[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 18175]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          EARMARK DECLARATION

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. MICHAEL K. SIMPSON

                                of idaho

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 16, 2009

  Mr. SIMPSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to defend funding for the 
Idaho TechConnect Proof of Concept Center. This project received 
$285,000 in the FY2010 House Financial Services bill.
  Idaho TechConnect is a non-profit organization. It was created as a 
state-wide private- public cooperation that would bridge the gaps in 
the state's innovation pipeline. It has received significant funding 
from the Idaho State Legislature since its birth in 2007. In addition, 
the Idaho National Laboratory has provided funds to assist in its 
efforts.
  The hi-tech industry is an important industry to the United States 
and to Idaho and the government plays an important role in helping to 
foster and encourage new innovations and ideas. The Idaho TechConnect 
Proof of Concept Center assists people and organizations with novel 
innovations from early stage projects to the launch of a viable start-
up business or to license the product or service to an existing 
business. Over the last 3 years Idaho TechConnect has worked with more 
than 1,000 companies and individuals as well as all of Idaho's 
universities and colleges and the Idaho National Lab to get more ideas 
out of the research and development funding. It has been very 
successful at discovering ideas and assessing their potential. These 
funds will assist its efforts to turn promising ideas into products and 
services and assist businesses in efforts to mature these innovations 
into market-ready products and services.
  The Center will provide assistance with business models, intellectual 
property strategy, and access to capital, resulting in more ideas 
becoming products. Innovation is key to creating new jobs and fostering 
new businesses and growing current ones. This funding will assist 
businesses and public entities in their efforts to mature their 
innovative ideas into market-ready products and services. During these 
difficult economic times, the federal government should seek every 
means possible to foster real economic growth and make our economy 
stronger in the short-term but particularly in the long-term.

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