Montgomery County, MD launches first county-based SBIR/STTR-match program
Although SBIR/STTR matching programs have existed at the state and regional levels for years, Montgomery County, Maryland, recently launched the country’s first county-based match program. The county council overwhelmingly approved the program, which will target Montgomery County-based small businesses receiving Phase I or Phase II SBIR/STTR grants through the National Institutes of Health (NIH), whose main offices are also within the county.
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.
States launch more help for students in completing education
North Carolina and Tennessee are implementing new initiatives to get students in their states the help they need to either complete degrees or training that will help improve workforce development in those states. North Carolina’s governor recently added a new line of grants dubbed “Finish Line” grants, to help students that are struggling with non-academic problems complete community college.
Policy positions of gubernatorial candidates in 11 states discussed
Eleven states are holding gubernatorial elections this year with nine incumbents seeking reelection, two of which are facing off against their lieutenant governor. Only one governor, Steve Bullock in Montana, is term-limited and unable to seek reelection. In Utah, Gov. Gary Herbert is stepping down from the position he has held for 10 years. While many of the races this year will reflect referendums on the current governor’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many of the candidates have announced their innovation and economic development initiatives.
NC, PA advancing climate initiatives
Last week Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf issued an executive order directing the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), joining nine other Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states in a market-based collaboration to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and combat climate change. And in North Carolina, Gov.
Last week Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf issued an executive order directing the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), joining nine other Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states in a market-based collaboration to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and combat climate change. And in North Carolina, Gov. Roy Cooper’s Climate Change Interagency Council presented four key plans related to clean energy and climate change, the result of the governor’s executive order signed last year to reaffirm the state’s commitment to fighting climate change and transition the state to a clean energy economy.
States with new university-industry partnerships & research capacity activities work to strengthen economies and talent pipelines
Research universities and their partnerships with industry, including an institution’s research capacity, are important elements to building a state’s economy as well as the national economy and talent pipeline and workforce.
State actions in 2019: Opportunity Zones
In 2019, the administrations and legislatures in many states grappled with if and how to adjust state economic development initiatives to leverage the federal Opportunity Zone (OZ) program. The actions of 12 states that implemented new activities are described below.
Tech Talkin’ Govs 2020: AL, CT, MD, OK, PA, TN, WY look to education, workforce and energy initiatives
With nearly 40 of the state governors now having given a state of the state or budget address, innovation themes continue to echo in their reviews of past accomplishments and plans for the coming year.
Manufacturing wage growth supporting Appalachian economy
Earnings for Appalachian manufacturing workers grew 3.4 percent from 2012 through 2017 to an average of $63,583. The growth is in the Appalachian Regional Commission’s Industrial Make-up of the Appalachian Region, 2002-2017, which reviews employment and wages by sector across the region. Appalachian workers overall saw earnings increase by 3.7 percent over the five years.
Tech Talkin’ Govs part 5: Tax incentives, clean energy, help for higher ed strike note in governors' addresses
More than half of the governors have now delivered their state of the state addresses, and TBED initiatives continue to play a prominent role in their plans. Higher ed’s affordability and/or role in the workforce are concerns in Montana, South Carolina, Utah and Vermont. Maryland is looking at clean energy and higher education. Utah is also grappling with burgeoning growth while Vermont considers measures to increase its workforce.
Tech Talkin’ Govs, part 8: education, workforce, climate action and rural initiatives focus of innovation efforts
This week we nearly finish our state of the state coverage, save two remaining governors (Louisiana and Minnesota) who have yet to present their addresses. In reviewing the speeches for news on innovation efforts, we find education taking the main stage in Florida and Tennessee, while Alabama and Ohio’s governors are hoping to build the state’s workforce, and North Carolina, still recovering from natural disasters, wants to decrease greenhouse gas emissions and provide tuition assistance for community college.
Evaluation finds TEDCO programs have strong economic benefit
TEDCO’s current portfolio of assisted companies has grown to 326 companies and more than 3,100 jobs, according to an economic impact report by the University of Baltimore’s Jacob France Institute and TEConomy Partners. TEDCO was created by the Maryland State Legislature in 1998 to facilitate the transfer and commercialization of technology from Maryland’s research universities and federal labs into the marketplace.
TEDCO’s current portfolio of assisted companies has grown to 326 companies and more than 3,100 jobs, according to an economic impact report by the University of Baltimore’s Jacob France Institute and TEConomy Partners. TEDCO was created by the Maryland State Legislature in 1998 to facilitate the transfer and commercialization of technology from Maryland’s research universities and federal labs into the marketplace. The direct Maryland economic activity generated by these core programs totaled nearly $900 million in 2018, a considerable increase from the $572.3 million in economic activity reported in 2015. Of all TEDCO programs, the Seed Investment Fund has the largest direct impact, accounting for more than half of all employment and direct economic activity.
Useful Stats: NIH Awards by State, FY 2001-05
Increasing federal funding for life science research is one of the most significant ingredients for improving a state’s position in building a strong biotech and biomedical sector. As appropriations for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) were increasing annually – as they did in the last half of the 1990s and the first few years of this decade – this was not a zero-sum game. All states could win.
SSTI Job Corner
Complete descriptions of the position openings described below are available at http://www.ssti.org/posting.htm.
North Carolina Selects Credit Suisse to Manage $230 Million Innovation Fund
North Carolina State Treasurer Janet Cowell has announced credit services group Credit Suisse will serve as manager of the state's new $230 million innovation fund. The fund, drawn from public pension dollars, will invest in North Carolina-based technology businesses over the next five years. Though full investment guidelines have not yet been developed, investments will be aimed towards high-growth industries, including life sciences, clean energy and other high-tech industries.
TBED People
Bryan Allinson has joined Ohio University as director of technology transfer.
NC Gov Unveils JobsNOW Legislative Package
Gov. Bev Perdue last week announced a number of proposals designed to grow the state's economy and create jobs by focusing on the small business sector. The JobsNOW Small Business Assistance Package involves three areas of assistance, including tax incentives, statewide support for small businesses, and expanding the N.C. business preference to help small businesses compete for state contracts.
NIST Competition: $25M for Manufacturing Research Projects
A competition for high-risk, high-reward research funding recently was announced under the Technology Innovation Program (TIP). The goal is to improve critical manufacturing processes that reduce costs, save time, increase quality or reduce waste to dramatically improve the competitiveness of process-based industries, including the biomanufacturing sector, which produces vaccines and other biopharmaceuticals. To fund the program in its first year, $25 million may be available for up to 25 projects. The deadline to apply is July 15.
Maryland Budget Supports BIO 2020 Initiative
Maryland legislators recently passed the FY11 budget, allocating $10.4 million for stem cell research and $8 million for tax credits for biotechnology companies. Many of the appropriations follow closely in line with Gov. Martin O'Malley's recommendations, which aim to support the Maryland BIO 2020 initiative, a statewide plan investing in biotechnology over 10 years.
New ATP Solicitation Forthcoming
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) recently announced the Advanced Technology Program (ATP) will conduct a new competition in fiscal year 2007 for cost-shared awards to support high-risk industrial R&D.
New Advisory Board to Guide MEP; MEP Successes Highlighted
Eight industry and economic development leaders have been appointed to serve on the newly created Manufacturing Extension Partnership National Advisory Board. Meeting three times a year, the board will provide advice on MEP programs, plans and policies. The board will summarize its findings and recommendations to the Secretary of Commerce in an annual report.
The board members are:
NIST, OSTP Nominations Announced
President Clinton intends to nominate Ray Kammer to become the next director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Duncan Moore as the Associate Director for Technology in the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). Both appointments must be confirmed by the Senate.
Panel Members Sought
Nominations of individuals to serve on the Sea Grant Review panel are being solicited. The panel advises the National Sea Grant College Program on the operations of the program, including review of applications or proposals for grants and contracts and the designation and operation of sea grant colleges and sea grant regional consortia.
Prabhakar to Leave NIST
Arati Prabhakar, director of the Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), announced this week that she will be leaving NIST to become senior vice president and chief technology officer of the Raychem Corporation, Menlo Park, Calif.
People
Phil Singerman, the head of the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Adminstration, was named president of the new Maryland Technology Economic Development Corporation.