Recent article details
03/15/2004
Small Times Magazine Names Annual Top 10 Small Tech Hot Spots
Which states lead the race to become hot spots in nanotechnology,
MEMS and microsystems? States have embraced small technology as an
important source of economic development,said Steve Crosby, Small Times
Media president and publisher. There is a tremendous amount of corporate
and government money going into the development and commercialization
of small tech in nearly every industry.
The Top 10 Small Tech Hot Spots
Small Times magazine determines its rankings based on formulas that use
its proprietary research as well as state and federal data.
#1: California's mix of ideas, innovators, investors and its stomach for
risk added up to a #1 ranking. But its lead could narrow if its
education system continues to produce a poorly trained workforce. 2003
ranking: 1
#2: Massachusetts does more with less. Others grabbed more research
funding, but Massachusetts is better at turning even the crumbs into
products. 2003 ranking: 2
#3 New Mexico,is it treading water or riding a wave? The success of
innovators who sprang from the state's two national labs offset a drop
in research. It remains rich in talent but relatively poor in venture
capital. 2003 ranking: 3
#4 New York called the "Seabiscuit" of small tech by the editors, New
York gained three slots to jump to #4. With support from the state and
corporate thoroughbreds like IBM, New York is poised to be an industry
leader. 2003 ranking: 7
#5 Texas retained its status with a mix of old and new blood in the most
affordable of the top 10 states. But can it transform its inexpensive
labor into a highly skilled workforce? 2003 ranking: 5
#6 Illinois may be on the brink of explosive growth or an implosion.
Research powerhouses in Chicago and Urbana-Champaign continued to gain
federal research dollars, but that has yet to evolve into a sizable
business cluster. 2003 ranking: 8
#7 Pennsylvania's strengths in micro- and nanotechnology plus its
partnerships make it a contender. 2003 ranking: 10
# 8 Michigan's academic institutions increasingly embrace small tech,
and industry is following suit. The state's ability to transform
lab-based ideas into products and solutions is building a foundation for
sustained growth. 2003 ranking: 9
#9 Connecticut has a diverse economy, a location near small tech hot
spots Massachusetts and New York, and Yale Universitys well-reputed
nanoelectronics program. 2003 ranking: 14
#10 Ohio's strong engineering schools and applied science programs
complement small tech research efforts in its medical, space and
military labs. Ohio is developing its research expertise into
inventions, products and a mix of companies that could grow into a
commercial force. 2003 ranking: 17
States to Watch
Small Times also identified Arizona, Colorado, Maryland, Minnesota, New
Jersey, North Carolina and Washington as contenders.
The Analysis
Small Times ranked the states based on a quantitative analysis that
measured their strength in six categories, which were then weighted and
added for an overall score between 100 and 1. The categories and
weightings are: research, industry, venture capital and innovation, 20
percent each; and workforce and costs, 10 percent each.
The Small Tech Market
Governments and corporations worldwide are spending more than $4 billion
this year to fund research and commercialization efforts in a race for
the hundreds of billions expected to be generated annually a decade from
now.
Small Tech Perspective
Nanotechnology is the creation and use of objects through the
manipulation of atoms and molecules. Currently used in materials and
coatings for metals, fibers and cosmetics, nanotechnology is expected to
have pervasive uses in drug delivery, computing, communications and
defense.
Microsystems are built on a scale of millionths of a meter and are often
created through technologies used to develop silicon-based integrated
circuits. Microsystems often contain sensing and mechanical capabilities
and are used today in many consumer electronics, automotive
applications and in a growing number of medical devices. MEMS are
microelectromechanical systems.
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