Within two years, Indiana's agency for promoting economic development will become a quasi public-private partnership similar in concept to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.

While in Minnesota, an agreement that resolved the budget impasse gives the state's lead science and tech organization a 12-month timeline to fully privatize from the state's support.

The Army last week announced the creation of a $25 million Venture Capital Initiative (VCI) to satisfy a critical Army technology requirement — obtaining lighter, more efficient power sources for individual soldier systems.

A 19-year veteran of the technology-based economic development field has co-authored a guide that outlines strategies for growth in the knowledge-based economy. The Keys to Growth in the New Economy:Investing in Discovery, Engineering, and Entrepreneurship draws on the experiences of John Ahlen, who has led the Arkansas Science and Technology Authority (ASTA) since 1984. The report is co-authored by Mark Diggs, Chairman and CEO of Maryland-based Ontology Works, Inc.

Royalties on product sales from technology developed by Canadian and U.S. academic research institutions jumped to $845 million in 2001, up 12 percent from the previous year, according to the AUTM Licensing Survey: FY 2001. Gross licensing income received from licenses and options, however, declined from $1.26 billion in FY 2000 to only $1.071 billion in FY 2001 as 7 percent fewer new licenses and options were executed.

Initial public offerings (IPOs), the darlings of the dot-com boom, would be put on the endangered species list if they were a plant or animal — based on how few have been seen in the past year. Investor sentiment toward IPOs has been almost as negative since the bubble burst as the IT hype was positive before. But is the aversion to IPOs warranted? Have IPOs really become more risky than they were in years past?

A bill that includes $20 billion for state fiscal relief was to be voted on by U.S. senators Thursday, according to the Federal Funds Information for States (FFIS), a joint subscription service of the National Governors' Association and the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Whether it is oil, gas, logging or fishing, only one other state in the nation, Alaska, is as dependent on natural resource extraction as Wyoming. Using tech-based economic development to diminish the impact of the boom and bust cycles experienced by all "colonial" economies to diversify the state's economy has been one of the goals of Alaska's gubernatorial leaders since 1988, with the creation and continuation of the Alaska Science and Technology Foundation (ASTF).

The continuous decline of venture capital investing persisted in the First Quarter 2003 with total investments of $3.8 billion, down from the prior quarter of $4.3 billion, according to the latest PricewaterhouseCoopers/Thomson Venture Economics/National Venture Capital Association MoneyTree™ Survey. A total of 623 companies received funding in the first quarter compared to 726 companies in the fourth quarter of last year.

To help build the state's technology sectors, Governor Jeb Bush and the State Board of Education have selected Florida's first three Centers of Excellence. The Centers are designed to foster innovative, cutting-edge technology research at Florida’s colleges and universities, develop commercially viable applications for that research, and recruit high-tech industries and thinkers to the state.

The three projects are:

The National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) is holding on June 4 its fourth telecast on economic development. NARC is a nonprofit membership organization that assists regional councils and metropolitan planning organizations nationwide. Its telecast, "Three Rural Economic Development Strategies," will feature Dr. David Sampson, Assistant Secretary of Commerce, and Mark Drabenstott, Vice President of the Kansas City Federal Reserve to discuss economic development in rural areas.

Richard C. Atkinson, the president of the University of California system since 1995, will receive the prestigious 2003 Vannevar Bush Award from the National Science Foundation for lifetime contributions to the nation in science and technology.

Mitch Daniels, the director of the White House Office of Management & Budget, has announced his resignation.

Richard C. Atkinson, the president of the University of California system since 1995, will receive the prestigious 2003 Vannevar Bush Award from the National Science Foundation for lifetime contributions to the nation in science and technology.

Mitch Daniels, the director of the White House Office of Management & Budget, has announced his resignation.

Sylvia Goodman is leaving her position as director of technology and innovation at Louisiana Economic Development.

Marc Holtzman, Colorado's former science and technology advisor, is taking the position as president of Denver University.

The Board of Directors for Virginia’s Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) announced last week their selection of Peter Jobse as the new president of CIT. Jobse has been CIT’s executive vice president and chief operating officer since joining the organization in October 2002.

Ed Linsenmeyer, with the Naval Surface Warfare Center, has been elected to serve as the Chair of the Federal Laboratories Consortium for Technology Transfer at the FLC's recent annual meeting. Larry Dickens, with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, was elected Vice Chair.

Bill Madia is leaving his position as director of Oak Ridge National Laboratory to oversee all Department of Energy business for Battelle Memorial Institute.

Larry Moolenaar is the new Executive Director of the Eastern Carolina Council of Governments.

Noreen Scott, former economic development division director for the New Mexico Department of Economic Development, is the executive director for the Rio Rancho Economic Development Corp.

The Greenville Spartanburg Anderson Technology Council has named Philip Yanov executive director.

Research released this week by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA) suggests that, failing a dramatic turnaround in the national economy, a recovery in the IT sector in 2003 will most likely continue to be a “jobless” one.

In the final week of its 2003 Legislative Session, the North Dakota State Legislature passed sweeping legislation that favors tech-based economic development in the state. The Greater North Dakota Association (GNDA), serving as the state's Chamber of Commerce, subsequently issued a summary of those bills targeted toward job growth. Some highlights of GNDA's summary are presented below:

To spur technology development in the state, the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO) has entered a collaborative agreement with the nation's cryptologic organization, the National Security Agency (NSA). TEDCO’s mission is to help foster a technology economy that will create and sustain businesses throughout Maryland. NSA coordinates, directs and performs highly specialized activities to protect U.S.

States cut aid to cities and towns by a total of $2.3 billion in the current fiscal year, according to a new report from the National League of Cities (NLC). Comparing 2004 to 2003 figures, the $2.3 billion in state cuts represents a 9.2 percent decline in state revenues for cities.