The state of Maryland normally goes unnoticed in regards to the medtech and bioscience sectors when compared to California, Massachusetts and Minnesota. However, the state has the research facilities, governmental institutions and programs, corporate partnerships, funding and ambition to advance its biosciences marketplace into an international hub for medtech innovation.

At the heart of Maryland’s medical device and broader biotech industries is the state’s network of institutes and universities, which includes the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute of Standards & Technology, Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland. Each one of these entities boasts an array of specialized laboratories for the study of bioimaging, biomolecular modeling, drug delivery, biomaterials, MEMS, microfluidics and more.

I’ve always been fascinated by what other people want to know. And paying attention to the questions they ask, it turns out, can open the door to a person’s inner life. After all, questions can reveal that little is known about the subject, or that a a lot is known but the questioner is still seeking more correct, complete, and comprehensive knowledge.

Here are four of my favorite questions about teamwork. I’m not sure how enlightening the answers were for those who asked them, but maybe they are just what your inquiring mind wants to know.

Innovation, the application of knowledge to create new products and services, is the key to competitiveness. We see this every day in startups and technologies that are birthed in the Bay Area. Political gridlock and creeping bureaucracy, however, could throttle the golden goose. The culprits -- the federal budget, immigration bottlenecks and regulation -- are clear but hard to kill.

On July 25 the contract is signed by Fraunhofer and the University of Connecticut UConn for the establishment of the new research facility. The mission of the Fraunhofer Center for Energy Innovation CEI at the University of Connecticut is to develop advanced technologies related to energy storage, fuel cells, in-stream hydro, power management and distribution through contract research.

Earlier this week, Rachel Burger wrote about the 3D Printer and how patents are related. Rachel closed the post with a definitive condemnation: “Intellectual property is merely another overreaching hand of the government, and libertarians have no business supporting it.” I am, however, one of the libertarians that disagree with her. For me, patents represent an exchange between inventors/innovators and the public.

Image: Flickr - Lights of Ideas

The Technological Innovation System is a concept developed within the scientific field of innovation studies which serves to explain the nature and rate of technological change. A Technological Innovation System can be defined as ‘a dynamic network of agents interacting in a specific economic/industrial area under a particular institutional infrastructure and involved in the generation, diffusion, and utilization of technology’.

If you’re looking for inspiration to contemplate visionary ideas and generate creativity when considering a startup business, taking some time to get away from it all could be just what the doctor ordered. Taking a short break helps to provide clarity and generate insight. After all, there’s no room for brilliant new ideas when one’s mind is cluttered from the information overload we tend to experience in today’s modern world.

Below is a slideshow presentation of 20 various destinations where you might actually find that valuable creativity, energy and inspiration you seek.

Image: Flickr - The Taj Mahal

It’s insane to me how many people want to come online and make money, yet the only thing they’re “prepared” for is a heavy wallet.  Over the last two years of running our Private Forum here at IMGrind I’ve seen a number of people become “success stories” being able to leverage their income they make online, turn it into a real business, and leave their “day” job.  I’ve also seen a number of people throw in the towel and stay put with their 9-5 job.  Working online isn’t for everyone but there are a couple things I recommend to being prepared:

Technology Transfer, also called Transfer of Technology and Technology Commercialisation, is the process of transferring skills, knowledge, technologies, methods of manufacturing, samples of manufacturing and facilities among governments or universities and other institutions to ensure that scientific and technological developments are accessible to a wider range of users who can then further develop and exploit the technology into new products, processes, applications, materials or services. It is closely related to (and may arguably be considered a subset of) knowledge transfer.

Federal rules designed to make it easier for startups to attract investors sparked complaints from investor groups that say the rules could make fundraising more difficult.

Organizations that represent angel investors, wealthy individuals who provide essential capital to startups in exchange for an ownership stake in the business, are upset about Securities and Exchange Commission rules that emerged this month. The rules, which permit startups to openly solicit funding from investors, include financial disclosure requirements.

The Enterprise Ireland Seed & Venture Capital Programme 2012 Report launched this week by Jobs Minister Richard Bruton, shows a rise in the level and value of activity in 2012 in venture capital funds.

Launching the report, Minister Bruton said, “A key part of the Government’s Action Plan for Jobs and a commitment in the Programme for Government is building a stronger and more dynamic venture capital industry in Ireland. International experience from Silicon Valley and elsewhere shows venture capital can play a key part in ensuring access to mentoring and networks as well as the funding that supports the growth of these companies.

Image: Google Images

You have your idea sketched out and finished all of your initial analyses. You’re getting excited about having a potential money-making idea, but now it’s time to test that theory: How many other people on the planet think that you have a good idea? How many will pay for that idea?

The value proposition has one flaw. It predicts the acceptance of your product or service by the average consumer within a climate of similar products or services. It doesn’t tell you how many people will accept or desire it. Market research and testing are two ways to get a sense of those numbers. Here’re some tips and tricks to researching your idea before moving on to the next step.

I was 33 years old when I became an entrepreneur. I had developed a revolutionary technology at First Boston, a New York-based investment bank, and IBM offered to invest $20 million in it—provided that we spun the technology off into a new company. I was asked to take the job of chief technology officer.

I didn’t come from an entrepreneurial family, and I had no entrepreneurial aspirations. I had a wife and two children to support. Taking this position would entail relinquishing a great job that paid a hefty six-figure salary, for a startup that could easily go out of business—and didn’t pay as well. So it wasn’t an easy decision. Nonetheless, I took the plunge.

The last few years have presented an unprecedented shift in the computing world as PCs are being replaced with mobile devices. But now that a large portion of the market has already shifted, what comes after it? Last week, we looked at how the giants of tech are going after TV screens. This week, we’re going to take a look at how they are seeing your body as the next frontier in tech.

Successful entrepreneurs are the ones who think the most creatively, not only in their initial product or service, but more importantly all through the stages of growth from startup to maturity. But even the best of them can easily slip into some bad decision habits that limit or hurt their business, due to natural human tendencies and the pressures of business challenges.

Obviously, the business of business has been around a long time, with many “best practices” well-defined and well documented, so creativity that ignores these is usually not a good thing. Thus every entrepreneur struggles to achieve that balance between methodically following “proven” processes, versus a new and creative approach which may be a real differentiator.

If your startup is great enough to get a term sheet from angel investors or a venture capitalist, the next step for the investor is to complete the dreaded due diligence process. This is the last step of the process, where surprises in the evaluation of the management team, documentation, and personnel problems can derail the investment.

Some startups do nothing to prepare for the due diligence process, assuming the people and business plan documents will speak for themselves. Others stage elaborate “training” sessions, to “assure” that everyone tells the same story. The right answer is somewhere in between.

"Not every young kid who plays ball can go to Louisville or play for Coach K," says Gerald Cannon, co-founder of the startup Ballers Bridge.

That's exactly why Cannon and his partner, Armand Brown, started Ballers Bridge in the first place: Beyond the elite top 150 or so high school basketball players in the country, it can be hard for ambitious young players to get noticed and earn college scholarships at the Division 1 level or below.

Image: Flickr - Basketball On A Warm Spring Evening

Once the head of a startup technology venture, R. Chadwick Paul Jr., president and CEO of the Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania, takes his job of nurturing technology-based economic development very seriously.

And now, with additional funding just approved in the 2013-2014 Pennsylvania state budget, he’s looking forward to shrugging off several years of reduced state funding and leading the region’s technology leaders into the future.

Image: Flickr - Money Shots

The rapid growth of New York City's innovation economy has been fueled by three Polytechnic Institute of New York University (NYU-Poly)-operated incubators that generated $251 million in economic activity since 2009, created more than 900 jobs and contributed $31.4 million in local, state and federal tax revenue, according to a report released today marking the fourth anniversary of NYU-Poly's public-private incubator initiative. By 2015, they are projected to nearly triple their economic output to $719 million, 2,500 jobs and $92 million in tax revenue. 

Image: Flickr - Money in Wallet

The Global Benchmark 2013 report is the worlds first Global index to benchmark performance and best practices of University Business Incubators. Here you’ll discover the best practices at the top university incubators, their drivers of success, detailed benchmark on 50+ performance indicators and much more