Speaks at Austin Technology Council CEO Summit; honored as Technology Champion of the Year"
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas Gov. Rick Perry today discussed the importance of making Texas the nations next hub for innovation collaboration and competition in technology development and manufacturing. The governor spoke at the Austin Technology Council CEO Summit where he was also named Technology Champion of the Year."
In Texas we have cultivated a culture that rewards innovation and gives innovators freedom from oppressive government red tape and the flexibility to do business on the cutting edge" Gov. Perry said. Our commitment to the values that have guided us through the challenging national economy are the same values that make Texas the ideal state for a high-tech companies seeking the flexibility and freedom that will enable them to grow from start-up to global leader."
The governor also highlighted the importance of ongoing efforts to attract world-class researchers and investment dollars to the state through programs like the Texas Emerging Technology Fund (TETF) which has helped bring ground-breaking research and technologies from the laboratory to the marketplace and kept these innovations in Texas. Since its inception the TETF has allocated more than $196.2 million in funds to 132 companies and nearly $173 million in grant matching and research superiority funds to Texas universities.
Last month Gov. Perry hosted leaders in research technology venture capital economic development and higher education at the Governors Technology and Economic Development Forum to discuss how to make Texas the nations next high-tech hub. Discussions at the forum centered around the importance of teamwork and the dedication of professors researchers administrators and state officials along with the private sector to remain flexible and equipped to evolve with the times so that Central Texas can become and remain the nations center of cutting-edge technology.
There is so much talk these days about job creation yet few government leaders actually understand how this happens in private industry Gov. Perry is an exception" said Larry Warnock CEO of Austin-based cloud computing company Gazzang. Our governor has been a champion of the kind of policies that foster the economic growth that have benefitted the technology industry in Texas. This is why we are honored to present him with this award today. Gov. Perry continues to demonstrate the leadership that will contribute to our states evolution as one of the worlds centers of innovation."
Additionally Gov. Perry underscored the importance of ensuring Texans have access to a quality affordable higher education in order to make this high tech hub a reality. This session the governor challenged universities to develop bachelors degree programs that cost no more than $10000 including textbooks; called for a four-year tuition freeze at the level a student pays his or her freshman year to help make financial planning more predictable for families; and called for the creation of an outcomes-based funding system that ties a portion of undergraduate funding to graduation rates rather than just enrollment.
For more information about the Austin Technology Council please visit
https://netforum.avectra.com/eWeb/StartPage.aspx?Site=ATC.
