The demand for highly qualified talent in Massachusetts' bioscience industry will add more than 10,000 life sciences workers to the state's workforce by 2014, according to a recent report prepared by the University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute.

Business incubators, known for the business support services they provide entrepreneurs, have shown themselves through the years to be a valuable resource in the process of starting and growing companies. Office and laboratory space provided at a reduced cost to tenants is just one of the benefits. Many incubators also offer access to university research, mentoring and seed and venture capital in order to encourage entrepreneurship and ensure the success of new high-technology start-up companies.

While many parts of the country are looking for innovative means to increase the number of citizens and businesses connected to high-speed Internet in both urban and rural areas, two governors recently announced initiatives targeting the further extension of broadband services throughout their states.

Against the backdrop of BIO’s annual meeting, held this week in Boston, Gov. Deval Patrick unveiled a comprehensive, collaborative Massachusetts Life Science Strategy. The plan includes a 10-year, $1 billion investment package to support biomedical and stem cell research.

The challenge for industry, academic leaders and policymakers in Massachusetts over the next few years is to translate the competitive strengths of the state's economy into new companies and new jobs, the ninth annual Index of the Massachusetts Innovation Economy indicates.

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.

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.

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.

Jeff Brancato has been named Associate Vice President for Economic Development of University of Massachusetts.

Dr. Paul S. Huyffer has been named Executive Director of the Vermont Technology Council and Special Assistant to the President of the University of Vermont for Economic Development. The Vermont Technology Council has been in existence since 1992 and has been responsible for the development of a science and technology plan for the state.

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."

Applications and nominations are invited for the position of Executive Director of the Vermont Technology Council. The Council is a voluntary association of community leaders from the public and private sectors who are concerned with the economic vitality of Vermont and believe that the state's prosperity depends on the successful commercialization within the state of scientific and technological advances and innovations.

The Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation at Massachusetts Institute of Technology named Leon Sandler as its new executive director.