Several U.S. states have introduced plans in attempts to take the early lead in the country's emerging biofuels industry. For example, in 2006, the Washington legislature approved the initial components of the state's Bioenergy Program. Tennessee Gov.

A ballot proposal being put forth by Citizens for a Healthy Michigan would reduce funding for Michigan Life Sciences Corridor sponsored projects by nearly $50 million annually, estimates a report released by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC).  The annual reduction includes both the cut in direct funding and required matching funds for Corridor funded projects.

Michael Finney, CEO of Greater Rochester Enterprise, is leaving to become president and CEO of Ann Arbor SPARK.

Christopher Price is the executive director for the Piedmont Triad Research Park and senior vice president, Wake Forest University Health Sciences.

The first of three new manufacturing innovation institutes will be headquartered in Raleigh, NC, and led by a consortium of 18 companies, seven universities and labs, and the state of North Carolina. The announcement was made today by President Obama. Developing wide-bandgap semiconductor devices and industry-relevant processes is the goal of the Next Generation Power Electronics Institute. Such technologies are used to develop smaller, faster, cheaper and more efficient electronics for personal devices, electric vehicles and renewable power interconnection, according to a press release. The selection process is still underway for two other institutes, with awards expected in the coming weeks.

Crowdfunding was poised to make a major splash on startup financing in 2013, aided by the passage of the 2012 JOBS Act, a projected explosion in the number of crowdfunding portals and the adoption of state crowdfunding exemptions. However, the crowdfunding industry did not have the anticipated gamechanging impact on startup financing.

Michigan’s University Research Corridor (URC), an alliance between the state’s three largest higher education institutions, leads its peer clusters in generating high-tech talent and ranks second overall in innovation activity, according to a report commissioned by URC.

The third installment of SSTI’s Tech Talkin’ Govs series includes excerpts from speeches delivered in Delaware, Michigan, Missouri and New Mexico.

Last year, U.S. venture capitalists invested about $10.7 billion in seed and early stage companies, 17.1 percent higher than 2012, according to data from the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Moneytree survey.  Though the overall venture capital (VC) market has returned to about the same level of activity as before the economic crisis, investment in seed and early stage companies has grown by more than a third.

Robbie Melton has been named the executive director and CEO of the High Technology Development Corporation.

Gov. Bobby Jindal has appointed Louisiana Tech University president Les Guice to chair the Louisiana Innovation Council.

Having world-class facilities to train workers or support research in fields most likely to benefit the state is a draw for many reasons. Attracting outside investment, retaining talent and generating buzz are just a few of the benefits. Last year, Connecticut lawmakers dedicated more than $2 billion to expand science and technology education on the campuses of the University of Connecticut, including construction of new STEM facilities and for building research and teaching labs. Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder is the latest state leader to announce funding proposals aimed at either constructing new facilities or making capital improvements for training students in high-wage, high-demand fields. Similar announcements were made earlier this year in Florida, Georgia, Rhode Island and Wyoming.

In the U.S. there is strong bi-partisan consensus that immigration is a key driver for entrepreneurship and regional competitiveness.  With federal immigration reform essentially shelved for 2014, cities and states are searching for their own solutions to attract and retain high-skilled immigrants. Proposals by Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and other policymakers represent new approaches to immigration reform that can support local entrepreneurship and regional economic development.

Patrick Gallagher has been named the 18th chancellor and chief executive officer of the University of Pittsburgh. Gallagher currently serves as acting deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce and director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology.