North Dakota

U.S. Chamber Enterprising States Study – How States Promote Small Business

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation published its fourth annual “Enterprising States” study which measures and ranks states in terms of policies deployed to support small business.

Enterprising States report from U.S. Chamber

Enterprising States report from U.S. Chamber (photo – freeenterprise.com)

The study measures policy performance across five areas – exports, business climate, innovation and entrepreneurship, infrastructure, and their talent pipeline. There’s also a sixth list for best economic performance and growth.

Utah was the only state to end up with a top 10 finish across all five of the aforementioned policy areas and in the overall economic performance list.

North Dakota topped the charts for economic performance, followed by Texas and Utah.

Louisiana was ranked as the top state for exports, followed by Texas and Utah. Maryland came in first for innovation and entrepreneurship, followed by Colorado and Virginia.

South Dakota leads the way for a favorable business climate for small businesses, followed by Nevada and Wyoming.

Massachusetts and New York were ranked as the top two states with the best talent pipeline, followed by Maryland in third place. Florida topped the charts for infrastructure, followed by Nevada and Illinois.

The report notes that Nevada is in the bottom half of the state pileup for overall economic performance, but scores well on most individual policy measures, which they say is an indication that Nevada is due for a turnaround.

The report also notes that state funding of entrepreneurial development programs jumped nationwide by 30 percent from 2012 to 2013.

Thomas J. Donohue, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber, said that small business was already leading the recovery, but the right policies can enable a move past the recovery stage and on to revitalization.

There are 23 million small businesses in the U.S., which together account for 54 percent of all sales. Small businesses have a historical record of accounting for 55 percent of all jobs and 66 percent of all new jobs, with new and young businesses creating a total of 40 million jobs in the last two decades.

The U .S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation commissioned the Praxis Strategy Group to prepare the 2013 Enterprising States study.

You can see a state-by-state interactive online map showing study results, or read the full Enterprising States study – Download (pdf)

North Dakota Forms Digital Alliance with Microsoft

The state of North Dakota and Microsoft are forming a statewide Digital Alliance, the first of its kind in the country.

ND-Microsoft Digital Alliance event

ND-Microsoft Digital Alliance event (photo – ND Office of the Governor)

The public-private alliance will begin by bringing Microsoft training and resources to North Dakotans in kindergarten through graduate school.

“This Digital Alliance will open doors for personal growth and support greater development and entrepreneurship,” said Governor Jack Dalrymple. “Microsoft’s story in North Dakota is an example of such entrepreneurship, and this alliance connects the resources and the brain power in our workforce in order to build up the next generation for the careers of the future.”

The Digital Alliance is part of Microsoft’s YouthSpark initiative, designed to create millions of opportunities for young people in the United States over the next three years.

Don Morton, site leader, Microsoft Corporation, said that people in North Dakota and around the globe are facing an opportunity divide between those who have access to technology and those who do not. He said they plan to identify synergies between Microsoft technology and statewide entrepreneurial and STEM initiatives.

“As we move forward with this Digital Alliance, Microsoft programs such as YouthSpark and BizSpark will empower thousands of young people and business professionals across the state to fully participate in today’s digital economy,” added Morton.

In North Dakota, the Digital Alliance is an initial three-year commitment and aims to increase skills in three main areas: education, employability and entrepreneurship, with a special focus on STEM.

Highlights of programs within the Digital Alliance:-

DigiGirlz – Teaches high school girls about careers in technology and provides hands-on computer and technology workshops.

IT Academy – An online certification program to help students learn IT skills and be awarded industry-recognized credentials helpful in gaining employment in STEM-related fields.

Dream Spark – Offers students professional level developer and design tools to help them begin building technology solutions, accessible to North Dakota students at no cost.

These and other programs will be made available in K-12 schools, colleges and universities, adult learning centers, job service centers, and local libraries among others.

FAA Ready to Ask For UAS Test Site Proposals

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will be asking contenders to submit proposals for the six Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) test sites by the end of this month.

UAS test flight

UAS test flight (Photo – U.S. Coast Guard)

Jim Williams, director of the FAA UAS Integration Office, was the keynote speaker at the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International’s (AUVSI) Unmanned Systems Program Review 2013.

“When will the test site selection begin? I’m sure all of you are asking that,” said Williams. “And the answer is we’re getting closer every day, very close as a matter of fact. My office is working diligently to release the screening information request, and we are committed to releasing it before the end of this month.”

The screening information request (SIR) is a request by the FAA for information, documentation and proposals, which will then be used “to proceed with a source selection decision and contract award.”

In other words, the FAA will soon be asking communities and states who want to be considered in the site selection process to submit their proposals.

The SIR was originally scheduled to be released in July 2012, with the test site selection results scheduled to be announced in Dec 2012. However, in Nov 2012, the FAA announced it was postponing the process due to “privacy concerns.”

Williams acknowledged this issue in his speech, and said that the FAA will seek to address privacy issues during the UAS-NAS integration testing phase in the six pilot sites.

“As the government agency charged with introducing UAS into the airspace, it made sense that we take advantage of the test site program to tee up the issue so we can understand it better,” he said.

Williams also said the proposed rule for small unmanned aircraft is expected to be released by the end of this year. “I know that the rulemaking process is slow, and no one is more frustrated by that than me,” Williams said. “We all get impatient to implement these revolutionary designs.”

As per the Request for Comments (RFC) on this issue put out by the FAA last year, the combined capabilities of the six test sites should provide an environment and opportunities to test:-

(1) Conventional takeoff and landing capability,

(2) High speed flight,

(3) Maritime (launch/maneuver/recovery) capability,

(4) Operations at extremely high altitudes, and

(5) Evaluation of dissimilar aircraft in multiple altitude structures.

Each site would not necessarily need to be identical, nor would each site need to have all five capabilities. FAA believes that these capabilities should be present in the aggregate of the six test sites.

Geographical and climatic diversity are desirable traits for the test site location. Other important factors affecting siting include proximity to potential users, and availability of a suitable ground or air transportation network.

Around 30 sites from 10 states, including Arizona, California, Florida, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio and Texas are expected to compete to be selected as one of the six UAS test sites by the FAA.

North Dakota to Spend $5M for UAS Testing Site Selection and Development

North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple said the state must continue their work to land one of six national unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) test sites, and has included a total of $5 million for this project in the state’s executive budget.

North Dakota UAS pilot site selection

North Dakota UAS pilot site selection (photo – senate.gov)

Gov. Dalrymple included $1 million to support the North Dakota Airspace Integration Team’s work in getting North Dakota selected as a national test site for UAS integration.

The budget includes an additional $4 million in development funds to be appropriated only if North Dakota is selected to operate a national test site.

An amendment included to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization bill, introduced by U.S. Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven, requires the FAA to select six test sites as part of a program to safely integrate manned and unmanned aircraft in the National Airspace System.

Initially, the FAA intended to identify the six test sites by the end of 2012, but the site selection process has been indefinitely postponed due to “privacy and safety concerns.”

However, the FAA dragging its feet on this matter has not stopped many states from going ahead with investments to develop infrastructure for UAS testing while they wait.

North Dakota, with its open airspace and extensive aviation resources and expertise, expanded into UAS operations and development more than a decade ago.

“North Dakota has a long-standing history in UAS operations and development, ranging from military applications to offering the nation’s first UAS bachelor’s degree at the University of North Dakota,” said Gov. Dalrymple. “By leveraging our resources and expertise at the University of North Dakota, the Grand Forks Air Force Base, the North Dakota Air National Guard and at our growing cluster of high-tech businesses that support our UAS industry, we have a great deal to offer in establishing a North Dakota test site.”

However, state resources cannot hope to compete with federal dollars that will start pouring into the six selected test sites. The United States Congress has allocated a billion dollars that will be spent by the FAA on the six pilot sites for testing UAS integration into the National Air Space (NAS).

This is where North Dakota prospects are being helped along by Sen. Hoeven, who last month arranged a meeting between the North Dakota Integration Team and FAA Administrator Michael Huerta.

The integration team represents a unified coalition of stakeholders and is comprised of representatives from the aviation community, UND, North Dakota National Guard, private companies, and local and state economic development officials.

They presented the FAA with a proposal for integrating the aircrafts into the NAS using partnerships and infrastructure in North Dakota, and are working to coordinate with FAA officials to ensure the region maintains an edge in the UAS industry.

“There’s more work to do to make Grand Forks a national UAS center, but we’re making real progress and these are real milestones,” Hoeven said.

FAA Ready to Request UAS Pilot Site Proposals

After being briefed by Acting FAA Administrator Michael Huerta, U.S. Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven says that the FAA is moving to the next stage of its site selection exercise to select six unmanned aerial system (UAS) pilot sites by the end of the year.

UAS test flight

DHS UAS test flight (Photo – U.S. Coast Guard)

These test sites will be used for testing procedures to integrate remotely piloted aircraft into the National Air Space (NAS).

A congressional amendment introduced by Sen. Hoeven that was approved by Congress and signed by the President in February requires the FAA to get this UAS test site selection process completed by the end of 2012 and UAS flights fully integrated into the NAS by 2015.

Sen. Hoeven says the FAA is preparing to issue by the end of July or the beginning of August a Screening Information Request inviting jurisdictions to apply. A final decision on which six sites will be chosen will be made on schedule by the end of the year.

Congress has allocated a billion dollars for the pilot sites to test UAS-NAS integration. Spending on drones is expected to grow to $94 billion for the decade ending 2020, with the Pentagon leading the way at $36.9 billion for 730 medium and large unmanned aircraft systems.

The six chosen UAS pilot sites will get a huge slice of all this investment as companies rush to set up facilities where they can develop, test and sell drones to the Pentagon for military use and to other federal agencies and private buyers for domestic and commercial applications that range from law enforcement to weather forecasting, border patrols and disaster relief.

“We’re doing everything we can to make sure that Grand Forks is selected as one of six pilot sites in the country to integrate UAS flight into concurrent air space,” said Sen. Hoeven. “The pilot sites represent a huge opportunity for the Grand Forks Air Force Base, the university and the high-tech businesses that have been clustering in the area to support UAS operations.”

Other developments being pushed hard indicate the 2015 timeline to integrate UAS with the NAS is very much on the cards and eagerly anticipated.

The U.S. Army said it has completed a two-week trial of its new “sense and avoid” technology. They are now ready to begin the certification process for fielding the Ground Based Sense and Avoid system (GBSAA) to support UAS operations along with commercial aviation. The first deployment will be in Ft. Hood, Texas in March 2014, one year ahead of schedule.

Fort Hood will be followed by Fort Riley, KS; Fort Stewart, GA.; Fort Campbell, KY; and Fort Bragg, NC. All five sites will have the system by 2015.

Meanwhile, the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) published a Code of Conduct for the industry to ensure that drones are operated in a “safe, non-intrusive” manner.

“The emergence of unmanned aircraft systems represents one of the most significant advancements to aviation, the scientific community, and public service since the beginning of flight,” said Michael Toscano, president and CEO of AUVSI. “With a commitment to safety, professionalism and respect, we can ensure unmanned aircraft are integrated responsibly into civil airspace.”

Technology & Science Parks Assisting With Job Creation

homes.point2.com/

Technology and science parks are being noticed by many economic development strategists as they assist with creating jobs.

There are a myriad of communities that are looking to create jobs and economic growth and the innovations in the technology park serve as an asset. The COO of University Financing Foundation elaborates on how the science parks are having a positive impact on many local communities as many high paying jobs are boosted. One of the most prominent examples of the positive impact is the Purdue Research Park.

The positive impact of the Purdue Park includes:

  1. An overall impact of $1.3 billion dollars for the state of Indiana
  2. The creation of nearly 4,000 brand new high paying jobs in the technology sector
  3. Annual salaries averaging around $63,000 dollars which is nearly 63 percent higher than the state average

The research park in North Dakota’s State University has a positive impact on the community and the state. The North Dakota research park helps to generate nearly $10.9 million dollars for the government in the state. The businesses at the park were responsible for the generation of approximately 1,400 jobs as well. COO Kevin Byrne elaborates on how many start-up companies are assisting many of the communities by creating more jobs.

Many researchers and entrepreneurs are able to find the proper training at these research parks which leads to well-paying jobs for many individuals and families. There are now many qualified workers who are working for these start-up companies. The science center/research park in Philadelphia has also made a substantial impact as nearly tens of thousands of jobs were generated while hundreds of millions of dollars were also earned. Many future generations are going to benefit from the research parks.

Overall, the science parks are having a positive impact on a myriad of communities across the United States.

Read More

Possible Diesel Refinery To Be Established in Bakken Region of North Dakota

www.themoneytimes.com/

The company called MDU Resources and Calumet has signed a non-binding letter which will result in the possibility of establishing a diesel refinery in the Southwestern part of North Dakota.

The refinery would also be approximately 20,000 BPD’s and would ultimately process a variety of Bakken Crude and the diesel will be effectively marketed to other oil companies.

A myriad of processes are already taking place in order to establish the refinery such as:

  1. Site Selection
  2. Acquiring Permits
  3. Procurement of Oil Feeds
  4. Studying Engineering and Marketing

The Chairman Executive Officer of MDU Terry Hildestad elaborates on how the refinery project will utilize the expertise of two capable and strong companies as the development of the facility will lead to an increase demand of diesel in the sectors of industry and agriculture. Ultimately, the venture between MDU and Calumet is going to make a substantial advancement in the productivity of Bakken crude. The refinery will also assist the entire community of Southwest North Dakota as a steady flow of jobs is increased and provided in the region. The two companies also are dedicated to assisting the community as soon as the refinery is established in the area.

The COO of Calumet Jennifer Straumins believes the strong combination between the refining capabilities and operating experience is going to lead towards a successful campaign for placing the facility in the local Bakken region. The Bakken crude will also ultimately be sourced by the production company called Fidelity.

The CEO of MDU finally elaborates on how the project will be a positive example for the subsidiary companies that are looking to participate in projects that are value added. The generation of natural gas and electricity will also be important for the project so the local utilities will be needed.

Overall, the potential establishment of a diesel refinery in North Dakota is positive news for the surrounding community.

Read More

North Dakota Rated Highest in Economic Index

Recently, the governor of North Dakota announced that the state is rated as the number one state for economic growth in the nation.

The state of North Dakota possesses the best economic index according to a Bloomberg analysis. The economic growth of the state of North Dakota can be attributed to the increase in the creation of jobs and the increase in the income of the state as well. The Bloomberg analyzing team utilized various indicators to determine the economic index to properly rank the successful and struggling states.

The Bloomberg team reported an astonishing fact for the state of North Dakota as well. Bloomberg reported that every single state in the United States experienced a negative economic index as the creation of jobs decreased and incomes decreased as well.

The state of North Dakota was the only state that had a positive type of economic index. Governor Jack Dalrymple was extremely proud of his state but was worried about the economic development and welfare of all of the other states in the U.S. The governor also points out that the state of North Dakota is focusing on providing sound wages and practicing fiscal responsibility.

The components of the economic index are also significant as data is gathered by the Bloomberg team. The six factors of the economic index includes individual income, prices of houses, the amount of delinquencies in the mortgage industry, stock prices of companies within the state, creation of jobs and tax revenue.

The commissioner of the state also noted that the state of North Dakota should be the model for other states to practice fundamentally sound business practices. The state of North Dakota will gain much respect and notoriety as they withstand against a struggling economy in the United States. Economic development needs to be a key factor in order for other states to move forward.

Read More

 Scroll to top