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Click here for the 2010 USTAR Annual Report.
The Utah Science Technology and Research initiative (USTAR) is a long-term, state-funded investment to strengthen Utah's "knowledge economy." This revolutionary initiative invests in world-class innovation teams and research facilities at the University of Utah and Utah State University, to create novel technologies that are subsequently commercialized through new business ventures.
In March 2006, the Utah State Legislature passed Senate Bill 75 creating USTAR. This measure provided funding for strategic investments at the University of Utah and Utah State University to recruit world-class researchers and build state-of-the-art interdisciplinary research and development facilities and to form first-rate science, innovation, and commercialization teams across the State. This initiative focuses on leveraging the proven success of Utah's research universities in creating and commercializing innovative technologies to generate more technology-based start-up firms, higher paying jobs, and additional business activity leading to a state-wide expansion of the Utah's tax base.
To achieve these measures, world-class research teams are being recruited to Utah to conduct research in innovation focus areas where the State already has distinct competitive advantages. Highly advanced discoveries in these focus areas will produce new technologies in multi-billion dollar markets. Innovation focus areas include biomedical technology, brain medicine, energy, digital media, imaging technology, and nanotechnology.
A portion of the USTAR funding supports construction of state-of-the-art research facilities at the University of Utah and Utah State University. Each structure will provide research teams with the necessary resources to advance innovation and commercialization in their respective focus areas.
Additionally, USTAR created the Technology Outreach Innovation Program (TOIP) to be the engine to drive commercialization activities. The TOIP's mission is to support the accomplishment of USTAR's financial, employment, and research objectives by lending experienced leadership, deep business understanding, and functional expertise to the most promising opportunities and focus areas. The program is led by four directors deployed across Utah with a regional focus. Each director heads an outreach center located at one of the State's higher educational institutions: Weber State University, Utah State University-Uintah Basin, Utah Valley University, and Southern Utah University.
The TOIP directors are focused on promoting and encouraging commercialization of local discoveries and technologies emanating from the State's research universities and enabling technology-based entrepreneurial activities in their respective regions. The directors are assisting in expanding the transfer of new or improved technologies from State universities to existing companies and advancing cutting-edge research on behalf of Utah's leading firms.
In March 2009, the state legislature passed Senate Bill 240, which deploys funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to augment USTAR's base budget. Find more details on USTAR's ARRA funding here.
Ultimately, USTAR stands as an innovative, visionary, and far-reaching initiative to further bolster Utah's high-technology economy, which has already become one the most dynamic around the world.
For a more detailed overview of USTAR's activities, please visit www.ustarreport.com. USTAR has posted a series of bite-sized overviews of some of our research teams, building projects, and technology outreach activities in this "new kind of annual report."
In mid-October, w e will post our October 2010 report to the State Legislature's EDRAS committee, providing a good overview of the prior 12 months' accomplishments.
In January 2009, the Governor’s Office of Economic Development released a high-end promotional video called “Utah: A State of Opportunity” which debuted at some Sundance events. Keep an eye out for USTAR-related research happening at the University of Utah’s Brain Institute, Energy & Geoscience Institute, and the Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute. Grab some popcorn and watch it here.
Listen to some of our researchers as they explain the science behind their research and share their goals and accomplishments. USTAR Radio is a series of podcast and video resources.