People
Jane Patterson leaves the North Carolina Governor's Office this week to become the Director of the Rural Internet Access Authority, a new state authority.
People
Margie Boccieri has announced she is leaving the North Carolina Governor's Office to join Southeast Interactive Technology Funds, a Research Triangle Park venture capital firm, as its Vice President of Business Development and Strategy.
Delaware Creates Biotech Institute and Passes R&D Tax Credit
Delaware increased its commitment to technology businesses recently with two new initiatives: the creation of the Delaware Biotechnology Institute and the passage of a state research and development tax credit.
Delaware Biotechnology Institute
People & Organizations
Bob Dayton was named president of the Delaware BioScience Association.
Eaton Corporation Donates Patent Portfolio
The Mid-America Commercialization Corporation (Manhattan, Kansas) announced that the Eaton Corporation is donating a substantial portfolio of patented technologies for the benefit of the corporation and Kansas State University.
Two States Consider Paying Tech School Tuition
In what could be the beginning of a new trend in state economic development incentive/inducements, bills receiving bi-partisan support in the Michigan and Delaware state legislatures would address businesses= needs for more technically skilled workers by having the states pick up the students' tab for community college tuition and technical training.
Position Available
A Wichita, Kansas-based venture capital firm seeks a broadly qualified leader to commercialize technology, develop start-up businesses, manage pre-seed and seed capital funds, and raise capital. Resumes with a personal statement of interest and five professional references to Mary Breakstone at the Kansas Technology Enterprise Corporation (KTEC). The full position description is available on the SSTI home page at www.ssti.org
KANSAS INNOVATION INDEX ASSESSES STATE’S COMPETITIVENESS
The Kansas Technology Enterprise Corporation (KTEC) has released the Kansas Innovation Index 1999. The major finding of the report is that "Kansas has a realistic opportunity to create a competitive advantage for economic growth and high wage industries by supporting its emerging innovation economy."
Kansas Commercialization Centers to Help Companies with Equipment Needs
The Kansas Technology Enterprise Corporation (KTEC) has initiated a program to help technology-based start-up companies locate and obtain equipment needed for their operations.
PEOPLE
Sue Rhoades, formerly of Delaware, has taken a new position with Pennsylvania's Ben Franklin Partnership as State Coordinator. She will be working with the four regional Ben Franklin Technology Centers on a variety of statewide collaborative and strategic initiatives. The Delaware Economic Development Office (DEDO) is seeking a Manager of Technology Programs to fill Sue’s position. The DEDO is the state agency responsible for economic development in Delaware.
PEOPLE IN THE NEWS
NGA Leadership --- At its 1998 Annual Meeting in Milwaukee, the National Governor’s Association (NGA) named its new leadership to steer the initiatives and agenda for the association.Delaware Governor THOMAS R. CARPER was named NGA’s chairman, and Utah Governor MICHAEL O. LEAVITT vice chairman. The positions are for a term of one year.
People
SSTI has learned through the KTEC SBIR Bulletin that Clyde Engert will be retiring as Vice President of Innovation & Market Research at KTEC on July 1, 2001. Mr Engert has been a long-active champion of state SBIR outreach and financial assistance. His services will be missed by Kansas companies and the national SBIR community.
Billion Dollar Gift Boosts Biomed Research in Kansas City
With an eye toward helping to make Kansas City a leading center for biomedical research, James Stower Jr., founder of American Century mutual funds, and his wife are donating $1.114 billion to the Stowers Institute of Medical Research. The donation is considered one of the five largest philanthropic gifts in history.
New Microelectronics Program Being Planned
The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), in cooperation with members of the semiconductor industry and the U.S. Department of Defense, is launching a new initiative to expand certain long range applied microelectronics research at U.S. universities.
This planned new initiative, the Focus Center Research Program, is being structured to utilize long range innovative applied research to meet industry needs. The envisioned Centers will:
Delaware Funds Two New Centers
The Delaware Economic Development Office recently announced the selection of two new Advanced Technology Centers (ATC). The Centers will focus on semiconductors and advanced optics.
The Centers are public/private partnerships designed to bolster Delaware's technology base and to create and retain quality high-tech jobs. The State of Delaware is investing $4 million over three years in these two Centers through grants from the 21st Century Fund.
National Governors' Association Has New Chairman
Ohio Governor George V. Voinovich, began his term as the National Governors' Association (NGA) Chairman at the association's annual meeting in Las Vegas this week. He succeeded Nevada Governor Bill Miller.
Governor Tom Carper, a Democrat from Delaware, has been chosen as the Association's Vice-Chairman. Governor Carper will become Chairman of NGA next summer when Governor Voinovich's term expires.
SSTI Commentary: What Constitutes A Gift? TBED and Philanthropy
Probably everyone involved in tech-based economic development (TBED) can name at least one research building, innovation center or tech park named after a significant contributor to the project. And has become commonplace individual components of the structure have been named for individual donors: a wing, the auditorium, the foyer, the artwork, the chairs in the board room.
People
Kansas Technology Enterprise Corp. named Trish Costello as its newest Entrepreneur in Residence.
Tackling the Digital Divide. . . and S&T Worker Preparedness
Activities to address the digital divide and the S&T workforce shortage have increased recently. The following are a sampling of efforts underway to understand and address the growing inequalities in technology access and assimilation.
$1 M from AT&T to Support Tech Capacity at Historically Black Colleges
AT&T has made a $1 million grant to support the development of technological expertise in 13 institutions of higher education in Virginia, North Carolina, Delaware, Maryland and West Virginia.
The grant was made to the Virtual Institute for Technology Advancement in Education and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (VITAE- HBCU). The VITAE-HBCU program is a partnership to foster collaboration between Virginia Tech and the HBCUs.
North Carolina to Host Six-State Regional SBIR/ATP Conference
The North Carolina Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC) will host a six-state regional conference promoting three federal business technology investment programs: the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program, the Advanced Technology Program (ATP), and the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program.
Connecting the Dots: Creating a Southern Nanotechnology Network
The advances being made in nanotechnology-based research are likely to impact most industry sectors eventually as more commercial applications are identified. As a result, the National Nanotechnology Initiative has been a research priority for the federal government for many years. Nanotech research is occurring around the world, but, at this point, the majority of effort is concentrated in several leading universities and private companies.
Kansas Releases New Technology Cluster Assessment and Strategic Plan
Using a new, proprietary methodology, the Kansas Technology Enterprise Corporation (KTEC) has conducted a cluster assessment, determining KTEC should focus its commercialization efforts on those specific technology areas where opportunity is high and where the elements are in place to delivery those benefits to the state’s economy.
North Carolina SBTDC Offering Technology Training for SBDCS
article prepared by Kay Etzler, SBIR Specialist for the North Carolina Small Business Technology Development Center
STC Releases Study of Student Migration Patterns
College tuition rates and a state's success at retaining its high school graduates for college attendance — both of which can be affected by state policy makers and university administrators — are strong predictors of a state's success in keeping its own recent college science and engineering graduates and in attracting graduates from other states, according to a study from the Southern Technology Council (STC).