Massachusetts Lawmakers Consider Robotics Development Initiatives
December 1, 2007
National and Massachusetts officials are increasingly considering whether more concrete robotics policy initiatives are in order. This examination has been spurred on by comparisons to strong governmental business development initiatives for the robotics industry in both Japan and South Korea. The Japanese government has long targeted robotics as a key industry for promotion. In fact, Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry is even drafting a set of safety guidelines for next-generation robots in what some are calling the first attempt at a formal version of some of Isaac Asimov’s Laws of Robotics. South Korea has also taken a lead in providing financial incentives. The South Korean government is expected to spend 316.5 billion won (over $250 million in U.S. dollars) through 2009 on projects to boost their intelligent robotics industry.
Some commentators have critiqued the patchwork quilt of governmental bodies in the United States that provide differing levels of funding for robotics research. These agencies have included, at a federal level, NASA, the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Department of Energy, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of the Interior. The Department of Defense (DoD) has also played a key, lead role in various projects ranging from unmanned aerials to mine hunting. DoD funding may exceed $108 billion in this area alone.
Expanding Regional Leadership
State lawmakers are poised to seize upon the fact that Massachusetts has become the home of a strong robotics cluster with over $250 million in annual sales of robots and components and over $150 million in government contracts. Buoyed by its unparalled university system and strong capital resources, the region has already become a international leader and state officials are seeking ways to expand this leadership. This past winter, the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative’s John Adams Innovation Institute announced the investment of $50,000 in seed money through its Regional Priority Grants Program to begin a Robotics Cluster Initiative. According to the grant announcement, specific activities will “include strengthening working relationships among cluster companies and with academic institutions; building leadership within the cluster; creating a sustainable framework and preliminary business plan; and initiating discussions with the Mass Defense Technology Initiative and the Natick Soldier Systems Center about a potential R&D funding vehicle.”
Governor Patrick recently spoke at the Second Annual Boston FIRST Regional Robotics Competition and his radio spots with I-Robot have become something of legend. His first foray into infrastructure-building came, however, in the form of his collaborative $1 Billion Massachusetts Life Science Strategy. While this initiative did not include robotics, Massachusetts lawmakers may have their own plans.
State Representative Peter Koutoujian, a leading Democrat representing parts of Waltham, Watertown and Newton, has filed House 368, “An Act to Promote Fiscal Stability and Growth of Emerging Technology Companies.” This law would direct a state agency, the Massachusetts Technology Development Corporation, to establish a tax credit certificate program for new or expanding “emerging technology” companies. Allocated tax benefits for robotics and other firms would be tied to direct growth in permanent, full-time employment in the state. There would be a cap on annual tax credit transfers at a limit of $200 million per year. This proposal is still nascent and has not yet been considered during a public hearing by the Massachusetts legislature’s Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies. However, it is reflective of a growing trend by Massachusetts officials to consider serious funding incentives for the state’s burgeoning robotics industry. Stay tuned for future developments in this hot legislative area.
For more information, email Michael Caljouw at michael.caljouw@hklaw.com or call toll free, 1-888-688-8500.