On December 9, two NIST programs will be hosting a meeting to explain how businesses can better take advantage of them. Officials from the Technology Innovation Program (TIP) and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) will provide an overview and discuss future directions for the programs. SSTI is co-hosting the meeting because we see it as an excellent opportunity for TBED organizations and their clients to learn more about and provide input on programs that could see dramatic increases in funding in an Obama administration.

Gov. Bill Ritter announced his administration's plan to inject $12 million into initiatives that promote job training, provide small businesses with access to capital, and invest in the state's New Energy Economy and bioscience sectors.

While which states top the list in the 2008 edition of the State New Economy Index will capture the attention of the media and therefore the majority of decision makers, the most important contribution of the 2008 Index in the current fiscal environment is its overview and final chapter. The Index, released Nov.

Searching for good reasons to support localized college scholarship programs for urban residents? A recent working paper from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York provides convincing evidence: a one point increase in the percentage of residents with a college degree is associated with a 2.3 percent increase in a metro area's gross domestic product (GDP) per person.

Every year, the U.S. Census Bureau compiles data at the national and state levels describing the performance of the manufacturing sector within the U.S. While the data are usually included in the Census’ Annual Survey of Manufacturers, every five years the data can instead be found in the U.S. Economic Census.

Being associated with the premiere professional development event of the year for the nation's technology-based economic development community can yield tremendous returns for your company, organization or program. Exposure and unrivaled networking opportunities are presented through SSTI's annual conference -- broadening the reach and deepening the impact of your marketing dollars. Last year’s sold-out conference included more than 350 representatives from 48 states and four countries.

The full-color, full-conference brochure will hit the streets next week but we wanted to give Digest readers the first peek at what promises to be a very special event for the technology-based economic development (TBED) community. SSTI’s 12th Annual Conference will be held Oct. 14-16, 2008, at the Intercontinental Hotel Cleveland.

Last month, Gov. Jennifer Granholm announced legislative approval of two TBED priorities unveiled during her State of the State Address, a program supporting in-state entrepreneurs and continued investment in an initiative to train displaced workers. 

Despite ongoing concern about the lack of venture-backed initial public offerings (IPOs), venture investment held steady at $7.4 billion in the second quarter of 2008, according to the Moneytree Report published by PricewaterhouseCoopers and the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) based on data provided by Thompson Reuters.

How should states determine the focus and location of significant investments into academic research? The process can easily become politicized when more than one research institution, sizable metropolitan area or major industry exist in the state.

Armed with professional advice from mentors in scientific fields and free access to sophisticated design and engineering software, teachers and students from Hawaii, Kansas, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Vermont and Virginia will participate in a national competition to solve a real-world engineering challenge defined by the aviation industry.
 

Opportunities to secure jobs requiring specialized training and more educated workers - the same types of higher wage positions coveted by U.S. tech-based economic development practitioners - increasingly are appearing in other countries as companies look to enter new markets and reduce costs. As a result, offshoring and its effects on an ever-changing U.S. labor force are topics receiving a lot of play during this election cycle.

A complete description of this opportunity and others is available at http://www.ssti.org/posting.htm.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry's Competitiveness Council has released its recommendations following a year-long study of the state challenges in the global economy. The study found that Texas lacks the institutional organization to execute transformational economic programs and will require greater collaboration between state agencies to remain competitive in high-tech industries.

Most Digest readers know access to equity capital serves a critical role in encouraging regional innovation. But the stats on venture capital (VC) deals demonstrates all too well that money isn't flowing freely everywhere. The economy also is presenting challenges for equity deals, making exits more scarce. How can underserved areas attract early-, seed and late-stage capital?

Entrepreneurship education courses continue to appear across the country. A large-scale commitment was announced recently, as eight Arkansas two-year colleges will offer degrees and certificates in entrepreneurship this fall. The broad availability is expected to help create a culture of entrepreneurship that extends from regions capitalizing in the emerging fields of bioscience and nanotechnology research to the rural pockets of the state in need of high-paying jobs.
 

Gazelles, a small subset of firms that grow rapidly over a period of years, are believed by many to have a disproportionate impact on the U.S. economy. Though the precise definition of gazelle firms differs between studies, these businesses are recognized as a dominant force in economic and employment growth.

According to statistics released last week by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), per capita personal income in the U.S. was $38,632 in 2007, a 22.6 percent increase since 2003. Over this same five-year period, 118 of the country’s 363 metropolitan statistical areas experienced an increase in per capita income greater than the U.S. rate of growth. SSTI has prepared a table for all 363 U.S. metro areas, showing the change in per capita income from 2003 to 2007.

The following overview is a synopsis of select recent announcements from research parks across the world, including groundbreakings and development plans to support vibrant regional economies based on science, technology and innovation. 
 

Four leading members of the technology-based economic development community were elected to the State Science and Technology Institute (SSTI) board of trustees today, each bringing fresh perspective and unique insight on issues affecting SSTI’s nationwide network of policymakers and practitioners working to improve state and regional economies through science, technology and innovation.
 

Complete descriptions of these opportunities and others are available at http://www.ssti.org/posting.htm.

State, regional and university technology-based economic development (TBED) is at a crossroads. Many initiatives are celebrating major chronologic milestones at the same time new TBED elements – such as incubators, grant programs, research parks, and equity funds – are popping up almost daily in more and more communities and universities.
 

Each year, SSTI members assemble timely, relevant session topics offering practical information with lessons that can be directly applied to issues currently facing the TBED community. Rest assured that when you return from the conference, you will be equipped with fresh ideas to tackle your organization’s most pressing needs. SSTI uses a two-stage survey process during the summer months to develop the conference agenda, rather than having the agenda set by invitation or call for papers many months in advance.

Keeping with the underlying theme of "Where Does TBED Go from Here?" for SSTI's 12th Annual Conference, David Wilhelm, founder and President of Woodland Venture Management, will provide the keynote address on the topic of making successful VC investments anywhere.

SSTI will be holding its first poster session dedicated entirely to celebrating why states, regions, universities and related organizations engage in TBED. Our goal is to have the best achievements in the field on display as posters at the conference. Each poster will profile a real success story providing hard evidence of how TBED investments are sustaining the nation’s position as a global leader for innovation and competitiveness – one local or regional project at a time.