July 2006
Volume 29, Number 5
July 2006
Economic Stimulus Includes Council Priorities; Education Initiative Delivers Math and Science Compact
After months sitting idle as other higher profile bills were debated, the state’s second ever economic stimulus bill was approved by the Massachusetts House of Representatives and Senate on June 15. The bill contained more than $450 million in investment for new and existing economic development programs.
Legislature Recognizes Council Priorities…
The final bill contained the following Council priorities:
$10 million for the Research Matching Grant Fund at the John Adams Innovation Institute to enable our universities and companies to be more competitive in securing new federal R&D grant initiatives. This is the Council’s top economic policy priority and is the lowest risk/highest return use of taxpayer investment in science and technology. Since its creation in 2003, the fund has helped deliver more than $50 million in federal research and development projects;
$3 million for the Mass. Technology Transfer Center (MTTC) to further catalyze technology commercialization efforts through the University of Massachusetts. Under President Jack Wilson, the UMASS system has made remarkable progress in expanding its technology research, development and commercialization efforts. Further investment in MTTC will lead to economic opportunity and enhances revenues for UMASS and other private universities and businesses;
$5 million for the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Pipeline Fund to further develop the S&T pipeline. Supplementing broader based efforts like the Council’s statewide efforts on math and science education, STEM should help Massachusetts develop the skilled workforce to compete in a global economy; and
$1 million for the Commonwealth Information Technology Institute (CITI) to ensure an IT-fluent workforce.
…As Does Governor Romney
While Governor Mitt Romney, citing fiscal concerns and election year spending, vetoed more than $225 million in projects from the economic stimulus bill and related capital spending legislation, he signed into law all four of the Council’s top priorities.
Pushing for Math and Science Excellence
On June 9, the Great Schools Campaign announced the Massachusetts Compact: World Class in Math & Science collaborative, led by the Council and Mass Insight Education. The Compact will include major business, community and education stakeholders and its goal is to make Massachusetts schools and students World Class in math and science.
To achieve this goal, members of the Compact are committed to enacting the following reforms:
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Benchmarking: Analyzing Massachusetts’ achievement rates compared to world standards through the international TIMSS assessment in 2007;
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Recruitment: Revising teacher licensure and certification standards to attract professionals and ensure excellence in teaching;
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Preparation: Enabling new teachers to bring their students to world class math and science standards;
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Development: Assessing the myriad of teacher professional development programs and focusing investment on best practices while increasing program accountability;
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Profession: Substantially increasing support for classroom teachers and enhancing the status of the teaching profession through better induction/mentoring practices, career ladders, leadership roles, and other professional incentives; and
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School Leadership: Improving principal and administrator training to provide enhanced ability to work more effectively with teachers.
CEO Leadership Key to Education Reform
The policy principles of the Compact were born out of the work of the Council’s Education Leadership Forum, which is co-chaired by Analog Devices Chairman Ray Stata and Genzyme Chairman and CEO Henri Termeer. The initiative also includes leaders from industry, higher education, K-12 education and government. The work of the Council has been guided by the work of Council President Christopher R. Anderson on the state Board of Education, to which Governor Romney appointed him in February 2006.
For more information on the Council’s efforts to create the skilled workforce of the future, please visit the education page at www.mhtc.org.
BioPharma Initiative Moves Forward
The Council’s BioPharma Initiative, a policy subcommittee that includes some of the state’s most prominent pharmaceutical and biotechnology employers, has tapped the Donahue Institute at the University of Massachusetts to conduct a study examining the deep connections between the state’s biopharmaceutical employers and life sciences firms.
One of the goals of the study is to educate policymakers and the public on the importance of biopharmaceutical employers to the state economy – and how policies, like pharmaceutical price controls, impact all life sciences employers. The study will also create a blueprint for a progressive agenda to support and grow the state’s biopharmaceutical sector.
The study will provide policy makers with guidance based on analysis of answers to the following questions:
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What is the current state of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries in Massachusetts, compared to our peer regions?
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What is the economic relationship between Massachusetts biotechnology firms and the state’s pharmaceutical industry?
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What are the major barriers to expansion of the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries in Massachusetts?
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What are the major policy issues and priorities of the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries in Massachusetts?
The Donahue Institute researchers will conduct field interviews over the summer and the report is expected to be ready for release to correspond with the transition period for the next Governor in December. For more information on the study, please contact Council Vice President Cort Boulanger (cort@mhtc.org or 781.890.6482, x 13).
Bells Ring for MassDTI
In June, the Massachusetts Defense Technology Initiative (MassDTI) won two prestigious Bell Ringer awards from the Publicity Club of New England for its nationally-recognized campaign to protect the state’s two top military installations through the 2005 federal base closing process. In a very competitive New England-wide competition, MassDTI won the top award (the Bell) for Best Public Affairs Campaign and in the Multimedia category for the Critical Mass video that featured testimonials from Governor Romney and Senator Kennedy. The Critical Mass print document was granted a Merit award.
The Bell Ringer recognition is testament to the hard work and cooperation of the entire public-private team throughout the BRAC process - an effort that paid great dividends with the preservation of more than 30,000 jobs and $3 billion in annual economic activity for Massachusetts. MassDTI Executive Director Alan Macdonald recognized Mass. High Tech Council Vice President Cort Boulanger for his guidance of the campaign's communications strategy, which garnered significant and strategic local, regional and national media coverage. Macdonald also praised Dave McDermitt and his colleagues at RDW Group, in particular for their work on the production of the Critical Mass video and print piece.
MassDTI Receives John Adams Grant to Support Natick SSC
Following last year’s success in saving Hanscom Air Force Base and the Soldier Systems Center - Natick, MassDTI continues its work to maximize the bases' contribution to the regional economy and the US military's mission. In June, the John Adams Innovation Institute, a division of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, awarded MassDTI a $200,000 planning grant to initiate the development of a defense technology collaboration center at Natick. This effort will establish venues and structures to initiate links between the base and the technology community. By establishing these initial connections, an environment of collaboration will emerge that will lead to a new strategic vision for the installation and strengthen its impact as an engine for technological innovation and economic activity in Massachusetts.
In 2004, the Council launched MassDTI to lead the strategy to save the state’s two top defense technology installations, Hanscom and Natick, through the 2005 federal base closing process. In early 2006, MassDTI evolved into a member organization of companies, universities and research labs that works to support the state's premier defense technology cluster. For more information on MassDTI please contact Executive Director Alan Macdonald (al@massdti.com or 781.890.0088).
“Nanny State” Eyes Mandated Family Leave
A bill heard by two key legislative committees in June would create a new mandatory, state-run family leave program with a new tax on employees and hidden costs for employers. According to a study by the Associated Industries of Massachusetts, the tax on employees could be as much as $12 per week – and employees would have no opportunity to opt out of the system. Employers would also have no control over the program or when employees leave (and are paid for 12 weeks) and would have no recourse for addressing employees who abuse the new system. Employees could take advantage of an open-ended definition of “family leave” to take paid leave for a variety of non-maternity or non-emergency purposes.
In written testimony to the Legislature and in an opinion editorial in Mass High Tech, Council President Christopher Anderson argued that most technology firms already provide generous family leave benefits but a mandated program would leave Massachusetts “less globally competitive.” Anderson said that the national praise for the state’s health care reform law – which has an uncertain future impact on the state’s economy – prodded Beacon Hill leaders to expand the “Nanny State” mentality.
Chariman's Dinner 2006
The Council’s 2006 Chairman’s Dinner was held May 31 at the State Room in Boston. Richard Clarke, Chairman of Good Harbor Consulting and former White House Advisor for counterterrorism and cybersecurity, delivered the keynote address. A proceedings report highlighting the dinner’s two CEO Conversation Sessions and keynote address will be sent to Council members this month.
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