In an interview with Globes, an Israeli business magazine, former Pennsylvania governor Tom Ridge discussed the importance of innovation in the renewable energy industry and its role in the transition from "the industrial era to the green era." Ridge said, "Renewable energy isn't another discovery and research field, it must be an applied science that will lead to energy solutions to guarantee our lives in the near and distant future." During his time in the Governor's office, Gov.

"Tapping the Technology Innovation Program and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership"
On September 14th from 9:00 A.M.-12:00 P.M., SSTI is co-hosting a regional meeting with officials from the Technology Innovation Program (TIP) and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) that we encourage you or one of your colleagues to attend. TIP and MEP are two of the most market-driven programs offered by the federal government. The meeting will give you a chance to learn directly from officials with the two programs about:

SSTI's popular plenary format with instant audience polling allows you to take part in the most pressing issues facing the TBED community by providing input, asking questions, and contributing data from your state or region. Through a request for information on commercializing university technology and a series of regional meetings, Obama administration officials have been seeking input on what universities' economic development roles have been, haven't been, should be, and what the federal government should do about it.

A research consortium led by Pennsylvania State University will receive up to $122 million over the next five years to develop an Energy Innovation Hub focused on developing technologies for making buildings more energy efficient. The team will pursue a research, development and demonstration program targeting technologies for single buildings and district-wide systems, according to a news release. This is the third innovation hub announced by DOE this year to receive FY10 funding.

Regular readers of the Digest know that over the last year, SBA has launched a set of new programs and initiatives, including support for cluster development, changes to the SBIC application process, the revival of the FAST program, and a request for information on mentoring and entrepreneurship education for high-growth companies.

SSTI is proud to premier a new type of event at our 14th Annual Conference. The Power Roundtable is equal parts best tips of the trade, informational interviews, and speed dating. We'll start with nationally recognized experts in six critical areas for TBED providing a rapid-fire roundtable of their top four insider tips for success — so you are guaranteed to leave with two dozen of the most important lessons for better TBED practices.

SSTI's 14th Annual Conference agenda features some of the most relevant topics designed to help your efforts to support regional innovation, and this year we're going straight to the top to find out what federal officials, governors, and state policymakers envision on the road ahead for tech-based economic development. Brian McGowan, a senior Economic Development Administration official, will kick off the conference on Tuesday, Sept.

Pressure on state budgets is at a historic high, and, ultimately, it's going to be state legislators that will make the decisions on how limited resources are allocated. The Road Ahead: The View from Legislators will provide you the opportunity to get a candid assessment from two legislators on what is needed to build support for tech-based economic development in this tough environment and what they see as the road ahead.

What are the steps in building a successful regional alliance?
How can my region benefit from the Obama administration's vision for innovation?
Where should I look for funding now with state budgets so tight?

Everyday more organizations are realizing the potential of mentoring programs to help assist high-tech entrepreneurs and to build stronger tech industries. In recognition of this growing trend, SSTI will feature two sessions on entrepreneurial mentoring at this year's Annual Conference. The first, Sustaining Entrepreneur-in-Residence & Mentoring Programs, will examine how these programs recruit, retain and support experieinced mentors.

The Tennessee Biotechnology Association has changed their name to Life Science Tennessee.

Ann Arbor SPARK recently added Bill Mayer as director of their business accelerator team.

The Philadelphia region increased retention of non-native students (students who are not originally from Philadelphia but attended undergraduate or graduate school in region) by 165% from 2004 to 2010 due to an increase in regional involvement opportunities for students (e.g., volunteer opportunities, internships, off-campus work opportunities and local cultural/entertainment activities), according to a new survey by Campus Philly.

SSTI Board member Phillip Singerman has been named as the Associate Director for Innovation and Industry Services for the National Institute of Standards and Technology. He will assume this position on January 31.

Alabama Gov.-elect Robert Bentley named former house speaker Seth Hammett as the director of the Alabama Development Office.

Gov. John Kitzhaber recently unveiled a two-year spending plan that includes an additional $3 million for the Oregon Innovation Council's (Oregon InC) efforts to facilitate research and technology transfer. The governor's budget also recommends enhancements to the Strategic Reserve Fund used to expand and retain businesses and attract new companies and additional funding for the Industry Competitiveness Fund, a resource for industry clusters, statewide and regional economic development groups, and international trade-oriented businesses.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett has signed off on a series of bills intended to give state-owned universities more flexibility in working with regional businesses and creating new advanced degree programs. The bills are collectively known as the Higher Education Modernization Act and apply specifically to the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE), which is the nation's tenth largest state university system, incorporating Pennsylvania's 14 state-owned institutions.

On Thursday, the Obama administration announced it had selected the TechBelt region, encompassing northeast Ohio, western Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia, to host the pilot institute of the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI). The new National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute (NAMII) will operate as a partnership of more than 60 companies, research universities, community colleges and nonprofit organizations from the region.

Voters in 37 states will decide on more than 170 ballot measures this year, many of which are related to tech-based economic development (TBED). Tax measures seem to be dominating ballots this year, with questions relating to both decreases and increases for sales, property and income taxes. Several states are counting on voters to agree to temporary increases to help fill budget deficits and ensure steady funding for education.

The Obama administration announced winners of the Advanced Manufacturing Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge on Tuesday. The challenge — publicized earlier this year — is one of the key initiatives of the interagency Taskforce for the Advancement of Regional Innovation Clusters and is sponsored by a partnership between the U.S. Department of Commerce, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Departments of Energy and Labor, and the Small Business Administration.

TBED People
Michael Burcham has been named the first president of the Nashville Entrepreneur Center. Burcham currently serves as a clinical faculty member at Vanderbilt University's Owen Graduate School of Management.

Several states recently enacted spending plans for the upcoming fiscal year, which started July 1 for most states. In Louisiana, Gov. Bobby Jindal signed into law the LA GRAD Act, granting universities more flexibility to raise tuition in return for meeting certain performance goals. Lawmakers in Massachusetts allocated $10 million to continue the state's investment in life sciences, Pennsylvania Gov.

In an effort to improve the percentage of city residents with college degrees, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter announced his administration will be opening an office within City Hall to help potential students considering higher education. The “PhillyGoes2College” office will direct residents to assistance with filling out financial aid forms and applications, preparing for standardized admission tests, and writing college essays.

The fourth installment of SSTI's Tech Talkin' Govs series includes excerpts from speeches delivered in Alaska, Connecticut, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, and Oklahoma. The first three installments are available in the Jan 13, Jan. 20 and Jan. 27 Digests.

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SSTI's interview with Bob Starzynski of Innovation Works' Innovation Adoption Grant Fund, 2009 recipient of the Excellence in TBED Award in the category Improving Competitiveness of Existing Industries, provides an honest, in-depth account of best practices and lessons learned that earned this program national recognition. Click here to listen to the interview and learn more about the program.

The fifth installment of SSTI's Tech Talkin' Govs' series includes excerpts from speeches delivered in Ohio, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania. The first four installments are available in the Jan. 11, Jan. 18, Jan. 25, and Feb. 1 editions of the Digest. Ohio Gov. John Kasich, State of the State Address, Feb. 7, 2012 "And today I want to tell you about the best technology resource that you've never heard of. It's buried underground in Ohio. This will set us apart from every other state in America. "It's beyond high speed Internet.