Technology-Led Economic Development – National Drivers and Players

Technology-Led Economic Development – National Drivers and Players

From a national perspective, a list of the major drivers and players in Technology-Led Economic Development (TLED) looks more like a loose network of regional organizations rather than strong central drivers. This is due to the fact that TLED is inherently place-based. Because regions, localities and universities compete with each other for scarce grants, capital and industries to a certain extent, national TLED organizations tend to fall in one of two main categories:

1) Intermediaries and associations whose mission is to aggregate and disseminate information to regional TLED organizations or initiatives

2) Extensions of the Federal Government

These two categories of national organizations cater to the web of regional organizations which serve as the main drivers of TLED. SSTI breaks these regional organizations into the following categories (more detail at http://www.tbedresourcecenter.org/resources/definitions.aspx#sedo):

▪ State Economic Development Organizations

▪ State TBED Organization

▪ Entrepreneurial/Venture Development Office

▪ Technology Association

▪ Capital Provider

▪ Incubator

▪ Research Park

▪ Research Center

▪ Tech Transfer Organization

▪ University-Based TBED Organization

▪ Manufacturing Service Organization

▪ Non-Economic Development State Agency

▪ Web-Based Organization

▪ Workforce Development Office

The following is list of National Intermediaries and Associations:

Information

• State Science and Technology Institute / SSTI - national nonprofit organization that leads, supports and strengthens efforts to improve state and regional economies through science, technology and innovation.

• Private Sector Contacts from Invest in America—International Trade Organization – a list of nearly 50 private sector associations, councils, forums, etc. that support innovation

• National Governors Association / NGA

• Association of University Technology Managers / AUTM – Mission: “To support and advance academic technology transfer globally.”

• Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer / FLC – Purpose: “The nationwide network of federal laboratories that provides the forum to develop strategies and opportunities for linking laboratory mission technologies and expertise with the marketplace.”

Research

• Association of University Research Parks / AURP – Mission: “Fostering innovation, commercialization and economic growth in a global economy through university, industry and government partnerships.”

• Alliance for Science and Technology Research in America / ASTRA and U.S. Innovation – ASTRA’s about and mission: “ASTRA is a collaboration of over 130 companies, academic institutions, professional societies, trade associations, and foundations. ASTRA’s mission is to ensure that there is an adequate, and growing, investment by the Federal government in basic research in the physical sciences, the mathematical and computational sciences, and engineering.” U.S. Innovation is a project of ASTRA.

• Research Triangle International / RTI – International Research Organization

Capital

• National Association of Seed and Venture Funds / NASVF – Purpose: “…an organization of innovation capital leaders: private, public and non-profit organizations committed to building their local economies by investing in local entrepreneurs.”

• Angel Capital Association / ACA – Mission: “to support the growth, financial stability and investment success of its member angel groups by sharing best practices and industry data, providing professional development, and promoting group membership, networking and collaboration…. Collectively, ACA and ACEF are focused on driving innovation and entrepreneurship by advancing and promoting professional angel investing.”

• Angel Capital Education Foundation / ACEF – Mission: “…a charitable organization devoted to education and research in the field of angel investing, a growing driver of our entrepreneurial economy.”

Entrepreneurship

• National Business Incubator Association / NBIA – Mission: “…advances the business creation process to increase entrepreneurial success and individual opportunity, strengthening communities worldwide. To accomplish this mission, NBIA serves as a clearinghouse of information on incubator management and development issues. The association engages in many activities that support members’ professional development, including

* Organizing conferences and specialized trainings

* Conducting research and compiling statistics on the incubation industry

* Producing publications that describe practical approaches to business incubation

* Consulting with governments and corporations on incubator development”

Community Development (Not exclusively TLED)

• Community Development Venture Capital Alliance / CDVCA – About: “A network for the rapidly growing field of community development venture capital (CDVC) investing. CDVC funds provide equity capital to businesses in underinvested markets, seeking market-rate financial returns, as well as the creation of good jobs, wealth, and entrepreneurial capacity.”

• Ashoka USA – Fosters social entrepreneurship.

• SEEDCO - Help identify funding and partners for promising ideas for creating economic opportunity for people who are struggling to move out of poverty

Government

• U.S. Economic Development Administration / EDA – Mission: “…leading the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing American regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. EDA is an agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce that partners with distressed communities throughout the United States to foster job creation, collaboration and innovation.”

• Invest in America—International Trade Organization – Mission: “…promotes and supports foreign direct investment in the United States, contributing to U.S. job creation, innovation and competitiveness.”

• Public Sector/Government Contacts from Invest for America—International Trade Organization – a list of nearly 30 government contacts supporting innovation, including:

o U.S. Food and Drug Administration / FDA

o National Institute of Standards and Technology / NIST – Mission: “…a non-regulatory federal agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce. NIST's mission is to promote U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life.”

o NIST’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership / NIST MEP – Mission: “Providing U.S. manufacturing companies the training, tools and connections to ACCELERATE INNOVATION; Leading to new opportunities in domestic & export markets”

o U.S. Patent and Trademark Office / USPTO

o U.S. Environmental Protection Agency / EPA

o U.S. Small Business Administration / SBA

▪ Small Business Innovation Research / SBIR - grants and programs

▪ Small Business Technology Transfer / STTR – grants and programs

• U.S. Department of Energy / DOE – On science and technology: “The Department of Energy is the single largest Federal government supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, providing more than 40 percent of total Federal funding for this vital area of national importance.” Also see the Technology Transfer Program, National Laboratories and Technology Centers and the Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer - see details above in “Intermediaries”)