Massachusetts Gov. Returns Stem Cell Bill to Legislature
As expected, Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney rejected last week Senate Bill 2039, the bill supporting stem cell research. Exercising a power not enjoyed by all governors, Gov. Romney sent the measure back to the legislature with four amendments for consideration, rather than vetoing the measure.
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.
South Dakota Governor's '07 Budget Features Funding for Research Centers, Higher Ed
Increased funding for research centers, a laptop program, and investments in higher education were highlighted in South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds' fiscal year 2007 budget address last month.
People
South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds announced that Jim Hagen will resign as secretary of the Department of Tourism and State Development, effective Jan. 17.
People & TBED Organizations
David Rooney will replace Tyler Fairbank as president of the Berkshire Economic Development Corp., effective next month. Rooney leaves the Empire State Development Corp. as its regional director.
Recent Reports & Studies: Kortum & Lerner: The Relationship of VC to Innovation
Using patent filing and quality as a measure of innovation, “a dollar of venture capital appears to be about three times more potent in stimulating patenting than a dollar of traditional corporate R&D,” according to a July 2000 paper by Samuel Korton (Boston University) and Josh Lerner (Harvard University).
Useful Stats I: University R&D Payoffs
The July-August issue of Technology Review, MIT's Magazine of Innovation, includes a special report on university research. The TR University Research Scorecard, written by TR associate editor Rebecca Zacks, ranks the top U.S. universities for their performance in patent quality (called "technological strength") and licensing revenues.
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.
People
The South Dakota Board of Regents announced that Scott Meyer will become system vice president of research, effective June 26.
Legislative Actions & Tech Talkin' Govs 2006, Part V
Correction
In last week's Useful Stats article, we incorrectly reported that South Dakota ranked last among states experiencing a public high school graduation rate less than the national average for the 2002-03 school year; in fact, the state ranked 19th. South Carolina had the lowest graduation rate for that year. We regret the error.
People
Trisha Batra was named executive director of Absolutely! Aberdeen, an economic development group serving the Aberdeen, S.D., area.
People & Organizations
William Even was named South Dakota's new economic development director.
Harvard Institute Publishes Profiles on State Economies
As a means of highlighting the performance and composition of state economies, Harvard's Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness, led by Dr. Michael Porter, has published profiles on all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Millions in Renewable Energy Funding Freed in Massachusetts
On April 19, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court cleared the way for the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust Fund to begin operations with a unanimous ruling that the funding mechanism is constitutional.
People
President Clinton has announced his nomination of Dr. Mildred S. Dresselhaus to serve as Director of Energy Research at the Department of Energy. Dr. Dresselhaus is currently a professor in the Departments of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
MTDC Profiled in Latest SSTI Program Brief
Established in 1978 and entirely self-supported beginning in 1988, the Massachusetts Technology Development Corporation (MTDC) has one of the longest records of success for state-sponsored venture capital corporations. SSTI has completed an eight-page profile of MTDC as the fourth in an occasional series examining the diversity of approaches to technology-based economic development.
People & Organizations
South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds selected Richard Benda as the new Secretary for the Department of Tourism and State Development.
People & Organizations
The South Dakota Biotech Industry Association, a new resource for biotech companies in the state, has formed.
"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).
NEW RESOURCES FOR SOCIO-ECONOMIC DATA
Two new, free resources are available that provide access to statistical data that can be used for a wide variety of analytic processes, including impact assessment, regional measurement, strategic planning and program design.
Massachusetts Technology Collaborative Releases Innovation Index
The Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC) released its second annual Index of the Massachusetts Innovation Economy earlier this month. The report tracks 31 performance indicators and explores the implications of each indicator on the long-term growth and stability of the Massachusetts economy.
Spillovers from Academic and Industrial R&D Examined
Is a strong university research component critical to local tech-based economic development? Many argue this position, including SSTI (Using Research and Development to Grow State Economies). Using data on royalties, licenses, and job creation figures, others have demonstrated the economic contributions of university R&D.