Despite current sluggishness, Pennsylvania remains a promising economy with many technology visionaries poised to bring about tremendous change.

According to the Association of University Technology Managers, Pennsylvania ranks fourth in the nation in the number of startup companies and experienced a 135 percent increase in the number of startups from 2001-06 versus 23 percent for the nation as a whole.

Technology-based firms are leading the charge thanks in no small part to the Ben Franklin Technology Partners/Innovation Works. The U.S. Department of Commerce recently named the organization the No. 1 technology-led economic development agency in the United States, based on its role in driving the state's economy forward for the past 25 years. Such recognition speaks volumes about the agency's ability to advance productivity, innovation and entrepreneurship by linking early stage companies with universities, technology transfer and follow-on funding.

In order for the commonwealth's economy to continue to move forward, we must stay committed to supporting and nurturing our technology infrastructure and the entrepreneurial energy in Pennsylvania. In trying economic times it is tempting but ill-advised to go for the quick fix. Lasting economic transformations such as those taking place in San Diego and North Carolina's Research Triangle are 20- to 40-year processes. A foundation must be built, and it has to mature before eye-popping numbers are seen.

In 2008, we celebrate the 25th anniversary of Ben Franklin Technology Partners/Innovation Works -- known here in the Pittsburgh region as Innovation Works. The formation of the agency a quarter-century ago was a trailblazing stroke of public policy -- the first effort to shift the state economy from heavy industrial to technology. Gov. Dick Thornburgh's foresight and bold decision to set Pennsylvania on this path 25 years ago has led us directly to the benefits we're seeing today.

As director of economic development for the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon, I focus on helping the universities and the business community to translate research into commercially viable companies. Today, we are tracking more than 300 technology companies in the region whose origins are in these two universities -- many of which have launched in just the last 10 years.

Such a rate of formation holds great promise for future growth, but universities can't go it alone. That's where Ben Franklin Technology Partners/Innovation Works is such an important partner. It works with universities to help transform great ideas into thriving companies by providing seed funding, linking companies to external sources of capital, delivering critical business expertise, managing and supporting incubators, and partnering with other economic development organizations.

Pittsburgh region Innovation Works alumni companies such as Automated Healthcare and Vocollect have gone on to create tremendous wealth and hundreds of high paying jobs. Innovative companies such as Aethon, SeeGrid and RedZone -- all beneficiaries of agency funding and business assistance -- are at the core of a growing cluster of robotics companies in our region of the state.

At Pitt and Carnegie Mellon alone, we'll conduct nearly a billion dollars in funded research this year. But we need Ben Franklin Technology Partners/Innovation Works and other tech-based economic development agencies to help us draw those technologies out so they get commercialized here in the commonwealth -- so the brains behind those technologies are able to launch and grow companies here.

Not all of these startups will succeed, but some will really take off. And most will provide great feed stock for future companies who will then turn to tremendous resources like Ben Franklin Technology Partners/Innovation Works to help them down the path of success.

The partnership between the agency and the commonwealth's research universities has been and will continue to be a dynamic force for the state's future. The ever-changing market conditions and landscape for research funding warrant a concerted effort to recognize the vitality of that partnership and deepen and renew it in the years ahead.