On May 9 – 11, 1999, the AAAS Research Competitiveness Program convened a meeting in Biloxi, Mississippi, entitled, "The Role of University Research in Innovation and Economic Development." The workshop featured presentations of exemplary models for partnership among state government, industry and academia, followed by day long working sessions for the host states of Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. The Mississippi and Louisiana workshops each produced a set of action items for follow-up by persons attending the conference. In each case there has been mixed progress toward the identified goals. The Alabama workshop identified a set of "critical issues for action," but did not proceed to the next step of preparing an action plan.

It is clear from discussions with participants from Alabama that the Biloxi conference had a generally positive influence on attendees. It provided encouragement to those interested in government-industry-university partnerships to sponsor science and technology - based economic development, and offered an opportunity to meet with interested principals from all three sectors. Specific positive outcomes, however, have been few. Most important, the Alabama Department of Economic Development and Community Affairs, directed by Dewayne Freeman, who chaired the Alabama workshop, is preparing a concept paper that outlines priorities and strategies in science and technology research and development in a broader economic context. We are told that the paper, being prepared by Tom Holmes, but not yet released, addresses many of the "critical issues for action" that were developed at the Biloxi conference.

In the meantime, the Alabama EPSCoT initiative has received funding and is making headway in its survey of firms to define the opportunity and the problems in developing and implementing technology-based economic development in Alabama. Emerging Technology Partners, which was represented at the workshop, has been successful in raising a $10 million seed venture capital fund from major industrial institutions and banks in the state. The fund has since made three investments in start up companies. Alabama universities, most notably The University of Alabama – Birmingham, are pursuing a variety of outreach efforts related to the commercial exploitation of campus-based research. There would appear to be a continuing need for impetus, collaboration, and joint planning to pursue the goals and issues which were the topic of the Biloxi Conference.