TBED People
Jill Kline has been named the State director of the Wyoming Small Business Development Center.
Daniel Hasler has been named the Indiana Secretary of Commerce, effective Sept. 16. He will replace Mitch Roob who is leaving the post to accept a position in the private sector.
The National Governors Association named David Moore as the director of its NGA Center for Best Practices.
Research Park RoundUp
As budgets for economic development tighten across all sectors, measuring and reporting impact becomes even more crucial for sustaining support. The Association of University Research Parks points to three impressive impact reports released this year from Indiana's Purdue Research Park, Nebraska Technology Park and North Dakota State University Research and Technology Park.
TBED People
The Idaho Department of Commerce has named Gynii Gilliam as its new chief economic development officer. Gilliam brings more than 20 years of experience to the position. Most recently, she served as executive director of Bannock Development Corporation.
David Kerr, director of the Missouri Department of Economic Development, will step down from the position Dec. 31.
Incubator RoundUp
Specialized and high-tech incubators provide crucial services and resources to promote and enhance Commercialization & Entrepreneurship, one of the six thematic tracks of this year's annual conference. Three sessions tied to this theme will be explored during SSTI's annual conference, focusing on direct lessons from successful and proven TBED programs, regional innovation clustering, and more. They include:
Job Corner
TechConnect WV, a nonprofit advancing technology-based economic development, is seeking an executive director and solicits interest from individuals and entities able to provide services on a contractual basis.
Research Parks RoundUp
Often credited with contributing significant revenue to states' economies, research parks also house facilities for workforce training and provide resources for tech-based industries, which is especially important as the nation's employment begins to pick up steam. In West Virginia, officials are building a $15 million advanced technology-training center at the state-owned research and technology park, and in Utah, officials recently broke ground on a building that will house engineers and analysts working on the nation's Intercontinental Ballistic Missile program.
Tech Talkin' Govs, Part II
The second installment of SSTI's Tech Talkin' Govs' series includes excerpts from speeches delivered in Arkansas, Connecticut, Idaho, Kansas, New Hampshire, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming. Our first installment was in the Jan. 5 Digest.
TBED People & Orgs
Caren Franzini, the CEO of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, stepped down after leading the agency for 21 years. Michele Brown, Gov. Chris Christie's appointments counsel, will take over as CEO.
OH, PA, WV Collaboration to Host Pilot Manufacturing Innovation Institute
On Thursday, the Obama administration announced it had selected the TechBelt region, encompassing northeast Ohio, western Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia, to host the pilot institute of the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI). The new National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute (NAMII) will operate as a partnership of more than 60 companies, research universities, community colleges and nonprofit organizations from the region.
Gubernatorial Candidates Make the Case for TBED
On November 6, in addition to the presidential election, eleven state and two territorial gubernatorial contests will be decided. Seven of these races (Delaware, Missouri, North Dakota, Puerto Rico, Utah, Vermont, and West Virginia) include a sitting governor running for re-election, while the remaining six (American Samoa, Indiana, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina and Washington) are open races.
Research Parks RoundUp
Having the tools and resources to develop innovative concepts and products and move discoveries from the lab to the marketplace is an essential component for building tech-based economies. Research parks, a place where innovative ideas are borne, partnerships between university and industry are created, and companies grow and create new jobs, provide a foundation for the kind of economic growth necessary to compete in a global economy. Over the past few months, development plans and groundbreaking announcements from research parks across the nation have been made.
TBED People
Chris Atkinson is the new director of West Virginia University's Center for Alternative Fuels, Engines, and Emissions (CAFEE).
TBED People
Bryan Allinson has joined Ohio University as director of technology transfer.
Legislative Wrap Up: Idaho, Iowa, South Dakota Pass Budgets
Lawmakers in Idaho, Iowa and South Dakota recently passed budgets for the upcoming fiscal year providing funds to help stabilize higher education funding, support research projects related to renewable energy R&D, and provide temporary operational support for an underground deep science laboratory.
Idaho
ID Gov Announces $5M Industry-University Research Partnership
Gov. Butch Otter unveiled plans for a targeted partnership among industry, higher education and government that invests in R&D to produce new technologies — and ultimately — jobs. The governor is asking lawmakers to approve $5 million for startup costs in the FY13 budget. Legislation to be introduced later this session will provide a plan for reorganizing the Idaho Innovation Council and implementing the initiative — called IGEM for Idaho Global Entrepreneurship Mission.
University-Industry Research Partnership Wins Approval in Idaho
With overwhelming support from the Idaho legislature, Gov. Butch Otter signed into law HB 546, a measure to establish the Idaho Global Entrepreneurial Mission (IGEM), an industry-university research partnership to facilitate and accelerate tech transfer. The governor proposed $5 million for the initiative within the FY13 Higher Education and Commerce budgets, which are pending approval in the legislature.
Voters Reject Tax Increases, Back Bonds for Higher Ed
While election night's main focus was on the presidential race, the importance of ballot measures for states and metros is growing as public services and budgets are being severely trimmed. A recent article in The New Republic reports on a new trend where states are embracing ballot measures as a potential source of dedicated funds for targeted investments in regional economic growth and development.
NY Gov Proposes Continued Support for Upstate Economies; ID, IA Govs Pitch Workforce Efforts
With the start of the new year, many governors around the country have begun laying out priorities for the next legislative session. In the coming weeks, SSTI will review gubernatorial addresses and budget proposals related to economic development. This week, we highlight developments in Idaho, Iowa and New York.
State Budgets Target Investments in Workforce, Higher Education
As governors around the country begin their newest terms, their proposed budgets are beginning to take shape. Although few governors specifically target technology based economic development, after the first wave of budgets a variety of initiatives related to workforce development and higher education have garnered support.
Tech Talkin’ Govs: Energy, Workforce Initiatives Prominently Featured in Gubernatorial Addresses
SSTI's Tech Talkin' Govs series has returned as governors across the country formally convene the 2015 legislative sessions. The series highlights new and expanded TBED proposals from governors' State of the State, Budget and Inaugural addresses.
Early Stage Capital Measures Pass in KS, TN, and WV, In Limbo for AZ and ND
A mixture of success and trepidation accompanied 2016 legislation introduced in several states to create, extend, or recapitalize angel tax credit programs. While legislation in Arizona’s legislature failed due to a lack of support, angel tax credit bills in Kansas and Tennessee passed easily with broad support from their governors, lawmakers, and the public. In North Dakota, the state’s angel tax credit program faces an unclear future due to concerns about transparency and oversight. To stimulate investments in West Virginia’s startup community, Gov.
States’ fiscal picture improves with growing economy
The ability of states to deliver the services promised to its residents relies on their fiscal soundness. With most states beginning their fiscal year in July, SSTI has reviewed the current fiscal standing for each state and here presents a snapshot of our findings.
The ability of states to deliver the services promised to its residents relies on their fiscal soundness. With most states beginning their fiscal year in July, SSTI has reviewed the current fiscal standing for each state and here presents a snapshot of our findings.
Most states ended their fiscal year with a surplus and continue to recover from the Great Recession, with a growing economy and job gains. However, they face continuing demands on their budgets, with expanded Medicaid payments and the growing opioid crisis confronting nearly every state. Such decisions affect the state’s ability to fund innovation efforts, from the amount of support available for higher education and STEM programs, to funding for entrepreneurship, and forging public private partnerships to strengthen innovation programming that the private sector cannot fully support.
Our analysis found that some states that rely on the energy sector to fund their spending priorities continue to struggle, while others are already factoring in anticipated revenues as a result of new Supreme Court rulings involving gaming and online sales tax collections.
AR, ID make innovation investments
As the state budgeting process comes to a close, SSTI will report over the coming weeks on actions taken by state legislatures to invest in economic growth through science, technology, innovation and entrepreneurship. Up this week is a look at commitments that legislatures in Arkansas and Idaho have made including funds for a new accelerator program, Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) centers, and more than $14 million for a biosciences research institute.
New Faces in Gubernatorial Offices
Twelve gubernatorial seats were up for election Tuesday, five of which were held by incumbents seeking reelection. Four of those – Montana Gov. Steve Bullock (D), Oregon Gov. Kate Brown (D), Utah Gov. Gary Herbert (R) and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) – were reelected for second terms. In North Carolina, Democratic candidate and State Attorney General Roy Cooper has a lead of less than one percent over incumbent Gov. Pat McCrory. Gov. McCrory has not conceded and the result is pending a canvass of votes, which may not be complete until November 18.