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R-H Ventures President Discusses High-Tech Issues at High Technology Summit VIP
Reception
Rose-Hulman Ventures President Jim Eifert addressed key Indiana business and government officials, which included
Governor Frank O’Bannon during a VIP reception sponsored by Rose-Hulman Ventures prior to the start of the fifth annual
Indiana Technology Summit V in Indianapolis April 25. Eifert told the crowd about the impact that Rose-Hulman
Ventures is having on the state’s efforts to become a high-tech leader by the year 2005.
Eifert stated, “The Tech Summit illustrates advances in technology and economic development in Indiana. However,
there is much work to be done - particularly in the area of venture capital.” Eifert makes reference to a recent
Indianapolis Business Journal article that lists the top 25 venture capital deals in Indiana for 2001. “As pleased as we
are that Rose-Hulman Ventures participated in 11 of the 25 deals listed, the primary concern is that there should be an
abundance of players in this arena. Indiana needs more investors investing in Indiana companies to make a
significant impact on our economy and to achieve the goal of making Indiana the
technology, commercialization leader in the Midwest.”
The reception was a prelude to the Indiana Technology Summit, the premier event for the state’s technology
community, which was organized by the Indiana Technology Partnership and sponsored in part by Rose-Hulman Ventures.
A crowd estimated at 1,100 included community leaders, government officials, and representatives from academia,
venture capital, legal firms, emerging companies, trade organizations, and others participated to learn the latest
about technology development in Indiana. Technology leaders convened to discuss strategies, review trends, report on
statewide results against specific metrics, and motivate attendees to take action to achieve goals outlined by the
Indiana Technology Partnership.
A feature of the Summit was a presentation by Scott Jones, chairman of the Indiana Technology Partnership, that
provided an update about five of the six metrics, the Partnership created a year ago to measure high-tech business
growth in Indiana. The metrics include workforce education, research and development, venture capital, utility patents,
and high-tech jobs. The metrics also illustrate progress toward the goal of Indiana becoming a high-tech leader by
2005. The latest statistics show that only one of the metrics showed improvement. The other metrics remained the
same or declined. None of the six measurements was within the top quarter of the 50 states – a rank Jones said is
needed if Indiana is to achieve regional leadership since no other state in the Midwest
has such a ranking Jones said. Indiana ranks in the top half of the nation in only two
categories: patents per worker and research-and-development spending.
Among this year's speakers were: Gerry Dick, president of Grow Indiana Media Ventures; Jim Wheeler,
president of Indiana Technology Partnership; Scott Jones, chairman, Indiana Technology Partnership and CEO of Escient
Technologies; Martin C. Jischke, president of Purdue University; Paul Root Wolpe, bioethicist for the University
of Pennsylvania and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; and Graham Richard, mayor of Fort Wayne.
Rose-Hulman Ventures was featured at the Tech Summit for promoting growth in Indiana’s technology economy
by providing access to a full range of services needed to move technological innovations into the marketplace.
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