MATR Newsletter – November 9, 2023
The state with the best education wins!

AI-Enabled Automation Streamlines Local Government Finance

Digital Cities 2023: Developing Modern, Citizen-Focused Services

I hope to arrive at my death

late

in love 

and a little drunk.   

Atticus

Come Home Montana

• Census projects U.S. population bust by 2080

  America will enter the 22nd century with a shrinking population unless immigration increases, according to new U.S. Census Bureau projections released Thursday.

• New tax break hopes to draw military veterans to Montana, says governor

  During a visit to Red Oxx, a second-generation veteran-owned business in Billings, the governor highlighted Senate Bill 104, sponsored by Sen. John Fuller, R-Kalispell, that exempts up to 50 percent of military retirement pay from the state income tax.

• BobFest Celebration to Showcase Nonprofit’s Support of Wild Places and Wilderness Stewardship – 11/10 – Kalispell

  The event, previously known as “Voices of the Wilderness,” will feature live music, dinner, drinks, plus silent and live auctions.

MEDA -Montana Economic Developers Association

• What is Montana doing to address climate change: Part 1

  Welcome to the Big Why, a series from Montana Public Radio where we find out what we can discover together. I’m your host, Austin Amestoy. This is a show about listener-powered reporting. We’ll answer questions, big or small, about anything under the Big Sky. By Montanans for Montana, this is The Big Why.

• AI-Enabled Automation Streamlines Local Government Finance

  Since the implementation of the platform, McCreery said invoice processing is being completed within a day or two, whereas previously, the process could take a week or longer. In contrast to the paper-based process, the process can now begin instantaneously.

• Digital Cities 2023: Developing Modern, Citizen-Focused Services

  The 56 winning cities in this year’s awards from the Center for Digital Government focused their efforts on technology projects that impacts residents communitywide.

• Big Sky Economic Development – News Just For You

  Montana APEX Accelerator Program

•  The Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority (BSPRA) has been awarded a $150,000 grant through the Pacific Northwest Economic Region’s Regional Infrastructure Accelerator (PNWER-RIA) to further high-performance rail across the region.

  “These funds will further our work both in southern Montana and also along the Empire Builder route, to the benefit of both freight and passenger operations,” said BSPRA Chairman Dave Strohmaier. “This is a great example of how working together at a regional scale, with the sweat equity and financial support of partners, is moving this train down the tracks.”

• Now Is The Time To Get Transportation Right

  With record amounts of federal funding for transportation projects underway, a new NRDC scorecard ranks the states on their transportation priorities.

• Why Generative AI Investments Are Surging in the U.S.

  “Far from the doomsday scenarios we often read in the media, generative AI offers organizations the opportunity to help many employees find more meaning in their work and creativity, fostering human flourishing,” concluded Puntoni.

• Millennials aren’t having kids. Here are the reasons why.

  “The stakes are so high. I don’t want to screw it up.”

• Fitbits for cows: Precision agriculture in crops, livestock systems big topic at MSU conference

  Montana State University professors highlighted upcoming technology for agricultural crops and livestock at the annual Agricultural Economics conference in Bozeman last Friday.

• Montana Childcare Business Connect expands into eight new counties

  This initiative aims to help communities identify solutions to boost the supply of affordable childcare in their area.

• Heating commercial real estate with geothermal power

  One company is aiming to drive down the traditionally high price of geothermal energy to make it a viable and sustainable business decision

• U.S. Department of Transportation Awards PNWER Second Grant to Drive Infrastructure Investment in Five-State Region – Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority is a sub-recipient

  Exciting news about a substantial grant awarded to BSPRA. Pacific NorthWest Economic Region (PNWER) Regional Infrastructure Accelerator Will Build Capacity, Technical Assistance to Access Critical Infrastructure Funds Across Five-State Region.

Big Sky Economic Development

• BSED Receives 3 Awards at the Montana Economic Developers Association 2023 Fall Conference

  Steve Arveschoug Awarded Anthony J. Preite Champion of Economic Development Award

Great Falls Development Alliance

• Three New RFPs from GFDA – Brownfields Qualified Environmental Professional Services – Energy Production Market Assessment and Economic Development Strategy and Transportation and Logistics Assessment Strategy

  Our mission is to grow diverse economic opportunities that enhance quality of life in the Great Falls Montana region.

Montana Bioscience Cluster Initiative

• Montana Bioscience Cluster Initiative November 2023 Newsletter – Don’t wait – join us on November 9th to understand export regulations for biotech today

  Failure to properly classify products in the R&D stage can lead to dire consequences for biotech companies, including legal liabilities and jeopardized international partnerships. Don’t wait – join us on November 9th to understand export regulations for biotech today to avoid costly delays and legal troubles tomorrow. (Remember, “deemed exports” take place in the U.S.!)

Montana Business

• Cities Experiment With Pedal-Powered Delivery Policies

  The rapid expansion of food delivery services — coupled with e-bikes — is forcing cities to adopt new ideas and policies to get more couriers out of their gas vehicles and onto bikes.

• Heat Pumps Are Not Fair Weather Friends Any More

  As one measure of confidence in today’s technology, 18 of the Climate Alliance governors represent states that experience freezing temperatures in the winter, and some of them already have a headstart on that 20 million-unit goal.

• Planning To Start A New Company in Next Six Months? / Sooner Might Be Better / Heads-Up on Fast-Approaching “Beneficial Ownership” Reporting Burden

  You may already know this, but, just to be sure, you can get yourself a delay in your reporting burden if you are at least aware of this………..

Next Generation Broadband in Montana

• Montana Legislative committee moves forward with broadband rollout

  The state legislature’s Broadband Communications Advisory Commission has been tasked with setting the guidelines for how dollars from the 2021 federal bipartisan infrastructure bill are doled out.

Montana Businesses Seeking Investment or For Sale

• Steve’s Cafe owners thank the Helena, Montana community for years of support, seek new owners

  “We hire more for personality than skill because it’s so important. You can’t teach personality. You can teach skill, but you can’t teach personality, ” Steve explained.

Senator Jon Tester

• Protecting Montanans’ Privacy is Aim of New Tester Bill

  Senator’s bipartisan Government Surveillance Reform Act would protect Montanans from warrantless searches of data by government and law enforcement

Housing

• 3D-printed apartment building provides affordable housing in Germany

  3D-printed construction continues to grow in popularity worldwide, and the latest example is an ambitious new low-rise apartment building in Germany. The project will incorporate cutting-edge 3D printing technology – as well as timber – and will be used to provide affordable social housing.

Incubators and R&D

• Speeding up R&D for green hydrogen

  A new process enables rapid prototyping of key components for hydrogen electrolysers

Regional Business News

• Amazon Announces New Benefit For Prime Members: Primary Care Services For $9 Per Month

  One Medical provides access to 24/7 virtual care, expedited care for common concerns such as cold symptoms and skin issues, and same- or next-day remote or in-person appointments at One Medical primary care offices. Notably, virtual care users will not have any additional costs, as the entire service is included in the membership fee. Alternatively, patients that prefer office visits can use insurance or pay out of pocket.

• A climate tech startup — and Earthshot Prize finalist — designs new method to reduce clothing waste

  Hartman said his hope is to end clothes being dumped or incinerated: “Absolutely, because we have all the clothes we need, to make all the clothes we’ll ever need.”

Come Home Idaho

• Why People Are Choosing Idaho over Utah: Relocation Trends

  In recent times, an increasing number of people have been relocating from Utah to Idaho, making it a noticeable trend in the Boise area. What prompts this migration, and is it driven by valid concerns or common misconceptions? Let’s look at the two primary reasons that have prompted this shift.

• Idaho left early education up to families. One town set out to get universal preschool anyway

  Today, though, American Falls is a town transformed.

21st Century Education Initiative – “You Should Care…”

• Montana State receives grant to host geospatial skills camp for high schoolers in five rural Montana communities

  “Montana is one of the most rural states in the U.S., with 75% of school districts considered rural – the highest proportion of any state,” Taylor noted in the grant application. “Consequently, not just many but most Montana young people grow up with few or no STEM opportunities beyond school-based classes, which also can be quite limited due to small school sizes and STEM teacher shortages.”

• “Handle with Care” program helps students who have experienced traumatic events

  This program helps to support students who experience traumatic incidents outside of school hours.

• Did You Hear What I Said? How to Listen Better

  “There’s so much work showing that when employees are heard at work, they are going to flourish and thrive.”

Tell Us Something

• Tell Us Something is in 31 days (12/6)! Plus! On Site Child Care

  We are so excited to be partnering with Spark! to provide this service for our guests with little humans during this event for kiddos ages 4 and up!

Careers

• AI successfully negotiated a legal contract without human help

  It’s AI vs. AI at the bargaining table.

Come Home South Dakota

• Amtrak could be rolling its way through the Black Hills

  Existing railways would be used for the Amtrak routes. Although they are looking to expand Amtrak’s routes, it could still be a couple of years before anything is in the works. The federal study is due to Congress next spring and it will be up to Congress to decide if they want to implement service.

Transportation

• This Startup Hopes Its Nanomaterial Fuel Tanks Will Jumpstart The Hydrogen Revolution

  H2MOF thinks nanomaterials designed to pull in and hold hydrogen at low pressure, like a sponge absorbing water, are a cheaper, more efficient way to store and move the fuel.

Energy and Climate Change

• These sleek heat pumps can be installed in 30 minutes

  Gradient’s new heat pump makes it easy to retrofit an old apartment and dramatically cut emissions.

• Term sheet: Missoula, Bozeman closer to Green Power Program

  “By subscribing to the program, customers would pay the cost of the new renewable energy source over time and receive the benefits it produces,” the city said, naming reduced carbon emissions and the clean energy’s economic value on the market.

• Bifacial Solar Panels To Open Floodgates Of Agrivoltaic Potential

  New bifacial solar panels could help make the economic case for agrivoltaic projects that help farmers conserve water and soil, too.

• Bill Gates backs novel device promising wind energy at 1/3 the cost

  It looks nothing like a typical “fan on a stick” wind turbine, but this oval track with evenly spaced wing blades could be an enormously disruptive addition to the renewable energy mix, since it slashes the cost of wind power to unprecedented lows.

• A Major Alarm Is Flashing Under Greenland’s Ice

  Greenland’s northern ice shelves have lost more than a third of their volume since 1978, new research finds.

• Intelligent battery systems for homes and businesses using AI

  To correct the imbalance in supply and demand, UK startup Allye has developed distributed energy storage at the grid edge by creating energy storage systems that use second-life electric vehicle (EV) batteries.

• Questions From Institutional Investors About Energy Transition Are Revealing

  Recently Jefferies Group, one of the United States largest investment banks, asked me to speak to a global group of their clients, institutional investors representing billions and possibly trillions in funds.

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