Life Sciences Action Summit 3 – February 19, 2010

The Red River Valley Research Corridor and U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan are pleased to announce that a third action summit focused on the life sciences will be held on February 19, 2010. The summit will be held at the new Hilton Garden Inn in Fargo.

Action summits facilitate learning, networking and collaboration in the region and serve as a mechanism for marketing to and connecting with key partners in business and government from outside the region in a highly focused and purposeful manner.

More news about speakers and registration will be available in the next few weeks. If you are interested in sponsoring the Life Sciences Summit, contact Delore at delore@theresearchcorridor.com or 701-775-3354.

STEM Occupations are Growing in the Region

Regional growth in the Corridor science and technology-based economy is translating to more science, technology, engineering, and mathematics job opportunities in the Red River Valley.

Led by physical and life science occupations, the STEM category of occupations (see chart) has added more than 2,200 jobs for 35% growth since 2002. This is well ahead of the 8% growth in the nation for the same occupation group.

U.S. Senator Dorgan Co-Sponsors Building a Stronger America Act

Building a Stronger America Act amends the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 to direct the Secretary of Commerce to award grants for the development of feasibility studies and plans for the construction of new or expansion of existing science parks. Allows the Secretary to guarantee up to 80% of the loan amount for loans exceeding $10 million for projects for the construction of such infrastructure.

Grindberg Joins AURP Board

Tony Grindberg, Executive Director of the NDSU Research and Technology Park has been elected to the Board of Directors of the Association of University Research Parks.

The Association of University Research Parks is a professional association of university related research and science parks. AURP’s mission is to foster innovation, commercialization and economic growth through university, industry and government partnerships. For more information, visit AURP’s Web site at www.aurp.net.

Red River Velley Research Corridor History

In early 2002, Senator Byron Dorgan convened a meeting with the Presidents of North Dakota’s state universities and colleges to propose a bold new program to draw millions of Federal research dollars to North Dakota.

“Experience has shown that where there is significant federal research work going on, new jobs and new businesses begin to cluster in order to provide commercial applications for the result of that work,” Dorgan said. “I think this can be a very big and important part of North Dakota’s economic future.”

Dorgan envisioned the University of North Dakota (UND) in Grand Forks and North Dakota State University (NDSU) in Fargo anchoring the research corridor, and then reaching out and working cooperatively with state colleges and universities throughout the state.

That first step has stimulated a cycle of Federal research and economic development in North Dakota and is helping to develop the State’s major universities into world-class research institutions. Since 2002 more than $300 million of funding has been directed to North Dakota to build world class research centers, support our growing high tech sector, build critical infrastructure and specialized facilities, and train skilled workers for emerging industries.

Red River Valley Research Corridor Coordinating Center

Senator Dorgan announced on March 17, 2004 the establishment of a Red River Research Corridor Coordinating Center to coordinate the region’s science and technology-based development strategy. The Center will track and work to acquire federal research funding, provide basic infrastructure support that will attract such work, and identify gaps in technology infrastructure and work to fill them. The Center will also provide links between state colleges and universities, commercialization teams, and business investment capital, and will market the state’s research and technology assets outside the region.

Dr. Delore Zimmerman, President of Praxis Strategy Group, with offices in Grand Forks and Fargo was named to serve as the Coordinator. Delore has over twenty years experience working with companies in technology and information industries, universities and local development groups. Since co-founding Praxis in 1994 the company has been awarded 8 Small Business Innovation Research Awards.

Praxis Strategy Group is a partner with the Flint Group of companies.

Inspired clarity

Is social media a fad? The numbers (if you’re into that kind of thing) tell the story:

• If Facebook were a country, it would be the 4^th largest (China, India, United States top it—for now)
• 80% of companies use LinkedIn as primary tool to find employees
• 80% of Twitter is on mobile devices: What are your customers saying about your brand?
• 78% of consumers trust peer recommendations | Only 14% trust advertisements

Here’s our take: Social media is a fundamental shift in how we communicate.

A couple weeks ago, SimmonsFlint hosted 46 professionals at our KNOW seminar in Grand Forks. We opened with the video Is Social Media a Fad?

Our premise was to get our fellow marketers thinking about proven, measurable ways to harness the potential of digital media to achieve their own goals—without feeling overwhelmed.

We brought in three of our own. First up, Eric Piela, our Automated Marketing Strategist.

Get engaged

Eric’s our expert in automated marketing, and yes, it’s much more than zipping an e-mail to a list of prospects. As Eric says, you wouldn’t just waltz up to someone and ask her to marry you. (Even if you did meet online, and last year 1 out of 8 couples married in the U.S. did meet via social media.)

Done right, automated marketing coordinates advertising, direct mail, microsites, landing pages and, of course, e-mails, to reach your customers and prospects in ways that make sense to them. Again, in Eric’s words, you start a conversation, have dinner, get acquainted, meet the parents….then, and only then, do you propose. And the answer is yes: It works.

Email Eric
Follow Eric on Twitter

Get it in your plans

Next up, Josh Lysne, our Digital Media Strategist, guided us through what’s working in online advertising, websites, social networking, texting, new media and other digital marketing. Josh ought to know, too. He has new media experience with major international brands, and he lives and breathes this landscape. Josh also highlighted proven opportunities to use these tools to build your business or organization.

Email Josh
Follow Josh on Twitter

Get better results

Tried and true media still works. ‘Works better when used with new media. Jennifer Strickler, our VP of Flint Interactive, discussed the role of print, radio, TV, outdoor, direct mail and other more familiar options. Integrated with social media, mobile, online and other new media, this approach gets better results.

Email Jen
Follow Jen on Twitter

If you joined our KNOW session, thanks. We hope you share our inspired clarity for this great shift in communications.