MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon testified Tuesday before the state Senate Commerce & Labor Committee on the role the university can play in the future of the state's economy.
Simon outlined MSU's efforts to jump-start business in Michigan and talked about finding the "sweet spots" where technology and industry intersect.
"Part of this is to try to underscore what role Michigan State has played," Simon said of her appearance before the committee. "It is really a set of things to try to sell the university, and try to plant a couple of ideas."
Simon appeared at the request of the committee, which has been listening to the input of a number of universities across the state.
The committee recently heard from representatives of the University of Michigan and Michigan Technological University.
The goal is to develop five to seven recommendations for state policy changes, said Sen. Jason Allen, R-Traverse City, the committee's chairman. Allen charged MSU officials with developing a set of specific recommendations for the committee to consider.
Simon's testimony comes on the heels of a roughly $1 billion tobacco securitization bill in the state legislature that would use tobacco settlement money to fund economic development projects.
Some of that money could be funneled into start-up businesses looking to commercialize technologies created by university scientists.
MSU faculty and staff have started 23 companies since 2003.
"We want that research to spin off into the private sector," said Sen. Dennis Olshove, D-Warren, a member of the committee. "Theoretically, some money can be directed to the high-tech folks."
Versions of the bill have gone through both the state Senate and House of Representatives, but the differences between the two still need to be worked out.
"At the moment it's in limbo," said Steve Webster, MSU's vice president for governmental affairs.
Simon, flanked by Ian Gray, MSU's vice president for research and graduate studies, and Paul Hunt, associate vice president for research, touched on MSU initiatives ranging from an entrepreneur event later this week to a vision of making Michigan a leader in the production of environmentally friendly petroleum alternatives.
Allen said he was impressed with the MSU Extension program, which fosters relationships between the university and communities around the state, but added that he is still concerned with the state's ability to keep businesses based on patented technologies in Michigan.
"(U-M) said only about 20 percent of their patents stay. MSU said about half," Allen said. "In my mind, I want to get that number up."
