Save the Date! SSTI's Annual Conference Set for October 21-23
Mark your calendar for Oct. 21-23 to attend SSTI's 13th annual conference Seize The Moment in Overland Park, Kansas! Past attendees know SSTI's conference is the premiere professional development event for the TBED community. And 2009 will be no exception.
TBED People and Organizations
The Piedmont Triad Research Park laid off Bill Dean, director of the park, and Nancy Johnson, marketing director. Park officials said that the park's project manager and executive assistant also were laid off.
Recent Research: Does the Clustering of Venture Capital Centers Make Sense?
Three metropolitan areas dominate the U.S. venture capital landscape: San Francisco, Boston and New York. These cities are home to about half of all U.S. venture firms and about half of all U.S. venture-backed companies. Though venture firms have sprung up around the country over the past 25 years, the three cities have maintained, and even expanded, their share of national firms and investment.
TBED People and Organizations
President Obama nominated Francis Collins, a physician and scientist who helped guide the Human Genome Project to completion, as the next director of the National Institutes of Health.
SSTI's 2009 Conference Website is LIVE - Register Today!
The circumstances leading to SSTI's 13th Annual Conference make this year's event critical. We encourage you to join us in Overland Park, Kansas October 21 - 23, 2009 to Seize the Moment. As you scan the conference website, you'll discover we're putting together our most complete and complex conference yet.
TBED People and Organizations
W. Steven Burke is the new president of Biofuels Center of North Carolina.
SSTI Editorial: The Difference a Year Makes for Federal Economic Development Policy
For nearly every budget issue SSTI has prepared during the first decade of the 21st century, our opening paragraphs read like obituaries. The previous administration was ideologically opposed to the government taking an active role to support economic development, even tech-based economic development, beyond increases for university and federally based research. Spending for federal programs that support regional community and economic growth were slashed repeatedly.
Recent Research: Venture Capital Proximity Means Larger Financing Rounds, But Not More Money
Despite the global growth of the industry over the past few decades, U.S. venture capital remains as concentrated as ever in the Silicon Valley region, and to a lesser extent, Massachusetts.
TBED People and Organizations
J. Mike Books is leaving his post with the Indiana Health Industry Forum to become the first economic development director for the city of Columbia, Missouri. He also will serve as president of the Regional Economic Development Inc. Brooks will assume his new responsibilities on July 15.
Tech Talkin' Govs, Part II
Kansas Gov Puts TBED Programs in Jeopardy with Budget Request
Tech Talkin’ Govs, Part I
SSTI’s eighth annual Tech Talkin’ Govs series highlights new and expanded TBED proposals from governors’ state-of-the-state, budget and inaugural addresses. With mounting budget deficits spanning the nation, this year’s anticipated overarching theme is proposals aimed at mending states’ finances with less focus on the introduction of new initiatives. The first installment of the series includes excerpts from California and New York.
California
Mixed Results for TBED in State Budget Proposals
Coinciding with a plethora of state-of-the-state addresses delivered over the past week, several governors have released budget recommendations for the upcoming fiscal year. The following states’ budgets include crucial TBED investments and reductions in programs.
California
Research, Innovation and Education Initiatives Proposed in Kansas Budget
Gov. Kathleen Sebelius delivered her State of the State Address last week proposing new initiatives and continued funding for several TBED programs emphasizing education and innovation as key to the state’s future economy.
Local Capital Programs Help Address Regional Gaps
Although the national venture capital investment continues to expand, many parts of the country still lack access to reliable sources of business capital. Even in states that rank in the top tier for venture investment, there are often insufficient capital resources to support businesses at every stage of development.
SSTI Job Corner
Complete descriptions of these opportunities and others are available at http://www.ssti.org/posting.htm.
Useful Stats: 2006 Industrial R&D Intensity per State
According to National Science Foundation (NSF) data released two weeks ago, companies spent in aggregate $247.7 billion on R&D expenditures performed in the U.S. in 2006. Leading the nation was California, with $58.4 billion in industrial R&D, followed by Michigan ($16.5 billion), Massachusetts ($15.6 billion), New Jersey ($14.6 billion), and Texas ($13.3 billion).
California Angel Fund Steps in to Bridge Cleantech Funding Gap
Even in the venture capital-rich state of California during a boom period for clean energy investment, some clean energy entrepreneurs still have a hard time finding the capital resources they desire. As a result, one non-profit venture capital group, with a unique history of its own, is launching a new effort to support early-stage businesses. The California Clean Energy Fund (CalCEF) is currently helping to raise a $20 million angel fund to bridge a perceived gap in seed and start-up stage capital availability.
SSTI Job Corner
Complete descriptions of these opportunities and others are available at: http://www.ssti.org/posting.htm.
Incubator RoundUp: Encouraging Entrepreneurship and Supporting Tech Commercialization
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.
Election Preview: Voters to Decide on Statewide TBED Issues
While the Presidential election takes center stage on November 4, voters in several states also will cast their votes on statewide ballot issues affecting the TBED community. In addition to the 11 gubernatorial races and more than 5,800 state legislative seats up for grabs, voters across the nation will consider measures to provide funding for public education, expand investment in alternative and renewable energy, lift restrictions on stem-cell research, and eliminate income tax and state spending caps.
People & TBED Organizations
Christopher Hansen will succeed William Archey as AeA's next president and CEO. Hansen will start on Nov. 15, overlapping with Archey until February 2008 to ensure a smooth transition.
People & TBED Organizations
Dr. Daryush Ila was chosen to serve as executive director of the Alabama EPSCoR Steering Committee. Ila heads the Alabama A&M University Research Institute.
People
J.D. Stack replaces Oleg Kaganovich as the new CEO of the Sacramento Area Regional Technology Alliance.
TBED People
William Archey, CEO of AeA, announced he will retire in 2008.