From Crain’s Detroit Business:

Michigan’s three research universities gained ground in cultivating new startup companies, but still lag their peer university clusters nationally in other technology transfer areas, according to a study released today.

The University of Michigan, Wayne State University and Michigan State University — known collectively as the University Research Corridor — helped cultivate 28 new startup companies in 2008, up from 14 in 2007 and 18 in 2006, but on par with the 28 launched in 2004.

The full article can be read here.

–Matt

The State of Michigan has a $2.8 billion budget gap and unless lawmakers can agree on a budget by the end of the day today (Wednesday) the state will shut down.  Under these circumstances, many are questioning the prudence of continuing Michigan’s film tax incentive program, which is the most generous state program of its kind offering up to 42% reimbursement for production costs.  According to the Senate Fiscal Agency, the program is expected to cost the state $150 million next year.  But focusing merely on the costs is unhelpful.  The real question is: what are we getting for our money?

That question, unfortunately, is a little more difficult to answer but one that the Michigan Film Office tried to address in an Economic Impact Study it released last April – the one-year anniversary of the enactment of the program.  The study describes the effect of the program on Michigan-based productions and makes some projections for the future.  According to the study, during the first year of the program, 32 Michigan-based film productions were completed as opposed to only two in 2007.  Those 32 productions accounted for just over $65 million in direct spending in the state as compared with approximately $2 million in 2007.  Applying a multiplier to the dollars spent in Michigan, the authors estimated that the overall economic benefit to the State related to the completed films was close to $94 million.  The report also states that these productions employed 2,763 Michigan residents.

Based on other state programs, the study projects total direct production expenditures to climb to $187.7 million by 2012, with total state output of $335.6 million when accounting for the multiplier effect.  The author’s expect the multiplier to increase over time and, of course, there are a number of unmeasured economic impacts on the state from film production, including increased tourism.

–Matt

If you had five minutes on stage what would you say?  What if you only got 20 slides and they rotated automatically after 15 seconds?  Around the world geeks have been putting together Ignite nights to show their answers.

Ignite was started in Seattle in 2006.  Since then 100s of 5 minute talks have been given around the world including Ann Arbor which launched an Ignite community this past June.  The June event featured 14 talks including Hack your Library,  Wii Will Wii Will Rock You! !! !!!,  The Many Uses of Twitter, and The Ann Arbor Chronicle — An Origin Story.

Ann Arbor Ignite’s second event,  Ignite 2, will be held Monday, November 2nd at Blau Auditorium on North Campus.  They are looking for interesting speakers to explain their passions and spread the word.  If you think you are up to the challenge, fill out a talk proposal form.  The application deadline is 11:59pm, October 7th, 2009, and selected speakers will be notified by October 14th, 2009.

From the Great Lakes IT Report:

Troy-based Nextep Systems, a developer of touch-screen ordering, digital menu boards and online ordering systems for the food service industry, and Delaware North Cos. Travel Hospitality Services Thursday announced the launch of new Digital Menu Boards at two Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf locations inside Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County International Airport.

…

“Our high-tech digital display menus with dynamic content are perfect for attracting the attention of travelers moving through the airport,” said Nextep Systems President and co-founder Tommy Woycik. “They reflect a growing demand for Nextep Systems technology from airport foodservice operators all across America.”

Read the whole article here.

–Matt

TED, which stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, is a non-profit organization known for its annual conference devoted to “ideas worth spreading”.  The annual conference is famous for its lectures, known as TED Talks, which now expanded in scope beyond the TED acronym to a broad set of topics including science, arts, politics, education, culture, business, global issues, and development.  I’ve caught a number of the TED Talks as podcasts and most are excellent.

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TED has recently launched a new program called TEDx to expand TED Talks across the world, including now Detroit.  TEDxDetroit, billing itself as “positive ideas for the world from Detroit”, will take place at Lawrence Tech University on October 21, 2009 from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.  The current line-up of speakers includes Richard Sheridan from Menlo Innovations, Dan Izzo from Bizdom U, and Fabienne Münch, Director of Ideation Office at Herman Miller.

Attendance is by application or invitation only.

–Matt