CA investment in high-tech sectors focuses on universities

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has big plans for investing in high-tech, reports Campus Technology.

In his new budget, he plans to ask for $95 million to create the Governor's Research and Innovation Initiative, designed stimulate California's"innovation sectors," including information technology, cleantech, biotech and nanotech. On his Building a Better California website Schwarzenegger outlines the major high tech programs in his new budget including:

• The California Centers for Science and Innovation, a research effort by the University of California working in partnership with private companies in the areas of information technology and nanotechnology.
• Petascale Computing. The budget provides the first $5 million in matching funds for the University of California's bid to build a $200 million petascale computer, the most powerful computer in the world.
• The Helos Project, a project at the University of California's Lawrence Berkeley National Lab to create sustainable, super-efficient solar energy technology.
• The Energy Biosciences Institute. The budget provides $40 million to the University of California in the event it wins a British Petroleum EBI grant for alternative fuels research.

"With some of the world's finest universities and research institutions, the Golden State has more scientists, engineers, and researchers and invests more on research and development than any other state," said Schwarzenegger. "As a leader in developing new technologies, California will reap tremendous rewards for our economy and environment from this investment in our innovation infrastructure."...