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SSTI has learned through the KTEC SBIR Bulletin that Clyde Engert will be retiring as Vice President of Innovation & Market Research at KTEC on July 1, 2001. Mr Engert has been a long-active champion of state SBIR outreach and financial assistance. His services will be missed by Kansas companies and the national SBIR community.
People
SSTI welcomes Brandon Lawrence to its staff as a Graduate Research Assistant. Brandon holds a BS in microbiology from Miami University (Ohio) and is working on his MBA at Ohio State University.
Quebec Commits $250 Million for Biotech
A new biotech-opolis in Quebec soon may serve as one of the best organized business centers for biotech, biopharmaceutical, and biocomputer companies in the world, government leaders hope.
Proposed SBIR Policy Directive Warrants Close Examination
Editor's Note and Commentary: The changes proposed by the Small Business Administration for the policy directive governing the administration of the $1.2 billion federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program are substantial. Some of the controversial changes proposed include blending STTR and SBIR dollars during Phase II, allowing agencies greater flexibility in setting award sizes, and creating the opportunity for impropriety in award selection.
Study Finds Diversity, Technology Go Hand-in-Hand
The leading indicator of a metropolitan area's high technology success is a large gay population, according to Technology and Tolerance: The Importance of Diversity to High-Technology Growth, a new study published by the Brookings Institution's Center on Urban & Metropolitan Policy. The study's authors are Richard Florida of Carnegie Mellon University and Gary Gates of the Urban Institute.
When VC Inducements Pay Off
Encouraging local sources of capital is a common element of most tech-based economic development efforts. The broad strategies to accomplish this typically include forums, investor groups, tax credits, CAPCOs, and public seed capital to fuel fund development.
Useful Stats: Gross State Product Figures for 1999
After adjustments for inflation, Gross State Product (GSP) for the nation grew at an average annual rate of 4.0 percent from 1992 to 1999, according to estimated just released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), U.S. Department of Commerce. GSP measures value added in production.
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Jim Tate has been named Science Advisor for the U.S. Department of Interior. Until his appointment, Dr. Tate served as Advisory Scientist for the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory.
Julia Wilson is the new Executive Director of the San Diego Telecom Council. She formerly was director of corporate and foundation relations for San Diego State University.
People
Jim Tate has been named Science Advisor for the U.S. Department of Interior. Until his appointment, Dr. Tate served as Advisory Scientist for the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory.
People
Julia Wilson is the new Executive Director of the San Diego Telecom Council. She formerly was director of corporate and foundation relations for San Diego State University.
People
The Maryland Department of Business & Economic Development has hired Lawrence C. Mahan to serve as the state's senior biotech executive.
People
Maria Estela de Rios has been named chairwoman of the New Mexico Manufacturing Extension Partnership Board of Directors. She is executive vice president of Orion International Technologies, which is based in Albuquerque.
Findings Suggest Digital Divide Efforts Should Focus on Cities
Nearly all public schools in the U.S. are connected to the Internet, according to a survey published by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). The survey, Internet Access in U.S. Public Schools and Classrooms: 1994 – 2000, shows that 98 percent of public schools had access to the Internet by the fall of 2000, representing a 3 percent increase over 1999 and a 26 percent increase since 1997.
Spillovers from Academic and Industrial R&D Examined
Is a strong university research component critical to local tech-based economic development? Many argue this position, including SSTI (Using Research and Development to Grow State Economies). Using data on royalties, licenses, and job creation figures, others have demonstrated the economic contributions of university R&D.
People
President Bush has announced his intention to nominate the following people to positions within the federal government that affect state and local tech-based economic development:
People
President Bush has announced his intention to nominate the following people to positions within the federal government that affect state and local tech-based economic development:
People
Mark Lang, CEO of the Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania for the past 14 years, has announced his resignation.
People
Lu Cordova is the new President of the Colorado Technology Incubator.
People
The Center for Environmental Enterprise (CEE) in South Portland, Maine announced the hiring of a new executive director. John Ferland assumed leadership of CEE in late April.
Funding Opportunities, Inventions & SBIR Special Issue
Due to length considerations, this week's Funding Opportunities Supplement to the SSTI Weekly Digest was sent separately.
NAM Report Identifies Challenges for Small and Medium Manufacturers in 21st Century Economy
Innovation, flexibility, speed to market, and closeness to the customer are the common characteristics shared by successful small and medium manufacturers (SMMs), says a new report from the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM). The report reveals 15 best practices that are followed by successful SMMs and identifies challenges faced by manufacturers in an increasingly competitive global marketplace.
Useful Stats: Value-added Manufacturing by State, 2001-2004
The U.S. Census Bureau recently released Geographic Area Statistics: 2004, a report that details manufacturing statistics collected from the 2004 Annual Survey of Manufactures (ASM). The report provides data on the number of all manufacturing employees, number of production workers, all employees payroll, value-added by manufactures, cost of materials, and value of shipments by state.
Save the Date: SSTI's 10th Annual Conference Set for Oct. 31-Nov. 2
It only seems natural that SSTI celebrate a decade of convening the premiere professional development event for the nation's tech-based economic development community in a state that, for nearly 20 years, has been a pioneer for innovative approaches to transform regional economies — Oklahoma. SSTI's 10th annual conference and pre-conference intensive workshops will be held at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City on Oct. 31-Nov. 2.