixth and final installment in our review of the Governors' inaugural addresses, state of the state addresses, and budget messages for 2001. Previous weeks' installments are available on our website http://www.ssti.org/Digest/2001/headlines01.htm
People & TBED Organizations
Dr. Russ Lea has been named vice president for research at the University of South Alabama.
Alabama Directs $35.8M to STEM Initiative
Alabama Gov. Bob Riley and lawmakers recently gave the state's Department of Education a substantial boost by increasing the budget for the Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative (AMSTI) by two-thirds for fiscal year 2008 – a leading example in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education.
TBED Comings and Goings
G. Michael Alder has been named executive director of the Biotechnology Association of Alabama.
Alabama Plans $71M Next Generation Robotics Training, Research Facility
Alabama Gov. Bob Riley recently announced a plan to launch an advanced robotics research, training and education center to prepare workers for the robotics industry and attract high-tech employers to the state. Calhoun Community College in Decatur will host the $71 million center, in partnership with the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Gov. Riley first proposed the robotics campus in 2006 and believes the center will help increase the state’s profile as a leader in the robotics industry.
People & TBED Organizations
The Beaver County (Pa.) CO-OP announced it will change its name to StartingGate. The incubator will continue to assist entrepreneurs and new business start-ups and help expand existing businesses.
Joe Dedman was chosen as the first executive director of the Southeast Indiana WIRED.
Brian DuBoff was named the director of Maryland's southern region Small Business Development Center, which is hosted by the College of Southern Maryland.
State-Federal Lab Partnerships to be Highlighted May 5-8 in Portland
Many state and regional TBED organizations see federal laboratories as an integral partner in their efforts to promote technology development and commercialization. At least 22 of the leading state TBED organizations across the country have established partnerships with at least one federal laboratory to address a broad range of goals, according to a recent SSTI survey.
Leveraging Partnerships between Federal Laboratories and TBED Organizations
Last week, the Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer (FLC) held its annual national meeting in Portland, Ore. The gathering brought together laboratory technology transfer specialists, industry representatives and state and regional TBED organizations, among others, to discuss pertinent issues such as changes in federal legislation affecting intellectual property and SBIR reauthorization, STEM education initiatives, funding opportunities, and best practices for encouraging the successful commercialization of research.
Southern States Advance Several TBED Initiatives into 2009
Legislators in Alabama, South Carolina and Tennessee recently approved spending plans for the upcoming fiscal year. Highlights of appropriations supporting TBED are included below.
Alabama
People & TBED Organizations
The Aerospace, Manufacturing and Information Technology (AMIT) Cluster of Southern Arizona has consolidated its operations with the Arizona Technology Council.
NIH Changes Peer Review, Commits $1B for Transformative Research
As annual appropriations for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) flattened – at the same time more and more states and universities are increasing their investments in academic bioscience research capacity – competition for NIH grants has heightened. Reports indicate investigators in the early stages of their careers and transformative research have been the victims of the squeeze.
SSTI Job Corner
Complete descriptions of these opportunities and others are available at http://www.ssti.org/posting.htm.
Oregon Governor Signs $28.2M Innovation Plan
Oregon lawmakers haveagreed to fund nearly all of Gov. Ted Kulongoski’s innovation proposals, including investments in seven new industry initiatives and the creation of two new signature research centers. The innovation plan passed by lawmakers falls $10 million short of the original $38 million proposal introduced by the Oregon Innovation Council and included in Gov. Kulongoski’s fiscal year 2007-09 budget released in December 2006 (see the Dec.
People & TBED Organizations
The Four-County Economic Development Corp. in Portland, Ore., has changed its name to Greenlight Greater Portland.
People & TBED Organizations
John Weete, president and executive director of the West Virginia University Research Corp., was named executive director of the Auburn Research and Technology Foundation. Weete starts his new position Sept. 1.
People & TBED Organizations
Heinz Endowments in Pittsburgh tapped Bomani Howze to help run its two-person Innovation Economy program.
New Income Tax Credit Designed to Fund Oregon Public Universities
Earlier this month, Oregon’s University Venture Development Fund began operations, which will allow the state’s taxpayers to receive a 60 percent income tax credit on contributions that will be applied toward commercialization and entrepreneurial programs at Oregon’s eight public universities. Authorized by the state legislature, the fund will enable $14 million to be provided to the universities in aggregate, with each institution’s allocation formulated by its annual income from research grants and contracts.
Oregon Governor Signs Bill to Create Innovation Council
Gov. Ted Kulongoski last month signed Senate Bill 838, creating the Oregon Innovation Council to provide him and the legislature with advice regarding business innovation in order to strengthen competitiveness in global markets. The council will include representatives from industry, education and government.
Oregon Sets Sights on Innovation Plan
The Oregon Innovation Council (Oregon InC), which spent a year reviewing how best to expand the state’s economy by leveraging industry-supported initiatives with public investments, may get to see the toils of its labor come to fruition. Gov. Ted Kulongoski released earlier this month his 2007-09 budget, with full support for the innovation plan put out by Oregon InC.
Three for Rural America
Encouraging economic growth in rural America is the topic of a recent report, a new $500 million economic development investment program, and an upcoming conference worth further investigation.