FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Casey Quinlan
Communications Chair, Greater Richmond Technology Council
Principal, Mighty Casey Media
casey@mightycasey.com
(804) 467-5716
GREATER RICHMOND TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL AND VIRGINIA SECRETARY OF TECHNOLOGY HOST LEGISLATIVE RECEPTION
Richmond, VA –-– Jan. 25, 2007 – “We have a lot of work to do in 2007.” Aneesh Chopra, Virginia Secretary of Technology, told the Virginia technology sector in his welcome to the annual Virginia Technology Alliance legislative reception on Wednesday, Jan. 24 at the Library of Virginia in Richmond.
“We have to have a dialog about what we can do to have the right human capital,” said Chopra, noting that while Virginia has a healthy technology sector, the World Economic Forum recently ranked the US as the world’s sixth most competitive economy, behind Switzerland, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Singapore. The US was formerly ranked #1.
Secy. Chopra and Gov. Tim Kaine are determined that Virginia will be a leader in finding ways to use technology to improve the state economy and the lives of its citizens. A major issue that the state has struggled with for years is transportation – traffic and road congestion in northern Virginia is legendary, and the Hampton Roads area has traffic tie-ups that can stretch for miles. Gov. Kaine has earmarked $20M of his proposed 2007 budget for an intelligent transportation system (ITS) initiative, which would use technology to reduce traffic congestion.
“We have to find creative solutions, using technology,” said Chopra as he used his Blackberry to demonstrate a Google Maps application that allows a motorist to see what the traffic is like on the roads to his destination, letting him choose the least congested route. Putting this sort of technology to work in Hampton Roads and northern Virginia is the goal of the planned $20M earmark, with $10M funding projects in each area.
The Virginia Technology Alliance, formed by the state’s ten regional technology councils, develops legislative priorities each year in an effort to build the state’s technology infrastructure and economy. The VTA’s 2007 priorities call on the Governor and the General Assembly to increase the Commonwealth’s investment in Virginia’s Center for Innovative Technology; expand Virginia’s capacity for technology research & development through partnerships between private enterprise and university research facilities, and easing the transfer of ownership of intellectual property developed through industry-supported university research; develop programs to spur growth in university enrollment in math, science and engineering; establish Virginia as a center for biotechnology and nanotechnology industry and research; invest in e-business to enhance services to Virginia’s citizens; fund the Commonwealth Technology Research Fund with a minimum of $5M; encourage the use of telework to reduce road congestion and to foster economic growth in all areas of the Commonwealth; support
the continued transition of state IT resources into the Virginia Information Technologies Agency; ensure that the state’s tax and regulatory environment supports the growth and development of technology-based industry; address sales tax changes that would establish Virginia as a “location of choice” for Internet-based businesses; and balance the state’s economic development strategies to equally support existing industry and technology start-ups, and to attract new businesses to the Commonwealth.
The Greater Richmond Technology Council co-hosted the event with the help of corporate sponsors that included CapTech Ventures, CGI, Dominion Resources, Genworth Financial, Northrop Grumman, SyCom Technologies, BusinessWire, the Center for Innovative Technology, Computer Resource Team, Dataline, Dominion Digital, Keane, NetTelcos, Tek Systems, ATS, Core Consulting, CXI, Microsoft, National Institute of Aerospace, Verizon, and Virginia.gov.
The Greater Richmond Technology Council is an association of businesses and organizations working together to promote the success of technology companies, and the growth of the technology sector of the Central Virginia economy.
