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| MATR Newsletter - Fri Dec 16, 2005 |
MATR
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To grasp and hold a vision; that is the very essence of leadership- Ronald Reagan
Come Home Montana
EducationMontana Business
- Higher Ed as the Basis for Economic Growth: The Georgia Story
Either directly or indirectly, the alliance has over the last 10 years helped to bring Georgia from the lower or middle tier to the top tier of states on several measures of economic vitality.
- Western Governors University to offer 5 new Iinformation Technology Bachelor of Science Programs
Degrees are available in IT, along with an emphasis in IT Networks, Databases, Security and Software.
- The Helena School Board considers ‘E-learning’
“As a district we have taken efforts to open up opportunities to our students,”
- Texas Governor Perry unveils initiative to boost math, science funded by Gates and Dell. The $71 million program aims to strengthen teacher training, increase student enrollment
The new initiative, funded primarily through grants from Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill Gates and Dell Inc. founder Michael Dell, aims to stir a passion for science, technology, math and engineering in middle and high school students.
- Wanzenreid says Montana the winner in special session
"The Governor's proposal did not put future legislatures in a box and gives them real budget flexibility into the future," Wanzenreid said. "It was a prudent and sustainable proposal that took a conservative approach to future revenue projections."
Montana Economic Development
- Wall St. Journal Case Study - A Human Touch For Online Customers - Printing for Less in Livingston, Montana
PrintingForLess.com just reached $20 million in revenue, and employs 125 people. "Our whole gig," says Mr. Field, "is being easy to do business with."
Funding and Building your Business
- Billings Chamber head pushes state Tourism plan in speech to the Missoula Convention and Visitors Bureau
"Our first step is going to be to encourage the state legislature in 2007 to develop enabling legislation that would allow every community to develop a tourism promotion area," Brewer explained, "basically a business improvement district specific to tourism. In a nutshell in would be an assessment on every occupied hotel room."
- Great Falls hearing only an echo of West’s boom
“The emerging economy really likes small cities,” Swanson said. “We can expect some of the small cities we have, including Great Falls, to plug into the kind of expansion we have going on in the economy.”
- Fostering a growing economy. New Ravalli County Economic Development Authority director Julie Foster seeks to cultivate healthy businesses and new relationships.
"I follow the concept of appreciative inquiry, which is based on four action points - discover, dream, design and deliver,” she said. “The concept of what's wrong doesn't exist. We don't go there. We take what works and move forward.”
- Montana Film promotion office needs work
"The Film Office needs to be modernized and energized through major changes in structure, responsibilities and leadership," said a report approved unanimously by the council.
- Movers, shakers and moving. Western Montana InBusiness from the Missoulian
From the very first issue of Western Montana InBusiness, we've been fascinated by the notion of business leadership.
Regional Economic Development
- Note to Startup: Be Predictable
“With all small companies, if you can generate recurring revenue streams, the value is greater.”
- Inside Entrepreneurship Funding: Current meaning in an old saying: 'Pigs get slaughtered'
How much ownership does a venture capitalist take of a high-tech startup company?
- Dream jobs. Vocation Vacations lets clients who are burned out on their careers "test-drive" new ones
"If it weren't for the program, I'd be fumbling around in the dark trying to start this business," he said. "It's there to help people change careers."
Government Technology
- Spreading the Word, Not Necessarily the Growth
The most telling one-liner to add-exponentially- to our baby boom was, “one in every four businesses [in the Greater Yellowstone Region] is owned by someone who first came to Montana as a tourist.”
Idaho Business
- Six computer experts file complaint over firing by State of Montana
The six workers said they left good-paying jobs, some in other states, to move to Helena and work on the Justice Department project, which is one of the largest computer projects in state government.
Washington State Business
- IsoRay to set up operations in Eastern Idaho: Deal may pave way for cluster of other nuclear medicine companies
He said IsoRay's decision to come to Pocatello was born out of a community effort that included state leaders as well as those from Bannock Development, the PDA, the City of Pocatello, INL and Idaho State University. He called the collaboration a unique one.
Government
- Light Sciences gets heavier with venture capital. $67 million funding is largest in Washington State so far this year
Light Sciences Oncology will use the money to initiate Phase III clinical trials for brain cancer and colorectal cancer that spreads to the liver.
- Seattle-based chip-builder Impinj to announce $26.5 million capital-funding deal
Instead of manually scanning barcodes, as retailers do today, the technology allows a pallet of boxes bearing RFID chips to pass through a warehouse reader to instantly reveal content information. The bet is paying off.
Other Economies
- Visions of $$$ dance in states' heads - Sales tax collection on online purchases could start in 19 states
“Most people already think they're paying sales tax on online purchases. They just assume it's included. So I don't think it's going to be a shock for people.
Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR)
- Health factory of ideas: Entrepreneurs forming think tank. A Healthcare Cluster on Steroids
Together these corporate executives will comprise the Solutions Group's board of directors and nonresident fellows, who will take the ideas that emerge from the one to two summit meetings each year and turn them into actionable ideas.
University Business Plan CompetitionsMontana Education/Business Partnerships
- Arizona State University team tries to streamline Web shopping. Usuggest.com wins $20K first prize in Entrepreneurship Challenge
Applying a team of computer science students to the problem led to Usuggest.com, a comparison-shopping Web site that goes beyond product reviews to offer cash rewards to helpful shoppers.
Energy
- Universities Look For Advice on Mixed Use. Creating a vibrant, near-campus retail neighborhood makes higher education's short list
Vital retail offerings--from Starbucks to a locally owned music shop--can not only satisfy students but boost a school's image, attract faculty and staff, enliven surrounding neighborhoods, and strengthen revenue streams.
Hydrogen News
- California energy regulators propose $2.8 billion solar initiative
The commission's proposal commits $2.8 billion in solar rebates over 11 years, for solar-powered devices like water heaters and photovoltaic panels used to power homes and businesses.
- BLM to speed wind energy development
The move sets broad guidelines for the Bureau of Land Management's wind energy development program, and should decrease the time to get approval for a wind energy project from two or more years to less than one year, Norton said.
Connectivity & Communications
- The Hydrogen Gold Rush Is On
Move over, Ben Franklin. Todd Livingstone has a plan to solve the energy crisis by capturing huge amounts of energy from lightning.
Space and Zero Gravity Research
- New York Citywide Broadband for 8 Million Citizens Under Study
"It's likely not a question of 'if' but 'when'," "Every major city is going to have some kind of citywide Wi-Fi access. It will become an expectation like electricity or telephone service.
- Should Cities Provide Free WiFi For Economic Development?
Around the country, large telephone companies have aggressively lobbied against localities launching their own Internet networks, arguing that they amount to taxpayer-funded competition. Some states have laws prohibiting them.
- State program provides phone equipment for disabled in Montana. Missoula Conference introduces new technology to hearing impaired students
MTAP is available to all Montanans over age 5. With a "hands-free phone" and "artificial larynx" equipment, the program is also geared toward people with speech and mobility disabilities. Some equipment is free to Montanans who qualify under income guidelines. For those who don't qualify, MTAP can still assist with equipment selection.
- Billings airport adds flight info system, wireless Internet
There are more laptops and PDAs with wireless cards, and customers will begin to expect the amenity. “They’re just going to want Wi-Fi as time progresses, so we want to get out in front,’’ he said.
Community
- New Mexico lands deal to build Virgin Galactic spaceport
"Experts predict that thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars of private investment will be created in the next 20 years as the private sector develops new commercial markets in the space industry in New Mexico,"
Cool Stuff That's Coming
- Missoulians tops in civic involvement, study says
“Thirty-eight percent are watching it (City Council) on TV,” he said. “I've never seen numbers like that anywhere in America.”
VIRUS ALERTS
- Google, Microsoft, Sun to fund $7.5 million Internet research lab
Staffed initially by six UC-Berkeley faculty members and 10 computer science graduates, the lab plans to develop an array of Web-based software services that will be given away to anyone who wants them.
- Multicore Mania
Faster, cooler-running consumer PCs are coming. The key: two, four, eight, or even a hundred CPUs on a single microprocessor.
- Smart fabrics are wired to the future
''The applications are limitless, and they're for everybody,''
- InvestSmart Montana Hotline Receives Report of an International Scam Involving Fraudulent Unclaimed Prize Awards
State Auditor John Morrison alerts Montanans to new fraud targeting the State
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