From west of the Mississippi, a tinge of envy over Wisconsin's business climate

Inside Wisconsin/Tom Still: For most of the last decade, Wisconsin has been told it should be more like Minnesota. In many ways, that’s true. Minnesota has more college graduates, more business start-ups, more venture capital and, not surprisingly, higher per capita income than its neighbor to the east. Of late, however, the drum beats from across the border have sounded a different note: Minnesota can learn a thing or two from Wisconsin.

Chinese patent law reform: Sharpening the Dragon's Teeth

Guest Column/James A. Joyce: As China has continued to grow as a major contender in the world economy, the Chinese have become more aware of the need to strengthen their system for intellectual property rights (IPR). Chinese patent law was first promulgated in 1984 and soon thereafter China became a signatory member of the Paris Convention. Despite revisions to its patent law in 1992 and 2000, China still struggles to provide an environment that encourages the filing of patents.

Cloud confusion amongst IT professionals

The findings of a survey by document management software company, Version One, has revealed that 41% of senior IT professionals admit that they "don’t know" what cloud computing is. Version One carried out the research with 60 senior IT professionals (IT directors and managers) across a range of UK public and private sector organisations. This research follows-on from a similar survey carried-out by Version One which highlights that two-thirds of UK senior finance professionals (finance directors and managers) are confused about cloud computing.

Dr. Ogan Gurel to Walk for Health Care from Chicago to Washington DC

A grassroots effort supported by individual menetary or in-kind contributions was kicked off last Saturday, June 27, 2009. Dr. Ogan Gurel left Chicago's Daley Plaza en route to Washington DC to launch the Walk for Health Care. He will walk the nearly 700-mile journey intent on drawing attention to the very real stories of hardship and inequity that persist in our health care system. Dr. Gurel plans to meet people along the way and share their stories via his blog, Facebook, and Twitter. He hopes to arrive in Washington on Sunday, July 26th.

More stem cell trial problems for Osiris Therapeutics

Biotech Takes/Steven S. Clark: Clinical trials can be vexing, just ask anyone associated with Osiris Therapeutics, a leading stem cell therapeutic company. The company recently announced that their mid-stage, Phase II trials to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with adult stem cells (called Prochymal) did a great job reducing inflammation, but failed to improve pulmonary function. The 62 patients enrolled in the trial will be followed for two years in order to assess possible long term effects of the therapy. Nevertheless, these results reveal how complicated and unpredictable clinical trials can be.

Culture of investment thriving in Wisconsin

New Brunswick has found a model for promoting entrepreneurship in a U.S. state whose economy has traditionally relied on farming, mining and forestry. Wisconsin's love affair with startups and investors - which has transcended the business community and made its way to the state legislature - has had the New Brunswick Securities Commission and other interested parties playing copycat.

GWC lands $100,000 federal grant

The National Science Foundation has awarded a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant to Madison based life science tools company GWC Technologies. The grant will accelerate development of the company's technology for tests that analyze proteins, “Carbon-on-Metal” (CoM) technology for protein array analysis. These tests made on gold biochips for drug research has received a $100,000 federal grant. Dr Voula Kodoyianni, the company’s chief scientific officer, will lead the project.

Medical College releases HPC Cluster for biotech research

Developers at the Medical College of Wisconsin Proteomics Center recently announced the release of the Virtual Proteomics Data Analysis Cluster, a proteomics data analysis tool that runs on Amazon's EC2 and S3 services. Users simply log into their EC2 accounts to start up their own personal copies of ViPDAC server, select a set of preconfigured analysis parameters or create their own, choose a data file type, and submit their job. Results can be stored on S3 or downloaded to the user's desktop.

Press releases and other news

• DNASTAR launches latest version of next generation sequencing software
  Source: DNASTAR
• Google to target users by FICO score
  Source: MarketingVOX
• GE Healthcare to grow its health information exchange services by Joining Global eHealth Leader
  Source: GE Healthcare
• Forrester: Tech recovery to start in fourth quarter
  Source: CNET News
• Prodesse announces licensure of two additional patents
  Source: Prodesse
• Gentel Biosciences launches APiX™ Chromogenic Protein Array System
  Source: Gentel Biosciences
• Medium and large businesses anticipate IT growth
  Source: CDW IT Monitor
• Government makes $4 billion 'down payment' on project to expand broadband
  Source: Washington Post
• Electrifying Madison: is it the new ethanol?
  Source: Examiner.com
• Yahoo redesigns data center, ditches carbon offsets
  Source: CNET News
• Government launches web site to track IT spending
  Source: Washington Post
• Cellular Dynamics International and Roche expand existing cardiotoxicity screening agreement
  Source: Cellular Dynamics
• Study: Tech's six-figure salaries are shrinking
  Source: ComputerWorld
• Bloodcenter of Wisconsin's new genetic test identifies people at high risk for developing inherited form of leukemia
  Source: Bloodcenter of Wisconsin

Ten great places for entrepreneurs to retire

Entrepreneurs never really retire. They move on to their next project. Just ask Linda Remeschatis, 60, a former prosecutor in Madison, Wis., who turned her passion for local food and art into a second career. In 1998, at age 50, Remeschatis left the public sector to launch her own E-commerce business, Wisconsinmade.com, an online food and gift store selling products made in her home state by local artisans.

Press releases and other news

• Why enterprises don't like SaaS
  Source: New York Times

More stem cell trial problems for Osiris Therapeutics

Biotech Takes/Steven S. Clark: Clinical trials can be vexing, just ask anyone associated with Osiris Therapeutics, a leading stem cell therapeutic company. The company recently announced that their mid-stage, Phase II trials to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with adult stem cells (called Prochymal) did a great job reducing inflammation, but failed to improve pulmonary function. The 62 patients enrolled in the trial will be followed for two years in order to assess possible long term effects of the therapy. Nevertheless, these results reveal how complicated and unpredictable clinical trials can be.

Following Last International Event, Is BIO ‘Jumping the Shark’?

Yer Biotech Blues/Michael Rosen: “Jumping the shark” is an expression that was coined by radio newscaster Jon Hein to capture the fact that a TV series has hit its peak and is in decline. I use this analogy to question whether the BIO organization has “jumped the shark” with its annual international conference held in May 2009 in Atlanta.

Survey highlights IT gap between general, psychiatric healthcare

WASHINGTON – Lack of financing has caused mental health and human services to lag far behind general healthcare in access to health information technology, according to a national survey of more than 400 organizations. The survey revealed that mental health/addictions services spend only half as much as primary care on healthcare IT and employ only about a third as many IT professionals. Fewer than half of all behavioral health and human services providers have fully implemented clinical electronic record systems.

First Lady Michelle Obama announces release of more than $10.8 Million to serve more patients in Wisconsin

Yesterday First Lady Michelle Obama announced the release of $10,867,945 in grants to community health centers in Wisconsin. The grants will help address immediate and pressing health center facility and equipment needs and increase access to health care for millions in Wisconsin. The money was made available by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and comes as more Americans join the ranks of the uninsured due to the economic downturn and skyrocketing health costs.

Press releases and other news

• UW Dean has plan to produce engineering graduates who excel at practical solutions
  Source: Journal Sentinel
• GE Healthcare and Geron for stem cell partnership for drug discovery
  Source: Geron
• IBM Cloud takes shape for businesses
  Source: InformationWeek - John Foley

Governor's budget good for business, jobs and investing in Wisconsin

The Governor’s budget and the economic recovery bill he signed earlier this spring, contain a number of initiatives to move toward an economy that is stronger than ever and built around the things we value: education, entrepreneurship, manufacturing, agriculture and science and technology. These provisions will lower business taxes by $130 million over the next four years.

North Korea is not a threat

Carlini's Comments/James Carlini: “They do not have anything that could reach here, or do they?” questions James Carlini. The threat of nuclear bombs is such a remote possibility today that no one really thinks about it anymore. Or do they? According to the nuke-o-meter there are 8187 nuclear warheads that are within range of Chicago.

Kaiser's high-tech health care

Health care provider Kaiser Permanente has one foot in the future as it works to transform the health care industry with technology. At the Kaiser Permanente Sidney R. Garfield Health Care Innovation Center in San Leandro, Calif., state-of-the-art gadget testing and innovation is happening throughout its simulated hospital rooms, outpatient clinic, and "hobby lobby."

Press releases and other news

• Biotech start-ups show dedication, line up again for tax credits
• Secretary Sebelius Releases New State by State Reports Highlighting Urgent Need for Health Reform
  Source: HHS News

Obama seeks input on classification of records

President Obama wants your advice on how the government should keep its secrets. A month ago, he issued a memorandum directing national security advisers to recommend ways to improve the rules by which records are classified and later opened to the public. Starting Monday, tech-savvy citizens as well as federal officials will be able to weigh in on the complicated debate.

Network shutdown bill faces changes, aide says

A bill in the U.S. Senate that would allow President Barack Obama to shut down parts of the Internet during a cybersecurity crisis will likely be rewritten and needs input from private businesses, said a congressional staff member associated with the legislation. The Cybersecurity Act of 2009, introduced in April by Senators Jay Rockefeller, a West Virginia Democrat, and Olympia Snowe, a Maine Republican, contains "imperfect" language, said Ellen Doneski, chief of staff for the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.

Survey: Wall Street looks to cloud technology for its next bailout

Can new technology initiatives help pull Wall Street out of the danger zone? A new survey released by IBM and Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) finds that IT budgets are tight on Wall Street, but things are loosening up, and there’s going to be plenty of demand for new technology initiatives in the near future as firms on the Street look to “transformational” solutions to help better manage risk.

Wisconsin ranked first in healthcare quality by federal agency

Wisconsin was recently ranked number one in the nation for health care quality by the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Wisconsin had the top overall health care quality score among all 50 states based on measures that AHRQ used to evaluate health care performance. Wisconsin has consistently ranked at or near the very top of AHRQ’s annual report for overall health care quality. Wisconsin ranked number one in 2006 and was second only to Minnesota in 2007. Minnesota was second to Wisconsin in the most recent rankings.

Press releases and other news

• GE to build $100M manufacturing technology research center in Mich.
  Source: Bureau News
• Wisconsin can manufacture growth
  Source: Wisconsin State Journal

High-tech business incubator proposed in Kenosha County

The Kenosha County community of Pleasant Prairie, home to LakeView Corporate Park and other business parks, hopes to develop an incubator for technology-oriented business start-ups. The 2009-'11 proposed state budget, which is pending in the Legislature, includes a $700,000 grant for what has been dubbed the Pleasant Prairie Technology Incubator Center. The state Department of Commerce grant would be provided only if the center obtains matching funds of $700,000 from other sources.