Reports
 
Kauffman report on startup job growth and mortality, High Growth and Failure of Young Firms, shows that growth as measured by net employment, is most significant for younger companies as compared to their older counterparts. The authors also found that nearly 20 percent of all jobs at very young start-ups are lost due to business failure in the first year. But employment growth at firms that survive year one is 15 percent. The findings suggest that policies and investments that help to increase the survivability of young startups can lead to sustained employment growth. The entire report is available at www.kauffman.org.
 
A new report from the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation says that next-generation networks capable of providing much faster Internet access are needed to provide the next level of services and applications to consumers. "The Need for Speed: The Importance of Next-Generation Broadband Networks" finds that deploying next generation broadband to 80percent of US households that currently lack it can bring economic stimulus by ensuring approximately 2 million American jobs. The report emphasizes the role of proactive public policy to encourage investment in next-generation broadband networks. The report can be read at www.itif.org.
 
The National Science Board has released a draft report, Building a Sustainable Energy Future, which argues for a fundamental transformation from an economy dependent upon fossil fuel to one that thrives on sustainable and clean energy. The report calls for the federal government to take the lead in increasing investment in sustainable energy research, and to establish market conditions to facilitate development and widespread deployment of sustainable energy technology. The report is available at http://www.nsf.gov/nsb/committees/se/pub_comment.jsp.
 
 
At the Federal Level
 
In a historic speech to the National Academy of Sciences last week, President Obama outlined a bold commitment to basic and applied research, innovation and education. The President called for the US to surpass its record investment in R&D set in 1964 at the height of the space rate, exceeding three percent of GDP. Notably, the President said he would restore integrity to science policy, making decisions on the basis of evidence, rather than ideology.
 
Key parts of his agenda are:
 
Large increases in the funding for NSF, DOE and NIST
Launch of Advanced Research Projects Agency- Energy (ARPA-E)
Joint DOE-NSF program for K-12 students in science
A President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology
A commitment to STEM education
 
For more information, see http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-by-the-President-at-the-National-Academy-of-Sciences-Annual-Meeting/
 
TechMaine is conducting a Technology Skills Census as part of a project with Dept of Economic and Community Development and the Maine Dept of Labor. We are trying to compile an inventory of the state's IT skills sets, identify specific technology skills needed by our employers and identify educational needs to help individuals obtain the skills needed. You can participate by checking out the techMaine website: www.techmaine.com/skills-census.