To help better assist clients, we’ve launched a Technology-Based Economic Development (TBED) Practice. The TBED Practice is a dedicated team of experts that provides targeted assistance for clients seeking to shape and pursue federal opportunities around the commercialization of research, public-private partnerships, and regional development.
Additionally, our Technology and Venture Practice helps founders and investors at the forefront of critical technology breakthroughs engage with the federal government to shape and influence policymaking. Our team of experts with experience in both Washington and San Francisco ensure that the tech industry has a strong voice in government.
Driving Innovation and Commercialization
Federal, Industry, and Local Engagement
Lewis-Burke has a long track record of working alongside research universities, non-profit organizations, and industry to shape and take advantage of opportunities to commercialize early-stage, high-risk inventions. Lewis-Burke has also has expertise engaging all federal agencies involved catalyzing larger regional innovation strategies, from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to the Economic Development Administration (EDA). We are ready to assist clients as they look to drive advocacy solutions and leverage federal support to commercialize their research, forge novel public-private partnerships, and launch complex regional hubs.
Results Speak Volumes
Technology-Based Economic Development
Seeking Opportunities and Capitalizing
Lewis-Burke provided intensive consultation to clients on the EDA Regional Tech Hubs competition, a massive federal initiative around place-based innovation. EDA would eventually receive 370 applications from regions across the country, and of the 31 Tech Hubs designated by EDA to be eligible to receive additional funding, over a dozen involved Lewis-Burke clients, and of the 12 Hubs selected to receive the initial round of implementation funding, seven involved Lewis-Burke clients.
Innovation & Industry
Federal Support for Entrepreneurship Program
Client: Leading Non-Profit Organization
Lewis-Burke has worked closely with a non-profit organization on a multi-faceted congressional and agency strategy to advance an entrepreneurial assistance program they manage around deep tech commercialization. Over the years, this has led to authorization support in major legislation, appropriations assistance, and expanded programming beyond their previous federal portfolio to include support from several additional federal agencies, including the Department of Commerce and the National Science Foundation.
Innovation & Industry
Seeking Opportunities and Capitalizing
Client: Leading Research Universities
Lewis-Burke was aware of the development of a provision in the 2018 tax bill to create Opportunity Zones, or census tracts with high unemployment rates, to qualify for investments from up to $6 trillion in untapped capital gains. The firm positioned clients to designate tracts in priority regions to take advantage. Lewis-Burke continues to monitor potential future changes to this program and stands ready to help clients leverage this and other benefits from major tax legislation to maximize their regional priorities.
Innovation & Industry
Innovation Advocacy Campaign
Lewis-Burke supported a philanthropic organization’s goal to ensure meaningful funding for a massive proposed regional innovation program that was formally authorized but lacked appropriations support. Lewis-Burke put together a large-scale campaign that leveraged like-minded community support; connections with key members; letters of support; committee engagement, including the planting of relevant questions at hearings; and more. These efforts helped to secure significant funding for the program as part of two separate year-end funding measures.
Innovation & Industry
Ensuring TBED Provisions in Legislation
Congress was set to consider a major economic development authorization bill. Committee staff working on the bill initially signaled that the bill would narrowly support public works and disaster assistance. Lewis-Burke worked with staff and outside validators to expand the context of the bill to include Tech-Based Economic Development (TBED) provisions, including updating the authorization of a regional innovation technical assistance program and launching a new workforce program around sectoral partnerships. Both initiatives, which would advance wide client interests, were included in the final bill.
Public-Private Proficiency
Forward-thinking, Connected Experience
Lewis-Burke closely tracks science and technology and industry trends; maintains strong connections with agency officials and decision-makers on Capitol Hill to shape future investments; and seeks opportunities to match clients’ research strengths with private sector interests. We then position our clients to take advantage of federal investments in research and innovation capacity-building to turn findings into products, industries, and jobs.
Always Stay Up To Date
In addition to regular updates and intelligence, Lewis-Burke clients receive a quarterly newsletter that provides news and updates related to federal efforts around economic development, regional innovation, and commercialization. A past edition can be found here.
Most of the nation’s innovation capital is in five metro areas. Legislative proposals would infuse massive federal investments in new innovation hubs across the country to bolster regional capacities in various industries of the future and make growth more equitable. Universities and research centers will likely be central to these investments.
The national Opportunity Zones program has been established as a flagship economic development tool. Universities and research institutions situated near or within Opportunity Zones designated by their governors are expected to continue to qualify for significant, long-term investments and federal support streams for high-tech development.
To take full advantage of Industries of the Future, the federal government will support new efforts that tackle/leverage multiple new technologies at once, such as advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, and biotechnology. This action will support innovation at all stages of research and development, deployment, and commercialization — involving industry, national labs, skilled labor in opportunity zones, and academia.
Commercialization
We have strong relationships with agency officials and decision-makers on Capitol Hill, helping our clients advocate for enhanced mechanisms to support technology transfer and entrepreneurship programs to bridge the “valley of death” between research and commercial products, and to take advantage of emerging support streams.
Learn more about how we can help through our dedicated Practice.
Economic Development
Federal policymakers are increasingly interested in supporting economic revitalization efforts that leverage regional strengths to catalyze growth around new or emerging industries. Lewis-Burke has a long history of engagement with the Economic Development Administration (EDA), National Science Foundation (NSF), Small Business Administration (SBA), and other agencies, as well as congressional staff driving key programming around tech-based economic development (TBED). This has allowed Lewis-Burke to provide clients with tailored analyses of federal perspectives and actionable intelligence on emerging directions. Lewis-Burke further provides tailored consultation on the intricacies of developing federally-supported regional innovation hubs. The firm has a strong track record of client success with major awards, including EDA Regional Tech Hubs and NSF Regional Innovation Engines.
The firm has also played a leading role in advocacy efforts around TBED policy concerns and regularly assists clients in the development of campaigns around sensible TBED-oriented policies, programs, and legislation.
Learn more about how we can help through our dedicated TBED Practice.
Critical Technology Industry Engagement
Emerging Critical Technologies will reshape U.S. manufacturing, national security, healthcare, energy, and more. We actively engage with Congress and federal agencies to shape future research and development priorities across all fields of emerging technology, including AI, advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, and beyond. We believe that new private-public partnerships are essential for America’s continuing success.
Let's Get Started
Innovation. Network. Insights.
Our whole-of-government approach positions clients to be on the forefront of major investments in transformative research and development, mechanisms to bring innovations to market, and strategies to maximize economic and societal impact on and off campus. Each institution and region has its own unique strengths and goals. Let’s make a plan and execute it together.