TBED Organizations & People Update
Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney promoted Renee Fry to serve as director of the Department of Business and Technology, the state agency tasked with retaining and attracting jobs and steering economic policy throughout the Commonwealth.
Massachusetts Launches Tech Commercialization Awards
Sometimes a little money is all that may be required to discover that an innovation in the lab is worth millions in the marketplace. At least that's the goal of a small grant program launched this afternoon by the Massachusetts Technology Transfer Center (MTTC). The MTTC Tech Commercialization Awards will provide $5,000 mini-grants for technology assessments and investigations by academic and industrial researchers within the Commonwealth.
People
Jeff Brancato has been named Associate Vice President for Economic Development of University of Massachusetts.
Study Examines Economic Impact of MIT-Related Companies
In what is touted as the first major national study of the economic impact of a research university, BankBoston recently reported on the economic impact of companies founded by graduates of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The report, MIT: The Impact of Innovation, "is a case study of the significant effect that research universities have on the economies of the nation and its 50 states."
People & Organizations
The Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation at Massachusetts Institute of Technology named Leon Sandler as its new executive director.
People & Organizations
Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney named Deborah Shufrin as director of the state's Department of Business and Technology. Shufrin replaces Renee Fry, who stepped down to serve as the governor's duputy chief of staff.
Legislative Actions & Tech Talkin' Govs 2006, Part V
SSTI Job Corner
Complete descriptions of the position openings described below are available at http://www.ssti.org/posting.htm.
People
The Open Technology Business Center, a Beaverton, Ore.-based incubator, has named Steve Morris as its third executive director.
"Most Wired" Colleges and Universities Named
Yahoo! Internet Life magazine has named its 1999 list of the "100 most wired" colleges and universities. This is the third year in which the magazine has published the list. Listed in the top five are: Case Western Reserve University (OH); Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Wake Forest University (NC); the New Jersey Institute of Technology; and, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (NY).
NCIIA Supporting Higher Education Entrepreneurship
The National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance (NCIIA) seeks proposals that support innovation, invention, and entrepreneurship programs in U.S. colleges and universities. Through December 1999, NCIIA will award $400,000 in grants to faculty and students of member institutions. The next deadline is December 15, 1999.
Federal R&D Funding Out of Sync with Economy, MTC Finds
There is potential trouble ahead for R&D and those states with relatively low levels of federal support will be impacted most severely, according to the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative's Analysis of the Impact of FY 2000 Federal R&D Investment Scenarios on Economic Growth.
Massachusetts, Maine Innovation Indices Assess States' Readiness for the Economic Downturn
State governments are poised to play a vital role in the economic recovery through their use of federally-appropriated funds and through their internal policy responses to the global crisis. Several states are focusing on innovation as a means of recovery. Massachusetts and Maine both recently released the latest editions of their annual innovation indices. These annual publications have long helped to clarify trends in the innovation economy and provided assessment of their performance relative to other states.
Oregon A.G. Reforms State's University Technology Transfer Process
By streamlining what has been perceived as a lengthy review process for university technology licensing deals, Oregon Attorney General John Kroger hopes to eliminate barriers between Oregon universities and entrepreneurs, thereby accelerating private sector job creation.
TBED People and Organizations
Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick's secretary of Housing and Economic Development, Daniel O'Connell, resigned for personal reasons and was replaced by Greg Bialecki, an undersecretary who has been responsible for business development
MA life sciences workforce grows 131 percent, recommendations outlined to continue momentum
Moving away from four-year degree programs and toward apprenticeships is one of the recommendations to help ease the workforce shortage experience in the life sciences industry. This and other recommendations are part of a recently released report from the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council, also known as MassBio, on workforce trends in the life sciences industry in Massachusetts.
Massachusetts governor proposes $3.5B economic development package, including $750M for clean energy
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov.
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito are urging Massachusetts legislators to act on their proposed legislation that includes $3.5 billion in clean energy and economic development initiatives. The bill includes $2.3 billion in funding from the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and over $1.256 billion in capital bond authorizations to support projects to strengthen state infrastructure, create jobs and invest in all 351 cities and towns in the state. The legislation, called An Act Investing in Future Opportunities for Resiliency, Workforce, and Revitalized Downtowns (FORWARD), includes $1.2 billion in ARPA funds for climate resiliency and preservation efforts, with more than half of that designated for the commonwealth’s clean energy industry.
Energy storage startup with government-sponsored funding goes public
ESS Inc., a company that closed a deal to go public earlier this month, was able to leverage public capital at its early stages to accelerate its success as a startup. Founded in 2011, the Wilsonville, Oregon, based company manufactures batteries for long-duration energy storage applications. In 2012, ESS Inc.
ESS Inc., a company that closed a deal to go public earlier this month, was able to leverage public capital at its early stages to accelerate its success as a startup. Founded in 2011, the Wilsonville, Oregon, based company manufactures batteries for long-duration energy storage applications. In 2012, ESS Inc. received a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) award from ARPA-E, and additional grant support from the Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnologies Institute (ONAMI), an SSTI member. ONAMI is an Oregon-based non-profit that provides grants, equity funding and business development guidance to startups engaged in research-based scientific innovation. It receives funding from Business Oregon, also an SSTI member.
More than $1B in new state and local initiatives for clean energy announced
New York City and the state of Illinois have both made moves recently to shift more of their economies to clean energy.
New York City and the state of Illinois have both made moves recently to shift more of their economies to clean energy. Mayor Bill de Blasio and the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) announced a 15-year, $191 million Offshore Wind Vision (OSW) plan to make New York City a leading destination for the offshore wind industry. Last month, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed sweeping legislation offering new incentives for the adoption of clean energy and aim to move it to 100 percent clean energy by 2050. And Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker is looking to use American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money to establish a clean energy investment fund.
Treasury announces five more states’ plans approved for SSBCI
Elections update: Two states flip, an incumbent loses, women gain two more governor seats, and ballot initiatives called
Thirty-six states held gubernatorial contests in Tuesday’s (Nov. 8) mid-term elections. By the end of the last week, winners in 32 states had been chosen.
11 additional states approved for federal funding through SSBCI
The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced 11 additional states whose SSBCI plans have been approved: Alaska, Idaho, Iowa, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, and Utah.
Tech Talkin’ Govs 2023: Governors’ innovation vision from their annual addresses
After a busy election season that saw gubernatorial elections in 36 states, newly elected and re-elected governors delivered their annual State of the State addresses, kicking off new programs and reviewing the conditions of their states. SSTI reviews the speeches every year and covers news of new developments and initiatives the governors have highlighted as they relate to the innovation economy. New programs are laid out here in the governors own words as excerpts from their State of the State or budget addresses.
VC Funding Declines in Q3 2014, Reports Examine VC Trends in OH, OR, PA
In Q3 2014, venture capital (VC) investments in the U.S. dropped by 30 percent from Q2 totals, according a new report from CB Insights. Q3 VC deal levels also dropped by 10 percent from Q2 totals. The severe drop, however, can be attributed to Q2 being the most successful VC quarter since Q1 2001. The good news is that the first three quarters of 2014 saw the U.S. VC investment total reach $33.75 billion – an increase of 59 percent compared to the first nine months of last year.
Ballot Preview: Voters to Decide on Taxes, GMOs, Higher Ed
On November 4, 42 states will vote on 146 ballot issues across a wide array of issues. In addition to initiatives on gun control, bear baiting, and the minimum wage, several initiatives relevant to the TBED community are also up for decision. SSTI has gathered information on many of these and will discuss their results after next week’s elections.