Recently, Enterprise Florida Inc. and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development joined SSTI as state sponsors. We are pleased to have 38 state science and technology (S&T) organizations show their commitment to technology-based economic development as state sponsors. Our members see value in the educational opportunities, technical assistance and quality research information SSTI provides.

Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, State of the State Address, Jan. 10, 2005

The Georgia Biomedical Partnership named Charles Craig as its new president.

BioFlorida named Diana Robinson as its new president.

The 2005 budget request submitted this week by Florida Governor Jeb Bush includes $20 million to establish two more Centers of Excellence at Florida universities.

When Florida Gov. Jeb Bush surprised the world last October by announcing the state had landed an East Coast campus for the Scripps Research Institute, the draw from the public coffers cost was pegged at $510 million. The state was contributing $310 million and the county's share was up to $200 million for land acquisition and building construction.

Georgia Department of Industry, Trade and Tourism commissioner W. Glenn Cornell has announced his retirement, effective June 30. Craig Lesser is Gov. Sonny Perdue's recommendation as Cornell's successor.

Garza Fernandez, president of the Southern Arizona Industry and Aerospace Alliance, announced her resignation to devote more time to the Technology Development and Research Institute.

Studies have shown a strong correlation between high-wage economic growth and university research activity. Examination of nearly every strong regional technology center across the country will reveal at least one research university within its boundaries. As a result, many state and local technology-based economic development (TBED) efforts strive to increase the quantity and quality of university R&D undertaken within their boundaries.

In an attempt to attract more bioscience firms, Florida will invest up to $1 billion of its $102 billion employee pension fund into venture capital, the State Board of Administration recently announced. A forum was held last week by Enterprise Florida, the state's economic development agency, to outline the investment plan to more than 80 venture capitalists in attendance.

Scott Davis will be the new director for the University of Arizona Office of Economic Development.

The Georgia Department of Industry, Trade and Tourism, in partnership with the University System of Georgia, has appointed Page Siplon and Michael Hale as directors of the Maritime Logistics Innovation Center and the Middle Georgia Innovation Center for Aircraft Lifecycle Support, respectively.

Tino Mantella has been appointed president of the Technology Association of Georgia, a nonprofit organization that focuses on promotion and economic advancement of the state's technology industry.

Forum Aims to Support Entrepreneurs in Southern New Jersey

Rowan University Wins Approval for Technology Park Loan

The Greater Phoenix Economic Council announced Barry Broome will become the new president & CEO beginning in February.

Michelle Bauer, executive director of the Tampa Bay Technology Forum, announced she will resign from her position in early 2005.

Led by the Fort Myers-Cape Coral metro area, a burgeoning retirement and tourist destination on the state’s southwest coast, Florida landed seven of the top 15 metros in Milken Institute’s 2004 Best Performing Cities Index released last week. The others are West Palm Beach-Boca Raton (4th), Daytona Beach (5th), Sarasota-Bradenton (6th), Fort Lauderdale (9th), Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater (12th) and Naples (15th).

The National Technology Transfer Center named James Goulka as its new CEO. Goulka formerly was president and CEO of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation in Scottsdale, AZ.

Ken Marcus is the new director of the University of Arizona Science and Technology Park.

For most people in the business sector and economic development field, perhaps, the word "innovation" is quickly associated with tech start-ups and entrepreneurial businesses. The new Tennebaum Institute at Georgia Tech, opened last month with a $5 million donation from school alumnus Michael Tennebaum, is hoping to change that.

With the goal of creating new access to venture capital (VC) for area businesses, Arizona and Montana are investing up to $50 million into a “fund of funds” concept. Both states are undertaking this multi-management model with the hopes of luring high-tech start-up companies. Their efforts are described in further detail below.

The number of business establishments in the U.S. grew by 17.4 percent between 1998 and the end of 2003, although a slight net decline occurred in 2003 for the first time in six years, according to data recently released by infoUSA.