Tech economy site opens

Commerce Department's Technology Administration

Representatives from the Commerce Department and an Ohio-based nonprofit research firm unveiled a Web site this week intended to serve as a resource of reports, strategic plans and other research to help communities developed technology-based economies.

The Tech-Based Economic Development (TBED) Resource Center (www.tbedresourcecenter.org) categorizes and offers links to more than 1,300 research papers, strategic plans, best practices, impact analysis studies and other reports collected from state and federal governments, universities and foundations.

There are 33 topics -- including aerospace, digital divide, federal programs, intellectual property, research and development, technology commercialization and workforce issues -- that users can research, or they could search by keyword or author. Users can also search for documents originating in the United States, in particular states and internationally. The site produces links to requested information, if there is any.

Commerce officials collaborated with the Westerville, Ohio-based State Science and Technology Institute, which, according to its Web site, helps states and communities build technology-based economies, conducts research on best practices and trends, and supports cooperation among state and federal programs.

"Access to information on what has worked in various communities will help policy-makers and business people make efficient use of valuable time and resources, and provide good ideas and contacts that others might find useful," Phillip Bond, Commerce undersecretary for technology, said in remarks during a Web telecast Jan. 18 announcing the site. The department provided the remarks.