DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/8422f8/oecd_reviews_of_in) has announced the addition of the "OECD Reviews of Innovation Policy: Korea 2009" report to their offering.

This report assesses the current status of Koreas innovation system and policies, and identifies where and how the government should focus its efforts to improve the countrys innovation capabilities. It finds that Korea has one of the highest rates of spending on R&D in the world, much of which is performed by private firms. It also has a highly educated labour force - as signalled by its impressive PISA performance and exceptionally high rates of tertiary level graduation - with a strong interest in science and technology.

Domains, domains, domains. Who doesn't wish they could go back to the pioneering days of the Internet, pick up few money making URLs and do some cyber squatting old school style in one of the few get rich quick schemes that actually worked? Well, those after a second chance may get one of sorts when the Internet name governing body, ICANN, blows the field wide open later this year.

The plan is to allow anything.thatanyonewants at all come some time in the summer when the details and legalities are ironed out. According to a report put together on this so-called liberalisation of the Internet by Future Laboratories, as commissioned domain name registrars Gandi.net, the idea behind the move is to increase choice, promote innovation and spur competition. In reality, of course, it's also a possible chance to strike it rich again. So, here are a few tips on how to pick a new domain name that might just earn you a tidy little sum.

Throughout the financial crisis of 2008-09, most venture capitalists wisely advised startups to hunker down. The best bet, they said, was to lower expenses and, above all else, avoid fundraising in 2009, since all eyes were on 2010 as the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. 

The advice, as it turns out, was somewhat short-sighted.

We are now 18 months past the height of the financial crisis. Back then, it didn’t require a doomsday-oriented PowerPoint presentation to know that difficult times lay ahead. The same, frustratingly, can be said today. This is a different capital environment, but it’s not necessarily any better. It’s just different – and it may be worse.

Because so many companies avoided fundraising last year, there is currently a glut of companies that likely need cash. Accordingly, the competition is fierce, and it includes many companies that didn’t grow much (if at all) in 2009. Many companies seeking funding in 2010 are (or soon will be) out of money, and as a result they’re in poor negotiating positions. Even good companies are fighting for one of history’s toughest investment pools.

BEIJING, March 16 (Xinhua) -- The following is the full text of the Report on the Implementation of the 2009 Plan for National Economic and Social Development and on the 2010 Draft Plan for National Economic and Social Development, which was submitted on March 5 for review at the Third Session of the 11th National People's Congress and was adopted on March 14.

REPORT ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 2009 PLAN FOR

NATIONAL ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

AND ON THE 2010 DRAFT PLAN FOR

NATIONAL ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Third Session of the Eleventh National People's Congress

March 5, 2010

National Development and Reform Commission

Fellow Deputies,

The National Development and Reform Commission has been entrusted by the State Council to report on the implementation of the 2009 plan for national economic and social development and on the 2010 draft plan for national economic and social development for your deliberation and approval at the Third Session of the Eleventh National People's Congress (NPC), and also for comments and suggestions from the members of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

Sometimes I like to tool around the Internet looking for hydrogen resources that may have flown under the radar of the mainstream media. In the U. S. there are many programs that are being developed simultaneously, especially different kinds of hydrogen roadmaps and state’s initiatives.

So, I thought I would outline a few of the most important and interesting of both of these areas.

Roadmaps

The National Hydrogen Energy Roadmap developed in 2002 outlines a vision for transitioning the U. S. to a hydrogen economy and H2-based transportation system.

The California Hydrogen Highway Blueprint is part of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s directive in 2004 to the Golden State’s EPA to fast track the development of hydrogen fueling stations.

The Florida Accelerated Commercialization Strategy for Hydrogen Energy Technologies focused in particular the commercialization of H2 business in that state.

Senator Chris Dodd today unveiled the latest version of his financial regulatory reform bill which, if passed, would have some implications for the venture capital and private equity markets (despite some media suggestions that PE/VC escape scrutiny).

It’s a lot like the original bill from last fall, but with exactly 200 more pages (we’ll consider this the unabridged version). Here are the relevant highlights:

1. Dodd retains the original Senate bill’s registration exemption for venture capital and private equity funds. He also retains the original bill’s edict that the SEC is responsible for constructing a definition for “venture capital” funds and “private equity” funds — so as to differentiate them from “hedge funds” (which will be required to register).

As a reminder, an earlier House bill had only exempted venture capital funds of $150 million or less. Industry trade groups had insisted that any registration would be unwarrented, given that neither VC nor PE firms helped contribute to the financial meltdown. They’re right, but hedge fund reps could have made the same argument…

We think both sides are wrong in their embrace of the profit motive as a stimulator for university research innovation, and suggest a more fundamental rethinking of the use of commercialization as a way to get academic innovations into the market.

Help 25 of the top high school innovators design the future! On March 29th, the Spirit of Innovation Awards challenges YOU to vote for your favorite teams and help select this year's "Pete Conrad Scholars!"

Over the past 6 months, 25 finalist teams have created real products to solve some of the grand challenges facing society. From the depths of the oceans to the edges of space, these students will knock your socks off! Piezo-electric wallpaper, robotic astronaut assistants, advanced water purification systems, and Navajo Solar "Frybread" ovens; these are just a few of the amazing products high school students are designing.

When it comes to government investing in cleantech, the feds aren't the only game in town. 

In November of 2008, Connecticut established a $9 million Clean Tech Fund.  Geared to spark innovation in the Nutmeg State, the fund has invested just more than $2 million to date.

"We are looking for entrepreneurs at any stage and venture capitalists looking to partner with companies headquartered in Connecticut," said Patrick O'Neill, Investment Associate at Connecticut Innovations, at GoingGreen East recently. "We look for early-stage companies in cleantech -- broadly defined as any technology that conserves resources, reduces waste, or protects the environment."

In a post for PoynterOnline, Steve Myers reports on what one of the Google teams had to say about management and innovation in their presentation at SXSW.

Some of the lessons:

• Set a specific goal, even if you don't know how you're going to accomplish it

• Create a culture that promotes getting things done above all else.

• Shield your employees from unnecessary distractions (i.e. bad suggestions from both inside and outside the organization) so they can focus on their current goals.

The Lincoln Economic Development Association (LEDA) is looking to plant a garden, but not the kind filled with fruits and vegetables that grow in your backyard.

The Lincolnton-based organization is actually hoping to “grow” existing businesses, if they want, with “economic gardening,” a not-so-new concept that seems to be just now be sweeping across the nation.

Economic gardening was originally started in the City of Littleton, Colo. 23 years ago. The idea was to grow local jobs through entrepreneurial activity rather than recruiting.

Economic gardening breaks businesses down into three groups: stage one, 1-9 employees; stage two, 10-99 employees; stage three 100-500 employees; and stage four, more than 500 employees and the employer is considered a “large business.”

But the true focus on economic gardening is the stage-two companies, which have $1 million worth of sales, wanting to expand.

Every once in a while it's a good idea to make sure you're not—inadvertently—making it harder for either yourself or your team to be innovative. Here are three sins even the best managers commit occasionally. (We have been guilty of them ourselves.) We also offer suggestions how to guard against, and recover from, these pitfalls.

Sin No. 1: Saying "enough already."

We like to call the most innovative employees—the ones who can come up with countless ideas at the drop of the proverbial hat—"idea monkeys." We could say countless wonderful things about idea monkeys, and here are two of our favorites: They have boundless energy, and they are flexible. You want more ideas? Great! You want to brainstorm about something else? Even better! Your job in managing these kinds of employees—the ones who say, "We could do this" or "What about that?" and "Wouldn't it be so cool if"—is to focus their energy, not cut it off. So instead of yielding to the temptation to yell, "Please stop coming up with something new every 20 seconds," you should direct them where you want them to go. Suggest specific areas where you need innovation help. Discuss the outcome you want and explain the hurdles standing in your way. Be specific about the things that have you "stuck." Then strap in and enjoy the ride.

Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, the EU's commissioner for research, innovation and science, believes that the bloc's target of spending 3% of GDP on research and development (R&D) must remain in place if Europe is to put itself firmly on the road to economic recovery.

The new commissioner acknowledged current debates surrounding the 3% R&D objective but insisted that now is the wrong time to make cutbacks in a sector that is underperforming in many EU member states.

Geoghegan-Quinn was delivering the keynote address on Friday (5 March) at the Lisbon Council's 2010 Innovation Summit, her first major speech as innovation commissioner since the European Parliament hearing in January.

Speaking about the 3% target, she said, ''I know that this is controversial. But I believe that it should stay. Research ministers have told me in clear terms that its existence has strengthened their hand in their dealings with their finance ministers […] Now is exactly the wrong moment to remove this discipline.''

The DC Council recently passed a resolution recognizing the significant contributions of TBED21, Inc., an organization dedicated to keeping the District economically competitive in the 21st century, with a strong focus on underdeveloped and disadvantaged communities.

The text of the Ceremonial Resolution, introduced by At-Large Councilmember Kwame Brown, is as follows:

TBED21 Readiness Recognition Resolution of 2010

To recognize the need to ensure that the District of Columbia is economically competitive in the twenty-first century and to acknowledge the significant contributions of TBED21, Inc., in efforts to integrate policy and federal funding opportunities for the nation’s capital.

WHEREAS, the Council of the District of Columbia recognizes the need to develop a more integrated policy and programmatic agenda towards technology-based economic development that ensures the District of Columbia’s economic competitiveness in the 21st century;

WHEREAS, Technology Based Economic Development for the 21st Century -TBED21, Inc., recognizes the District of Columbia as an economically vibrant 21st century knowledge city with a diverse citizenry representing countries from around the world;

WHEREAS, TBED21, Inc. has proposed ideas to the Government of the District of Columbia, including Office of the Mayor and District agencies: Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development; Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education; Office of the State Superintendent for Education; University of the District of Columbia and its Community College;

WHEREAS, TBED21, Inc. has engaged various federal agencies including the U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Department of Labor to assist the development of a 21st century tech-based economic development agenda for the District of Columbia;

WHEREAS, TBED21, Inc. has made tremendous strides in coordinating Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education, STEM workforce development, entrepreneurship, innovation, tech-based commercialization and entrepreneurship in the District of Columbia;

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, that this resolution may be cited as the “TBED21 Readiness Recognition Resolution of 2010”.

The United States and its higher education systems are on the verge of a "new paradigm" in defining the roles of colleges and universities in promoting state and regional economic development, says a report being issued today.

"The old paradigm rests largely on the traditional mix of business attraction and retention incentives," such as tax breaks or infrastructure, says the report, by the Rockefeller Institute of Government of the State University of New York. "Research, technology transfer, management assistance, and/or worker training are often thrown in among the incentives -- but sometimes as a kind of afterthought.... Perhaps there is now an opportunity to flip the old model around -- adopting a new, 'knowledge first' paradigm in which higher education systems explicitly take a leading role."

The study was commissioned by Nancy L. Zimpher, SUNY's new chancellor, as part of her efforts to promote economic development in New York State. But the analysis intentionally avoids a New York State focus. The idea is to survey national trends by compiling activities linking higher education and economic development in every state, with the goal of creating a framework to view these efforts. The report acknowledges that the concept of higher education-inspired economic development is hardly new, with many politicians boasting about how this or that research accomplishment spurred the creation of new businesses, or talking about how they would create the next Silicon Valley.

“We’re in a crisis, and there is an opportunity to reinvent our energy infrastructure; it would be a folly to waste it.”

I [Eric Wesoff] wrote a mildly antagonistic profile of star investor Vinod Khosla last week as part of our "Green Kingpins" series.  Mr. Khosla responded with a well-thought-out and reasonable rebuttal, which we print here in its entirety.

To review the issues you raised:

Mr.
Khosla is somewhat of a contrarian and can always be counted on to say
something that doesn't agree with the conventional wisdom. Actually
sometimes he says things that don't agree with things he's said.

Absolutely -- especially the latter line. I've always maintained that all  forecasts are wrong -- including mine, as I stated at the ARPA-E conference last week. The ability to learn from mistakes is an importantone. That being said, I think the examples you cite do not meet the threshold of disagreeing with myself.

Here is a late draft of a Federal Communications Commission summary of its "National Broadband Plan," due for delivery to Congress by Wednesday:

Broadband is the great infrastructure challenge of the early 21st century.

Like electricity a century ago, broadband is a foundation for economic growth, job creation, global competitiveness and a better way of life. It is enabling entire new industries and unlocking vast new possibilities for existing ones. It is changing how we educate children, deliver health care, manage energy, ensure public safety, engage government, and access, organize and disseminate knowledge.

Fueled primarily by private sector investment and innovation, the American broadband ecosystem has evolved rapidly. The number of Americans who subscribe to broadband has grown from eight million in 2000 to nearly 200 million last year. Increasingly capable fixed and mobile networks allow Americans to access a growing number of valuable applications through innovative devices.

But broadband in America is not all it needs to be. Approximately 100 million Americans do not have broadband at home. Broadband-enabled health information technology (IT) can improve care and lower costs by hundreds of billions of dollars in the coming decades, yet the United States is behind many advanced countries in the adoption of such technology. Broadband can provide teachers with tools that allow students to learn the same course material in half the time, but there is a dearth of easily accessible digital educational content required for such opportunities. A broadband-enabled Smart Grid could increase energy independence and efficiency, but much of the data required to capture these benefits are inaccessible to consumers, businesses and entrepreneurs. And nearly a decade after 9/11, our first responders still lack a nationwide public safety mobile broadband communications network, even though such a network could improve emergency response and homeland security.

On March 15, 1985, a Massachusetts computer systems firm registered the first .com Internet domain name.

Although Symbolics.com didn't spark an instant gold rush, the event planted the first seed of a transformation that has changed the world into a Web-fueled digital river of news, commerce and social interaction.

Today, exactly 25 years later, life B.C - Before .Com - is already a distant memory, especially in the tech-centric Bay Area.

"Can you remember what it was like before the Internet, before .com?" said Mark McLaughlin, president and chief executive officer of VeriSign Inc. of Mountain View. "What about the next 25 years? Who can imagine that?"

VeriSign, the Internet security vendor that administers the .com registry, is hosting an event in Washington on Tuesday celebrating the milestone, with former President Bill Clinton scheduled to deliver a keynote address. And on May 26 in San Francisco City Hall, VeriSign will honor Internet innovators at a "25 Years of .com Gala" hosted by comedian Dana Carvey.

Below is the list of Quotes from some of the well known Tech Gurus who has revolutionized the world of Internet by their innovation. I have collected Quotes from all over the internet but posted only those which are worth reading so go ahead and read what these brilliant minds have to say. Quotes listed include Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg and many others.

1. There are people who don’t like capitalism, and people who don’t like PCs. But there’s no-one who likes the PC who doesn’t like Microsoft.

2. Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.

3. Be nice to nerds. Chances are you’ll end up working for one.

4. If you can’t make it good, at least make it look good.

5. We are not even close to finishing the basic dream of what the PC can be.

Last week, I [Stefan Lindegaard] attended an open innovation session led by General Mills. Among the distributed materials, I found nine tips for open innovation by Peter Erickson, their Sr. VP of Innovation, Technology and Quality.

The tips are based on General Mills’ successful collaborations with external innovators. I like them and since I believe they are universal, I want to share them with the open innovation community. Here they are:

• Create a differentiated opportunity. Be prepared to articulate how your product, idea or technology is unique and better than anything on the market.

• Test your innovation. You’ll be able to speak to market interest and consumer or retailer reaction if you’ve previously placed your innovation before these audiences.

• Be selective. Avoid courting multiple corporate partners. Companies want to know you are as dedicated to them as they are to you.

• Find a contact to be your champion. Within a large company it’s essential to have a “tour guide” which is why all of General Mills’  external partners are matched with specific employees.