People
Mike Koop, deputy commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Community & Economic Development, is resigning effective March 1 to return to the private sector.
Washington Gov. Proposes $350M Life Science Fund
Gov. Christine Gregoire announced the first stages of her economic development program last Wednesday, highlighted by a proposal to inject $35 million annually starting in 2008 for the next 10 years into life sciences research at the state's universities. Gov. Gregoire also requested legislation be introduced this week that would facilitate the transfer of technology from research institutions to the private sector.
People
Former University of Washington President Lee Huntsman is the first director of Washington's Life Sciences Discovery Fund.
Washington Creates $350M Life Science Fund
Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire last week signed a bill creating the Life Sciences Discovery Fund (see the Feb. 7 issue of the Digest).
People
Jack Faris is the new president of the Washington Biotechnology & Biomedical Association.
People & TBED Organizations
A number of regional economic development organizations in Tennessee have formed a partnership called Innovation Valley Inc. Partners in Innovation Valley Inc. include the Blount County Chamber of Commerce, Knoxville Area Chamber Partnership, Loudon County Economic Development Agency, Oak Ridge Economic Partnership, The Roane Alliance and Tellico Reservoir Development Agency.
People & TBED Organizations
Egils Milbergs was appointed director of Washington's newly formed Economic Development Commission.
People
Eric Cromwell announced he is resigning as director of technology development for the State of Tennessee.
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.
Position Available
The Alliance for Manufacturing Excellence (AME), a non-profit start-up organization, seeks an Executive Director to build and operate a successful manufacturing services organization. The Executive Director will guide AME in its mission of assisting smaller manufacturers to adopt more advanced manufacturing technologies and management techniques.
People
Keith Ridley was named manager of the Tennessee Valley Authority's (TVA) Valley Business Ventures, a new division created to increase jobs and capital investment in high-growth industries and in companies owned by women and minorities in the TVA region.
Innovation Index Reveals Steady Growth in Washington
Although technology sector employment is down slightly from previous years, Washington firms received twice the aggregate amount of venture capital (VC) funding compared to last year, and the state remains above the national average in educational attainment, according to the sixth annual Washington State Index of Innovation and Technology.
EDA Seeds $3M Growth Fund in Washington
A $1.46 million grant from the Economic Development Administration to the Sirti Foundation is making possible a $3 million loan fund to technology companies within a 10-county region of Eastern Washington. The program provides another example of the non-traditional use of EDA funds to support tech-based economic development strategies. In addition, the deal structure may serve as a model to help other public agencies encourage TBED activities typically outside the scope or possibility of many public entities.
People
WSA (formerly the Washington Software Alliance) announced that Kathy Wilcox will step down as the organization's president and CEO at the end of 2006. Wilcox intends to work with for-profit and nonprofit businesses as an advisor on operations, business development, board structuring and fundraising.
Tennessee Unveils New Economy Strategy
Earlier this week, Governor Don Sundquist and the Tennessee Technology Development Corp. (TTDC) released the New Economy Strategy, a broad plan to improve the state's economic viability through science and technology. The strategy encompasses many new initiatives to complement TTDC's existing portfolio of tech-based economic development efforts.
Community College Scholarship Program Aids Tennessee Students
Tennessee's Sullivan County took a big step toward reducing the presence of a brain drain when it approved a scholarship program for its high school graduates.
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.
SENATORS FRIST AND ROCKEFELLER INTRODUCE BILL TO DOUBLE CIVILIAN R&D SPENDING
On June 25, Senators Bill Frist (R-TN) and Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) introduced a new bill, the Federal Research Investment Act (S. 2217). The purpose of the bill is to provide for the continuation of federal research investment in a fiscally sustainable way.
Tennessee Creates New Organization to Lead S&T Efforts
The State of Tennessee has created a private, not-for-profit corporation--- the Tennessee Technology Development Corporation---to stimulate economic development through Tennessee's science and technology resources.
The corporation's responsibilities include:
People
Bill Eads, the Tennessee governor's science and technology advisor, has announced his retirement.
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.
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.