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| MATR Newsletter - Fri Jun 23, 2017 |
Per capita, Bozeman, Montana has one of the highest densities of photonics companies anywhere in the United States. --- Department of Commerce Brings Montana Photonics Industry to the World - Companies to exhibit at International Tradeshow in Germany --- http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html
Join Global Tech Investor Paul Singh In Missoula For Montana Tech Tour June 27-29 http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html
Choose Montana
Montana Department of Commerce
- In this part of the Midwest, the problem isn't China. It's too many unfilled jobs. Choose Montana
The lack of laborers not only threatens to stunt the growth of these companies, experts warn, but it could also force them to decamp their home town in search of workers.
Montana Politics & Legislature
- Department of Commerce Brings Montana Photonics Industry to the World - Companies to exhibit at International Tradeshow in Germany
"The photonics industry is such a success story for Montana because it's a great place to do business," Commerce Director Pam Haxby-Cote said. "Many of the 30-plus optics companies in Bozeman have chosen Montana not only for our competitive business climate, but also for the quality of life you can't find anywhere else."
TechLink
- Missoulian Editorial - Gianforte needs to make a clean start, beginning now
Why does this matter? Because truth matters.
- Republican Gianforte, convicted of attacking reporter joins House, draws boos from Republicans for 'no pay' proposal
Boos could be heard from the Republican side of the House floor when Gianforte called for the "no balanced budget, no pay" measure, and a buzz was audible throughout the chamber when his brief remarks came to a conclusion.
Dorsey & Whitney LLP
- Diamond B Technology Solutions in Billings, Montana secures license for Army technology with the assistance of TechLink. Plans wide-ranging applications for first responders, petroleum industry
CRADAs are an excellent way for both sides to leverage outside scientific or engineering resources, Craley said, and can provide the extra help sometimes needed to develop a technology's commercial market.
Artificial Intelligence and The Internet of Things
- Intellectual Property Webinar Series-Leveraging Copyright Protection For Design Features, 7/19, Webinar
We will discuss the landscape of conceptual and physical separability cases that led up to the decision, the test set forth by the Supreme Court, and how corporations can be leveraging copyright protection for design aspects of products.
Visit Montana
- VR/AR in Montana? Anybody here? - VR/AR Innovation Report; Perspectives from 600+ Developers
Is anyone working on VR/AR in Montana?
Energy and Climate Change
- A visit to the Great Plains Dinosaur Museum in Malta, Montana
Montana has a rich history when it comes to dinosaurs.
- Summer-long party going on in Philipsburg - Never a ghost town: Philipsburg celebrates survival, rebirth at 150
Philipsburg's Sesquicentennial Celebration continues Friday-Saturday, June 23-24, with seminars, a demonstration, and a walking tour.
Come Home Montana
- Bitter scientific debate erupts over the future of America's power grid
In 2015, Stanford professor Mark Jacobson and his colleagues argued that between 2050 and 2055, the U.S. could be entirely powered by "clean" energy sources and "no natural gas, biofuels, nuclear power, or stationary batteries are needed."
- BMW and PG&E Prove Electric Vehicles Can Be a Valuable Grid Resource
Nearly 100 plug-in cars and a stack of second-life EV batteries successfully responded to dozens of demand response calls.
- Decoupling - Xcel Energy gets go-ahead to modernize power grid and recoup costs
Utility can recoup costs if customers use less electricity
- A French smart city network is going global to fight climate change
DataCity wants to helps cities around the world become smarter, greener, and more efficient
- Montana has the smallest renewable energy incentives in the region after regulator's vote
The changes by the PSC make Montana's incentives the smallest in the region, say renewable energy advocates, who said solar developers would likely move on to other states as a result.
Developing a more Entrepreneurial Montana
- High interest in president position at the University of Montana - Montana Career Opportunity - President - University of Montana
"Montana has a good reputation. The board (Montana Board of Regents) has a good reputation. And I think many people think Missoula -- and Montana -- is a very attractive place."
- Montana Career Opportunity - Associate Vice President for Marketing and Communications - The University of Montana Foundation
The Associate Vice President will play a critical role in driving our fundraising results to the next level and strengthening our organization to ensure sustainable success in the future.
Leadership Montana
- Global Tech Investor Paul Singh In Missoula
Singh will be in Missoula for the Montana Tech Tour from June 27-29, an event hosted by local businesses to put a spotlight on the entrepreneurial ecosystem here.
- Uber's Lesson: Silicon Valley's Start-Up Machine Needs Fixing
And if we want Silicon Valley to create better start-ups -- which we should, for everyone's sake -- the Valley would be wise to now examine Uber's entrails and find another way.
- What Does an Aspiring Founder Need to Know?
What's the best way to acquire that know-how? Should Alice go to graduate school, or keep learning on the job?
Montana Business
- Podcast - Are You a Self-aware Leader?
A big part of self-awareness is how we come across to the other people in our lives, correct?
Rural Communities
- Helena, Montana-based Montana Hydraulics Adds Industrial Precision Laser Cutting
This laser cutter offers superior edge quality, more stable cut performance and greater throughput for applications utilizing stainless steel, mild steel, copper, brass, aluminum and other exotic metals up to 1 inch thick.
- New Missoula shuttle provides adventure seekers with a lift
The Montana Adventure Shuttle holds twelve passengers and it takes residents and visitors to explore Montana's beauty.
- Missoula, Montana's Storyclock enters the world of Virtual Reality
The scene, in the VR headset, was in the middle of a Montana walking bridge with nature all around and a creek below. His response was ecstatic. The flood of emotion filled all of us around him. And then, he spun his chair around to see in all directions.
- Big ideas, small houses in Boise, Idaho
"People want to live simply," she said. "Young people don't want to work all the time to pay their mortgage, and older people don't want to maintain a large house, heating and cooling it. I really think that is the direction we're going."
- What are 'blockchain security services,' and why is the state pouring $416,000 into a warehouse in Bonner?
Project Spokane's grant application uses the term "Blockchain Security Services," but its description of that service sounds a lot like bitcoin mining. The grant application says the company "runs tens of thousands of computer servers in [its] datacenter to support the process of generating new blocks on the Bitcoin network."
- With Homeword's tiny homes, the Bakken's loss could be low-income Missoula's gain
After purchasing land, installing the units and sprucing them up, Davis says, Homeword should be able to sell them for $100,000 or less by the end of next year.
- Intermountain-Industrial Inc. of Victor, Montana creates custom parking structure in Seattle
"It's pretty fancy for a parking garage," said Mike Cook, who along with his wife Cathy Cook moved their industrial fabrication and contracting business from Lolo to Victor last year. "All the parking garages are kind of fancy in Seattle."
- Why Tech Company Revibro Chose Montana - Bozeman-based Revibro will travel to Germany to expand their reach
"Every tech company that can start in Montana and be maintained in Montana is in Montana's interest. Perhaps [the] biggest impact locally, changing the story from we make wheat to we make wheat and a bunch of cool science stuff."
Government
- Rural divide
America's cultural divide runs deep. While rural and urban Americans share some economic challenges, they frequently diverge on questions of culture and values. On few issues are they more at odds than immigration.
- Rural Communities Must Empower Youth - Has your Montana community taken advantage of MEDA's Resource Team Assessments?
The future of rural America depends on attracting younger generations to make a life in smaller communities. That means listening to young people, responding to their interests, and sharing power.
Incubators and R&D
- A Conversation with Montana's Climbing Legend Conrad Anker
Celebrated climber speaks about the upcoming conference and the issues he thinks are critical to the West
- Bozeman, Montana commission plans to ban new full-time vacation rentals in all residential zones
City commissioners forged ahead Thursday evening with an effort to regulate Airbnb-style short-term rentals in Bozeman, endorsing language that would forbid new vacation rentals in homes in residential zones where owners don't live at least half-time.
- Podcast: Twelve Innovative Ideas for Fixing American Health Care
The challenge of providing affordable, high-quality health care for all Americans is the subject of furious debate in the nation's capital.
Oregon Business
- Montana State University biofilm researchers study ways to improve taste of beer
Currently, the Boulder, Colorado-based Brewers Association recommends that beer distributors clean draught lines biweekly by flushing them with disinfectant and water, Goeres said. But knowing how often to clean the lines, and judging the results, can be a challenge.
- Seeding the future: how university incubators are helping postgrads' ideas bear fruit - Blackstone Launchpad in Montana
A fertile ideas environment coupled with networking opportunities is just what fledgling postgraduate entrepreneurs need
- Lab-grown cartilage mimics the real thing
The tissue, grown under tension but without a supporting scaffold, shows similar mechanical and biochemical properties to natural cartilage.
Regional Business
- Oregon Senate passes bill to mandate work schedule predictability
"We heard from employees that due to unpredictable schedules, they had an extremely difficult time making plans to take care of basic needs, for example making doctor's appointments, planning child care, etcetera."
Utah Business
- Portland woman sues CenturyLink, alleging overbilling, hidden fees
A Portland woman has accused CenturyLink of overcharging her after salespeople came to her door with offers of cheap, superfast internet access, according to a federal lawsuit.
Workforce Development
- 94-hour workweek required at minimum wage to afford 2-bedroom apartment in Utah
Officials estimate the state has a shortage of 43,000 affordable units. For those who simply can't get in, the mainstream housing market has their way with them.
21st Century Education Initiative - "You Should Care..."
- One Utah idea to train workers of the future: Kids as tech support in their own schools
Utah kids need tech skills. Utah school districts need tech support.
- Guest opinion from John Cech: Montana's workforce innovators
The cornerstone of Montana's workforce development success lies in the partnership between your Montana University System and your Montana Department of Labor and Industry.
- Helping summer interns (and you) get the most out of the experience
Internships should not be about adding a brand to a resume; rather, they should be about adding bullet points.
Montana Education Excellence
- Get Your Kids Coding With Sony's Clever Building Blocks
Koov makes learning to code--the basics, at least--as easy as playing with building blocks.
- These are the top 10 workforce skills students will need by 2020
According to a recent McGraw-Hill Education survey, just 40 percent of college seniors said they felt their college experience was helpful in preparing for a career. Alarmingly, that percentage plummeted to 19 percent for women answering the same question.
Funding and Building your Business
- UM Receives Grant to Support Native American Faculty in STEM
"The reality is that the numbers of indigenous STEM faculty in higher education continue to be very small," said UM mathematics Associate Professor Ke Wu, who is the principal investigator for the grant. "Our hope is that the Willow AGEP will help start and support positive change."
- After a recent study, a Manhattan, Montana dairy farmer shows us where chocolate milk actually comes from
You probably heard the recent survey, that 7% of adults think brown cows produce chocolate milk. That's why Montanan who work in agriculture stress that knowing where your food comes from is important.
- University of Montana Family Medicine Residency Program to Graduate 8 New Family Physicians
"It is extremely satisfying to see the fulfillment of our mission become a reality as our graduates head to the rural and underserved communities of Montana and the region," program director Ned Vasquez said. "The fact they are doing so speaks highly of the individuals we have recruited and the curriculum they have experienced in their time with us."
Montana Biotech
- 5 Tips for Developing Great Leaders
It takes time to identify and develop tomorrow's leaders, and companies that put in the work will realize more benefits than just having a succession plan.
- "How Western Civilization Could Collapse"
In addition to the fall of civilizations, it occurred to me that in many ways Nuwer is also describing the fall of organizations.
- Podcast - Can Corporations Be Held Morally Responsible?
People are responsible for their individual actions. But what about the company as an entity?
- 7 Lessons From Building a 6-Figure Business in High School
Success can come remarkably soon if you get an early start.
- 6 Ways Leaders Use Silence To Increase Their Power (And You Can, Too)
Leaders know how to use silence as a tactic for speaking up for themselves and as an opportunity to lead.
- Join Global Tech Investor Paul Singh In Missoula For Montana Tech Tour June 27-29
The Montana Tech Tour was designed to put a spotlight on our amazing entrepreneurial ecosystem that we're building here in multiple communities throughout the state.
- 20 Lessons Learned From Making 2,000 B2B Cold Calls in Just 20 Days
An "expert" in your industry is just that. An "entrepreneur" knows how to sell.
Connectivity & Communications
- Bioscience Economic Development Trends of 2015-2016
The bioscience's need for a stable and supportive public policy framework is vital to industry firms large and small.
The Creative and Cultural Economy
- "Nobody Speak" - Billionaires want to enlist you in their secret plans to take down the press
The hatred aimed at journalists may be transparent, but the real plots to take us down may not be. "Nobody Speak" https://www.netflix.com/title/80168227 is a warning not to get tangled up in one by accident.
- We're one step closer to getting cheaper, faster Internet from space
The project could benefit Americans nationwide by providing broadband anywhere in the United States, particularly in rural areas where it can be difficult to provide fast Internet connections using traditional ground-based cables.
Miscellaneous Ramblings
- They call it "Loco." Sitcom set in fictional Montana town being filmed in Laurel, aimed for Netflix, looking for extras this weekend.
Writer, director and actor Junior Michael Ray is looking for extras for scenes filmed this weekend at Bretz RV, 2999 Old Hardin Road, on Saturday, and the Caboose Saloon on Sunday.
Transportation
- Fed-up with your cable company? Consumer Reports survey confirms you are not alone
Want good service? Move to Chattanooga, Tenn., where EPB Fiber, a municipal broadband service run as a public utility, earns standout ratings from the magazine.
Events
- A Better Way to Manage How We Get Around
Old models for managing urban transportation are insufficient. New options demand that we think in terms of mobility.
- Airbus' Urban Air Mobility Roadmap leads to an electric future
It is common knowledge that Airbus A3 has been working with Uber, which is planning to add an airborne component to its car-based ride-sharing program, and A3 is already operating an on-demand helicopter booking platform named Voom in Sao Paulo, one of the world's most congested cities.
- Driverless shuttle service to launch at University of Michigan
The University of Michigan will launch a driverless shuttle service on campus beginning this fall, giving the school another piece of technology that will keep it at the forefront of autonomous vehicle research.
- Senators pan Trump's proposed cuts to rural airports
"Without this support, many rural areas may no longer have access to air services," the letter says. "This would significantly reduce support for rural communities in our states. A reduction in support could lead to a reduction in services and ultimately in jobs for rural America."
- New technology turns any street lamp into a charging station for your electric car
When used together with the SmartCable and plugged into an electric vehicle, the setup allows for immediate charging--and billing.
- Montana Building Walkable And Active Communities Initiative (BACI) Free One-day Workshop, 7/18, Miles City, Montana
- The Treasure State Endowment Program (TSEP) Grant Administration Workshop, 7/11, Helena
- Montana Outdoor Recreation Expo, 7/7-9, Missoula, Montana
- How To Sell To The State Of Montana, 07/19, Helena And Additional Dates And Communities
- Capital City 4th Of July Celebration, 7/4, Helena, Montana
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