Tech Council Celebrates 20th Anniversary

The Tech Council of the Chamber of Commerce celebrated its 20th anniversary on Thursday September 23rd at the Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts. About 200 guests gathered to see two technology heros receive awards---Dr. Douglas Maynard and Ted Kaplan. Dr. Maynard is credited with being the technology council's first chairperson and instrumental in envisioning the Piedmont Triad Research Park. Former Senator Ted Kaplan was responsible for procuring $3.1 million in funding for the research park. Others were credited for having a role in the development of a knowledge based economy for Winston-Salem, including Gayle Anderson, head of the Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce, Jerry Long, then president and chief operating officer of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, Tom Hearn, then president of Wake Forest University and Dr. Pete Santago, a professor of biomedical engineering at the medical school.

Read below for more on the history of the Research Park
http://www2.journalnow.com/business/2010/sep/23/fruits-of-20-years-change-in-direction-toward-life-ar-414611/

http://www2.journalnow.com/news/2010/sep/24/the-class-of-1990-ar-416140/

Winston Salem Journal Recaps Speaker Series Event

The Winston-Salem Journal wrote a summary of yesterday's Chamber Tech Council panel discussion on cyber security.

From the article:

The cost of fending off cyber threats to businesses is increasing, a panel of local technology officials and analysts said today.

But compared with repairing cyber damage--whether to business and customer information, trade secrets and lost trust--companies are more willing to absorb the expense.

The panel spoke at the quarterly Tech Council presentation sponsored by the Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce.

"It is less costly to be proactive than reactive to cyber threats," said Chris Summers, an Associate Director of Enterprise Architecture for Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

Read the entire article here.

Speaker Series Event on Cyber Security

The Tech Council held a Speaker Series event today on cyber security, with advice and wisdom from a panel of experts: Steve Scott, Vice President and Group Technology Manager of Information Security Technology at Wachovia Bank, A Wells Fargo Company; John Pueschel, Attorney at Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice; Chris Summers, Associate Director of Information Security at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center; and Special Agent Christopher Avery, Federal Bureau of Investigation. The panel discussion was moderated by Dr. Errin Fulp, Associate Professor of Computer Science at Wake Forest University.

For more on upcoming Chamber technology events, visit the Chamber website at http://www.winstonsalem.com/.

OTAM Provides a Full Menu of Technology Commercialization

At the recent PTRP Lunch and Learn series, Michael Batalia, the Director of the Office of Technology and Asset Management, shared the mission and vision of his department and the role they play in commercializing the research efforts from Wake Forest University. The Office of Technology and Asset Managaement has worked with 298 inventions, 36 issued patents, 47 options and license agreements and 6 start up companies in the last five years. In 2009 alone, Wake Forest University realized about $90 million in licensing revenue.

Audience members were able to enjoy a light lunch, chat with colleagues from the Research Park and ask questions about the future of new ventures and the overcrowding of the patent marketplace.

For more information about the Office of Technology and Asset Management go to http://www.wfubmc.edu/OTAM/About-Us.htm

National Manufacturing Institute and National Center for the Biotechnology Workforce join forces to create a future pipeline

WASHINGTON, D.C.– The Washington-based Manufacturing Institute (the Institute) and the National Center for the Biotechnology Workforce (NCBW) at Forsyth Technical Community College in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, announced a formal alliance today to jointly develop a highly-skilled and educated 21st century biotechnology and pharmaceutical production workforce.

Read more...

Tengion Inc. reports on kidney treatment

A study of treatment techniques for kidney disease by scientists at Tengion Inc. shows positive signs in rodents. The preclinical data on treatment techniques for kidney disease comes as Tengion works to attract new investors to help pay for continued operations of its headquarters in Pennsylvania and its laboratory in Winston-Salem.

Read full article.

20 Years of Community Success Deserves a Party! Tech Council Gala Sept 23rd

Registration is now open for the Chamber Tech Council 20th Anniversary Gala, September 23, 2010 at the Milton Rhodes Downtown Center for the Arts. Join us for cocktails and appetizers at 5:30 p.m., followed by insightful highlights of Winston-Salem’s and the Triad’s transition to a technology and knowledge-based economy. Meet the leaders of this effort, and celebrate the people who are working tirelessly toward vision, innovation, and growth. Cook Medical is our title sponsor. For more information, contact Andrea Howell at 336-728-9228 or ahowell@winstonsalem.com.

Click here to get your tickets for this event.