Last week, New Mexico's Economic Development Department announced it had expanded its science and technology office, renaming it to the Office of Strategy, Science and Technology while adding a pair of new positions. To lead that expanded office, the state chose Nora Meyers Sackett, who had previously served as special projects director for the Economic Development Department and served for four years in the Governor's Office prior.
Alongside Sackett's move to director, the Economic Development Department (EDD) brought on Jeff Hall, who joins the Office of Strategy, Science and Technology (OSST) as program coordinator. EDD is currently hiring for an entrepreneurship coordinator to work in the office, too.
OSST's focus is on five sectors — aerospace, bioscience, cybersecurity, intelligent manufacturing and sustainable and green energy. To help boost those sectors, the office plans to launch a pair of new funding pilot programs this fall. One will be focused on advanced energy, and the other will target commercialization out of New Mexico research universities.
Albuquerque Business First recently caught up with Sackett, the office's new director, to learn more about those programs and what the office's expansion means for some of the state's most promising tech-related industries.
This interview was edited for brevity and clarity.
Albuquerque Business First: Why do this expansion now? Why grow the office in this way at this time?
Nora Meyers Sackett: I think the department is really grateful to have the support from the Governor's Office and the legislator to expand the science and tech office and broaden our capacity. I think it is widely understood that it's an important aspect of our ongoing economic diversification work.
We'll be expanding by two people, so it's not an immense difference. But the feedback that we've gotten from the science and tech ecosystem in New Mexico has been really positive. People are really grateful to have some additional resources. I think it's really important moving forward.
You mentioned broadening the capacity of the office. What could that look like? You'll notice there's the "strategy" word thrown on there. That's because we're looking at some additional ways to further economic development and diversification in New Mexico. There is an incredible amount of federal funding available right now, so one of my roles is to support applications and initiatives to secure federal funding, both that supports science and tech and economic development as a whole.
Is there anything that you are most bullish about, whether it's a target sector in the state that relates to science and technology or other opportunities in the state as they relate to science and technology? Absolutely. I'm excited about all of them. I don't want to pick favorite children. But definitely, I think we're seeing a lot of movement forward in a few, one being sustainable and green energy and climate tech. Obviously, there is a huge pull for that globally, but also nationally and locally. We have some really great innovation in that space.
I'm also excited about aerospace, with the New Mexico Space Valley Coalition as a finalist for the [National Science Foundation] award coupled with the work that NewSpace Nexus is doing, no longer just on a local scale but regionally and nationally. I think New Mexico often — pardon the pun — flies under the radar for our depth of experience and existing tech in aerospace, and I think we're going to see a lot of that growing in the near future.
And I want to look at ways we can additionally support the biosciences, as well. It can be a difficult sector, with so much lead time, that it can be difficult to tailor state programs to support it, so I want to think creatively, think outside of the box, about what other levers we can pull to support homegrown New Mexico biotech companies to grow and stay here.
Thinking about our audience of business leaders, would you have a pitch to those leaders in New Mexico about how they could either get involved with the office or work to grow one of those five sectors you mentioned, or science and technology in the state in general? I think two things. One would be breaking down any silos — ensuring that we are working across science and tech industries throughout all of New Mexico's universities, across the labs, to work comprehensively to find successful pathways forward.
We are so resource-rich here in terms of science and tech in New Mexico, and everyone knows the incredible potential that we have. That does already result in a lot of amazing innovation. The science and tech office's goal is to foster and grow that innovation into commercialization, and I want to ensure that we're working across silos to do that together.
The other thing I would love to hit on is mentorship. I think folks talk a lot about New Mexico's need for C-suite leadership for startups in particular, and that's one thing I also want to support — looping in existing leaders to mentor up-and-coming leaders, ensuring that we have those resources for New Mexico startups as they grow.
