The new chairman for the Georgia Medical Center Authority is former State Senator Randy Hall.

The third installment of the Tech Talkin' Govs series includes highlights from state of the state, budget and inaugural addresses from governors in Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, and New Mexico.

Tech entrepreneurs in Kansas would lose a long-time independent friend and ally in their efforts to expand the state's economy if the FY10 budget proposed by Gov.

The proposed American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, released last week by the House Appropriations Committee, would dramatically increase federal funding for research in several agencies required to participate in the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program.&nb

The South Carolina Centers of Economic Excellence (CoEE) Program, an initiative to recruit star scientists into distinct research clusters at the state's three research universities, has gained $205 million in competitive res

In the “2011 Global R&D Funding Forecast,” researchers from Battelle and R&D Magazine project consistent and positive global R&D spending in 2011. Global R&D (including public, private and nonprofit spending) is projected to increase by 3.6 percent from $1.15 trillion to almost $1.2 trillion. However, 2011 R&D as a percentage of global GDP will remain constant at 1.9 percent. This increase is attributed to a shift in the geographic distribution of investment.

U.S. states must develop an export strategy as a component of the state's “competitiveness agenda,” according to a new report from the Brookings Institute. In “Boosting Exports, Delivering Jobs and Economic Growth,” the authors point towards the rapid growth of American exports in comparison to the overall economy's economic growth to highlight the need for effective and efficient state export strategies. Between the third quarter of 2009 and the third quarter of 2011, U.S. exports grew by 12.7 percent almost four times the overall economic growth (3.2 percent).

Fifteen years ago this week, the SSTI Weekly Digest launched with two pages faxed to a distribution list of 56. We faxed it on Fridays because, at the time, Sprint offered free faxing on Fridays. When we started the Digest, one of our board members expressed concern about not having enough material to produce a weekly newsletter; as it turned out, that's never been a problem. As technology has changed, so has the Digest, and we're always looking for the best ways to communicate and get out the news.

The Department Labor (DOL) will commit $40 million to a new Green Jobs Innovation Fund (GJIF). DOL intends to support up to eight projects that will increase the number of individuals who complete training programs for employment in green jobs."This grant program is an important effort in supporting green investments and equipping workers with the knowledge, skills and abilities they need to succeed in green occupations," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis.

Recognizing the value in supporting companies that innovate to create high-quality jobs, governors in New Jersey and Louisiana recently outlined proposals to enhance tax incentives for R&D, technology commercialization, and transferable tax certificates during the upcoming legislative sessions. In New Jersey, Gov. Chris Christie proposed increasing the R&D tax credit to 100 percent and restoring full funding for the Technology Business Tax Certificate Transfer program as part of his FY12 budget recommendations. Louisiana Gov.

Citing a lack of coordination among the state's economic development agencies as an obstacle for small businesses and entrepreneurs looking to set up shop, Gov. Dan Malloy unveiled a plan to consolidate job training and grant programs as part of the 2012-13 biennial budget. The governor's budget also would incentivize large employers through a competitive program rewarding the first five companies that create at least 200 new jobs within two years.

On February 24, 2011, the President's Council on Jobs and Competiveness held its first official meeting. President Obama opened the session with a brief speech urging those in attendance to develop ideas that will lay the foundation to win the future over the long term. The purpose of this first meeting was to develop new strategies that will lead to increased investment in businesses, encourage hiring, create a highly-skilled workforce, and attract new jobs and businesses to the country.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) announced a new pilot program that will to support more than 1,000 startup and earlystage firms across the country. The goal of the Entrepreneurial Mentor Corps' (EMC) is to mobilize members of the current generation of successful business owners to mentor and support startups and entrepreneurs to help them become the next generation of great American companies. In February, SBA Administrator Karen Mills announced one of the EMC's first initiatives to match approximately 100 clean energy startups with mentors.

National recognition for your organization's achievements is priceless. Past recipients of SSTI's Excellence in TBED Award tell us the recognition has helped to generate positive publicity, raise funds, and attract the attention of key stakeholders and legislators. SSTI's 2011 awards program kicks off May 17 with an open call for applications.

Bob Crowley, president of the Massachusetts Technology Development Corp., will step down June 30. Crowley has held the position since 2002 and has been with the quasi-public agency since its beginning in 1978.

Mitch Adams, executive director of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative is resigning after leading the agency for nearly a decade.

Gov. Bill Haslam is the latest governor to unveil a broad-based proposal to grow the state's economy and create jobs through investments in S&T by asking lawmakers to dedicate $10 million for a research consortium that would recruit senior scientists to advance scientific discoveries into commercial applications and spur high-growth companies.

Gov. Tom Corbett's budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year funds many of Pennsylvania's longstanding efforts to grow a technology-based economy, but at a reduced level. At the same time, the governor outlined new initiatives and investments centered on a restructured Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) that he says will eliminate duplicative programs and better position the state to attract businesses for job creation.