Surveys Find Venture Capital Financing Increased in 1996
Two recent reports indicate the amount of venture capital financing increased in 1996, although the two reports differ on the amount of financing and the most active investors. Both surveys agreed that California and Massachusetts were the lead states in attracting venture capital.
Position Available
The Alliance for Manufacturing Excellence (AME), a non-profit start-up organization, seeks an Executive Director to build and operate a successful manufacturing services organization. The Executive Director will guide AME in its mission of assisting smaller manufacturers to adopt more advanced manufacturing technologies and management techniques.
People
Krisztina Holly was named executive director of the University of Southern California's Mark and Mary Stevens Institute for Technology Entrepreneurship and Commercialization.
People in S&T
Cliff Numark has been named CEO for the San Diego Regional Technology Alliance, filling the position vacated by Joe Raguso when he became Deputy Secretary in the California Department of Trade and Commerce.
Tackling the Digital Divide. . . and S&T Worker Preparedness
The National Academy Foundation, a New York-based nonprofit organization, and President Clinton have announced the selection of 12 public high schools to pilot the Academy of Information Technology program. The program is intended to prepare predominantly at-risk high school students for careers in information technology fields. The program will provide a ninth-through-twelfth-grade curriculum with opportunities to partner with community colleges, universities, and businesses.
California Governor Names S&T Chief
California Governor Gray Davis has appointed Joseph A. Raguso as Deputy Secretary for Strategic Technology for the Trade and Commerce Agency. Mr. Raguso currently serves as President and CEO for the San Diego Regional Technology Alliance (SDRTA), a position he has held since 1997. Mr. Raguso will begin serving in his new capacity on January 31.
Two Looks at Improving Cross-Border Collaboration
Regardless of their potentially arbitrary nature, the political lines separating jurisdictions can wreak havoc on a region's ability to support innovation. Whether it's a boundary between two communities, two states or two countries, these imaginary lines define real rules of commerce (e.g. by the taxes levied, property values, etc.) as well as intangible concerns and perceptions.
The Downside of S&T Success
The Sacramento Bee recently ran a story showing there is a downside for California being home of the Silicon Valley phenomenon: 20 percent of the 6,600 computer and telecommunications positions within the California state government are vacant. Some local governments are reporting even higher vacancy rates.
S&T Programs Funded through Tobacco Settlements
Earlier this year, Michigan initiated plans to spend $1 billion over the next 20 years for life sciences research, development, and commercialization. With this commitment, Michigan became the first state to use its tobacco settlement funds to bolster technology-based economic development programs.
Other states and localities are considering using their share of the tobacco settlement funds for science and technology programs as well.
ATP National Meeting To Be Held In San Jose
The 1999 Advanced Technology Program National Meeting, Nov. 15-17 in San Jose, Calif., will feature more than 30 workshops for industry, academic and government researchers to discuss current ATP work in
high-risk, high-potential technologies and future R&D opportunities. The meeting also will feature general information presentations on ATP and a showcase exhibit of a broad array of successful ATP-sponsored
People
Chris Hedrick has announced his resignation as the Executive Science & Technology Policy Advisor in the Washington Governor’s Office to join an Internet education company.
Global Venture Forum Applications Due
The Global Venture Forum is a business development event sponsored by the Osaka Chamber of Commerce to help Japanese and foreign firms find Japanese partners for investment, trade, distribution, and global business.
Since the Global Venture Forum started in 1995, 44 percent of the participants have found business partners.
Useful Stats II: Top High Tech Metros Identified
Forbes magazine, in conjunction with the Milken Institute, released on Monday its second annual "Best Places for Business and Careers" - a ranking of the top 200 metropolitan areas in the United States. The Forbes-Milken Institute list looks at two critical factors to determine which metro areas are the most dynamic: jobs and earnings, and high-technology growth and output.
People in S&T
Washington Governor Gary Locke has named Fred Morris as his new advisor for science and technology. Mr. Morris has been working for Battelle Memorial Institute's Northwest Research Center where he has worked at the Science and Government Center
Guide Available of Best Practices in Technology Innovation Centers
Technology Innovation Centers (TICs), defined broadly to include incubators, business support programs and web services, direct providers, and facilitators/gatekeepers, can be successful instruments for technology-based economic development if done properly, according to the San Diego Regional Technology Alliance's recent report Technology Innovation Centers: A Guide to Principles and Best Practices.
Washington Tech. Center Releases Innovation and Technology Index
The Washington Technology Center has released its first annual Index of Innovation and Technology. The report examines 34 performance indicators in six broad areas: Innovation, Competitiveness, Growth, Financial Capacity, Human Potential, Quality of Life, and Internet Infrastructure. For each indicator, Washington is compared to several other states or to national averages.
People
Lura Powell, former Director of the Advanced Technology Program within the Department of Commerce, has accepted the position as Director of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Washington.
larta Assesses Southern California Bioscience Industry
Despite many indications that show strong potential for growth, Southern California's bioscience industry still faces challenges, according to a new report from the Los Angeles Regional Technology Alliance (larta). Released July 19, Heart of Gold: The Bioscience Industry in Southern California highlights the strengths of the region's industry and honestly assesses the ways that the industry can overcome its weaknesses. The report was created to present a full
Positioning for the Nano Future: California's $350 Million Investment
While technological advancements occur every day, truly revolutionary technologies over the past three hundred years — those that promise so many diverse applications that they result in disruption and restructuring of several different industries — can be counted on one hand. The field of nanotechnology, with major implications for nearly every industrial sector, appears to be one of those once-in-a-lifetime breakthroughs.
Newest Advanced Technology Education Center Opens
The grand opening on April 9 of a new technology education center in the Seattle area marked a milestone for the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Advanced Technological Education (ATE) Program. The new Northwest Center for Emerging Technologies (NWCET) is the second major ATE center NSF has supported in the fields of information technology and telecommunications.
Positions Available
The Washington Technology Center (WTC) is seeking an Executive Director. WTC is the state of Washington's enterprise for joint industry-university technology development partnerships. The Center supports technologies for industry application for Washington companies in the areas of advanced materials and manufacturing, biotechnology/biomedical devices, computer systems and microelectronics.
Digital Divide News
TOP Reauthorized and To Grow, Says Senate Commerce Committee
Pre-conference Workshops Focus on Burning Issues
Two of the most critical issues in today's tech-based economic development (TBED) involve money — funding for companies and funding for TBED programs.
Spokane Authors Strategic Plan for Innovation Economy
The City of Spokane and a group of local organizations have penned a strategic plan designed to help the city and the Inland Northwest achieve an Innovation Economy.