People
Chris Engle, former vice president of Angelou Economics, has joined New Economy Strategies as chief project officer and principal.
New Jersey Appropriates $270M to Build Biomedical and Stem Cell Research Facilities
Last month, New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine signed a bill that will contribute $270 million to the construction of five biotechnology research facilities across the state. The funding source will be bonds backed up by cigarette tax revenue, as issued by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority. Gov.
People
Kim Zentz, CEO of the Spokane Transit Authority, announced she will take a one-year position as interim executive director of the Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute.
NJ Gov. Wants Money For Stem Cell Research, Tax Credits
"We cannot be satisfied with simply passing stem cell research legislation."
Technology Economy Still in Washington State's Future
Washington State remains poised to capture more benefits from its technology-driven economy, according to the Index of Innovation and Technology released last month by the Washington Technology Center (WTC). As the state's lead organization to support science and technology, WTC publishes the Index to provide the state's decision makers with annual benchmarks for setting policy and public investments to promote technology-based economic development.
People
Dave Eater has announced his departure from the New Jersey Science and Technology Commission.
People
Washington Gov. Gary Locke appointed Juli Wilkerson to serve as director of the Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development, replacing Martha Choe, who is now serving as state coordinator for the Boeing 7E7 project.
People
Sherrie Priesche, the science and technology advisor to New Jersey Governor James McGreevey, has been appointed as the new executive director for the New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology.
New Jersey Commits $25M for Innovation Zones
Location-based tax incentives to encourage the clustering of technology companies in distressed areas or around research universities has grown in popularity since Michigan's smart zones were created several years ago.
People
Reports suggest New Jersey Gov. James McGreevey, resigning his office in mid-November, will be named the first director of the Stem Cell Institute of New Jersey. Securing funding for the center has been a legislative priority for the Governor this year.
People
Virginia Bauer, former New Jersey commerce secretary, was sworn in as CEO and secretary of the New Jersey Commerce & Economic Growth Commission.
People
Patrick Tam resigned last month as executive director of the Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute.
Seattle Tops Visa’s List of Most Innovative Cities
A Visa analysis of innovation and creativity among the nation’s top 50 metro areas has Seattle ranked first in combined scoring, followed by Austin, Nashville, Minneapolis and Washington, D.C. Visa’s Innovation Index measures entrepreneurialism, community support and creativity on a per capita basis throughout the major Metropolitan Statistical Areas.
Private Funding Gives Washington Life Sciences Discovery Fund Early Boost
With the first round of state funding not expected until April 2008, private foundations have stepped in to provide a jumpstart for the Life Sciences Discovery Fund (LSDF). Last week, six Washington-based research teams were awarded more than $4.5 million in private funding to support projects that improve health care quality and capitalize on economic development opportunities within the state.
Positions Available
The Washington Technology Center (WTC) is seeking an Executive Director. WTC is the state of Washington's enterprise for joint industry-university technology development partnerships. The Center supports technologies for industry application for Washington companies in the areas of advanced materials and manufacturing, biotechnology/biomedical devices, computer systems and microelectronics.
People
Dr. Robert Center has retired. Dr. Center was the executive director of the Washington Technology Center.
New Roles in Technology Commercialization Identified for NW States
A call for action for states from the Northwest region was the result of Linking Regional Resources, a conference of approximately 150 business, government, national laboratory, and university representatives held in Seattle.
Tech Initiatives Proposed for New Jersey
Governor Christie Whitman has announced New Jersey Jobs for a New Economy, a multi-million dollar package of technology-related initiatives to make New Jersey more competitive in the creation of high technology jobs.
Among the plan's proposals are the following technology-related investments:
People in S&T
Washington Governor Gary Locke has named Fred Morris as his new advisor for science and technology. Mr. Morris has been working for Battelle Memorial Institute's Northwest Research Center where he has worked at the Science and Government Center
Washington Tech. Center Releases Innovation and Technology Index
The Washington Technology Center has released its first annual Index of Innovation and Technology. The report examines 34 performance indicators in six broad areas: Innovation, Competitiveness, Growth, Financial Capacity, Human Potential, Quality of Life, and Internet Infrastructure. For each indicator, Washington is compared to several other states or to national averages.
People
Lura Powell, former Director of the Advanced Technology Program within the Department of Commerce, has accepted the position as Director of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Washington.
Brandinger Resigns; NJ Seeks Executive Director
The long-time executive director of the New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology, Jay Brandinger, recently announced his decision to resign as Executive Director of the New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology. Consequently, the Commission is seeking an Executive Director.
Newest Advanced Technology Education Center Opens
The grand opening on April 9 of a new technology education center in the Seattle area marked a milestone for the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Advanced Technological Education (ATE) Program. The new Northwest Center for Emerging Technologies (NWCET) is the second major ATE center NSF has supported in the fields of information technology and telecommunications.
More states target broadband to drive rural economic growth
In February, SSTI highlighted several state-led efforts to address the rural broadband gap, which affects more than 30 percent of rural America who currently lack access to adequate broadband service.
In February, SSTI highlighted several state-led efforts to address the rural broadband gap, which affects more than 30 percent of rural America who currently lack access to adequate broadband service. The states’ efforts should help revitalize rural communities by aiding small business formation and manufacturers’ expansion, and improve educational achievement/workforce training for local citizens. As some state legislative sessions wrap up, several more governors and state lawmakers have created new initiatives to address this significant issue. Alabama, Colorado and Washington provide the most recent examples of new commitments, including some reversing bans on public broadband provision when the private market fails to deliver.
NJ's and VA’s new governors propose free tuition, workforce programs
New Jersey is considering a state program for free tuition for community college which would be phased in over several years and Virginia is proposing money for a customized workforce recruitment and training incentive program in newly proposed state budgets. Both states have new governors who have revised their predecessors’ budgets, resulting in some additional TBED initiatives in the states.