REMARKS AS PREPARED FOR DELIVERY - SANDY K. BARUAH, ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF COMMERCE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT - 2006 EXCELLENCE IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AWARD - NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH & TECHNOLOGY PARK, FARGO, NORTH DAKOTA

MONDAY, AUGUST 28, 2006

AS PREPARED FOR DELIVERY

INTRODUCTION BY TONY GRINDBERG, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NDSU RESEARCH & TECHNOLOGY PARK

Thank you, Tony, for that kind introduction.

It’s a pleasure to be back in the great state of North Dakota today representing President George W. Bush and to be with my friend Governor John Hoeven.

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, I believe Governor Hoeven is one of America’s best Governors. He understands what it takes to bring higher-skill, higher-wage jobs to North Dakota.

With each passing year, North Dakota looks more and more like an old fashioned success story in our new world-wide economy, Governor, and I salute your leadership and congratulate you on your success.

President Chapman, I am also pleased to share the stage today and I congratulate you on your tremendous success here at NDSU.

I also want to recognize Executive Director Tony Grindberg. Tony, you’ve done a great job here at the Research & Technology Park and a great deal of the success we are celebrating here today is due to your leadership.

What the Governor and I know, is what you here at NDSU know; that the North Dakota State University Research & Technology Park is a world-class class facility and a national leader in economic development. Soon, lots of other folks will know this because today I am proud to announce that NDSU’s Research & Technology Park is the winner of the Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration “Excellence in Economic Development Award” for 2006.

Each year, the Economic Development Administration bestows the “Excellence in Economic Development Award” on the best and brightest examples of economic development strategy and results.

Award winners are selected by a distinguished and independent panel of economic development leaders, noted academics, and government officials from across America. Believe me; the competition for these awards is intense as the bar for creative and innovative economic development initiatives gets raised every year.

This year, the winner of the Excellence Award for Technology-led Economic Development is right here in Fargo, North Dakota.

As the 21st Century takes shape, more and more us realize that we are truly living in a world-wide market-place. While America is the leader today and has immense competitive advantages, we cannot take our leadership for granted.

That’s why advancing technology and focusing on innovation is key to America’s success today and tomorrow in the world-wide market-place; and that’s what the North Dakota State University Research & Technology Park is doing right here in Fargo.

This Research & Technology Park is helping new applications get beyond the imagination stage by building successful linkages between universities, labs, government and industry to nurture entrepreneurial startups and promote innovative activity in high-tech businesses.

Technology-led economic development is about creating these linkages, and this is not an easy endeavor. It doesn’t just happen. It requires innovative solutions and strategies, and that’s what you have here at NDSU’s Research & Technology Park.

The NDSU Research & Technology Park has developed a strong reputation in just a few years, and has already produced significant results in helping to grow the regional economy. Alien Technology’s construction of a research and manufacturing site here at the Research & Technology Park is just one example of the impressive results NDSU has achieved.

The involvement of the private sector, like Alien Technology, is critical. While governments at all levels can be important players in economic development, let’s not forget that it is the private sector that is the most important element of any successful economic development strategy. Unless the private sector is ready, willing and able to invest in a community –economic growth simply will not occur regardless how much government spends.

This partnership with the private sector is clearly evident here in North Dakota, which is one reason why EDA invested $1.75 million to help build this Center in 2005. We know a good project when we see it.

A strategy with this kind of impact is one from which other parts of the country can learn, and part of our job as the Federal agency charged with advancing economic development is to share successful strategies with economic development practitioners across the nation.

For this reason, we have shared the NDSU Research & Technology Park story with the rest of the nation in two powerful ways:

First, through our national TV show, “EDA Today.” Our July program featured Governor Hoeven and highlighted the Governor’s five growth areas for the State, including the NDSU Research & Technology Park.

And, second, through EDA’s magazine, Economic Development Today, which features an extensive profile of this Research & Technology Park in our summer issue. .

Through these efforts, thousands of economic development practitioners across the nation will learn of the success achieved here at NDSU and of the award I have the honor of presenting today.

Again, I would like to thank all of you for being here today for this important ceremony, including state and local leaders, university faculty, staff, and students, Mayor Walaker, and the representatives of North Dakota’s Congressional delegation. I appreciate your shared commitment to building on the success here at NDSU.

And now, the moment we’ve been waiting for, the presentation of the Award.

Governor Hoeven will join me in presenting the 2006 Excellence in Technology-led Economic Development Award to Dr. Chapman.

It is now my distinct pleasure to present on behalf of President George W. Bush the 2006 Excellence in Technology-led Economic Development Award to the NDSU Research and Technology Park.

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