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S.C. Statehouse
Report
Sunday, Aug. 5, 2007
VIEW: http://www.statehousereport.com/columns/07.0805.queen2.htm
Collaborating with Queensland for economic success
By
Andy Brack,
Publisher
BRISBANE, Queensland, Aug. 5, 2007 - - It's difficult to
drive for more than five minutes around this busy metropolis
without feeling you are being hit in the face with wave after
wave of economic prosperity.
From a public works project on one corner to a new building
on another, Brisbane is an upbeat city in the middle of an
economic boom years in the making. It feels alive in a way
that South Carolina's economic developers probably dream of.
Queensland's economically flush times are built on the back
of natural resources - - agriculture and the mining of coal,
uranium and other minerals. As the state has invested in physical
infrastructure to make it more attractive to business, it
also is betting the chips of intellectual and research investments
in biotechnology to pay off big in the future.
 It
is in this area of combining natural resources with technology
that Queensland and South Carolina, sister states with about
4 million people each, can collaborate, develop mutually beneficial
relationships and, hopefully, create more jobs.
"The efforts in these collaborations help build a stronger
science base to build new companies and these companies will
have the potential to raise the standard of living for all
South Carolinians," said Karl Kelly of SC Bio, a kind
of Chamber of Commerce for biotech businesses.
Here's a quick look at some of the collaborations between
Queensland and South Carolina that officials from both states
hope will pay off:
- Ethanol production. Scientists with Clemson University,
the Savannah River National Lab and Queensland Institute
of Technology are working to try to find a way to convert
woody biomass into ethanol for energy. They're hoping to
discover an efficient process that would take something
like leftover sugar cane or sorghum from Queensland or fast-growing
switchgrass in South Carolina and turn it into fuel.
- Nutraceuticals. Rural areas of both states are
good at growing things, particularly because of their humid
climates. With Clemson's scientists being world leaders
in agri-genetics, researchers are probing new ways to grow
plants that help pharmaceutical companies create needed
new drugs and enzymes.
- Aquaculture. Scientists in Queensland and South
Carolina are looking at improved ways to farm shrimp, which
may become more important as fuel costs rise. "By operating
this collaboration, we're both getting smarter," Kelly
noted.
- Neuroscience. Earlier this year, the Queensland
Brain Institute and the Medical University of South Carolina
signed an agreement to work together to develop new treatments
for dementia and neurotrauma.
- Hydrogen. Both states are starting to work together
on increasing research into hydrogen as a potential fuel
source. South Carolina could expand its already prominent
role in this arena by involving sister-state scientists
to generate developments quicker than ordinary.
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There are a host of other scientific initiatives between
the two states, such as work between them to develop a Rural
Technology Village to help rural communities take advantage
of technology in agribusinesses in their areas.
For South Carolina, combining agriculture and technology
isn't anything new. Three centuries ago, Charleston was richer
than Philadelphia, New York and Boston because of innovation
in cultivation of rice and indigo. In the early 1800s, a Charleston
man, Jonathan Lucas, developed a rice mill that became a standard
mill around the world.
Now it's time to get back to our roots - almost literally
- and use big brains in both states to use technology in innovative
ways to take advantage of natural resources to create more
businesses and jobs on both sides of the Pacific. Queensland
rightly calls itself the "Smart State" for such
initiatives. It's time for South Carolina to be smart too.
Next week: A comparison of living and working in Queensland
and South Carolina.
You can reach Andy Brack, publisher of
SC Statehouse Report, at brack@statehousereport.com.
Recent commentary
Carolina shrimp:
among the world's best
 South
Carolina shrimp are considered among the best in the world
and are part of the foundation of Lowcountry cooking. The
Gulf and South Atlantic are renowned for commercially landed
brown, pink and white shrimp.
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Shrimp in a Lowcountry boil
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Although many larger shrimp trawlers that are out of port
for a week or more freeze shrimp shortly after being caught
-- sometimes even cooking them on the boat -- most commercial
boats sell them fresh. Many South Carolinians catch their
own shrimp, usually by pulling a seine or by casting a circular
net (which takes training as well as strength). Small creek
shrimp caught in shallow, brackish waters are thought to be
sweeter than those caught further out in the rivers and ocean.
It is rare to find any of these commercially caught shrimp
very far off the coast in South Carolina.
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WEEKLY
EXCERPTS
S.C.
Statehouse Report has partnered with USC
Press to provide readers with a weekly historical
excerpt about the state. Each excerpt, which is used
with permission and not for republication, is taken
from The
South Carolina Encyclopedia, a 1,077-page book
published in 2006 with entries by almost 600 contributors
and edited by noted historian Walter Edgar. We hope
you enjoy this new feature.
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Shrimp can be sauteed, fried (without the shell), poached
(called "boiled"), grilled, baked or steamed. In
the 1800s, shrimp mousses made with butter or cream (also
called "shrimp butter") were fashionable. In the
late 20th century, shrimp and grits became popular, as did
Lowcountry shrimp boil.
-- Entry by Nathalie Dupree, The
South Carolina Encyclopedia
Hybridization
Another great cartoon by Bill McLemore:
7/30:
Queensland has enterprising spirit
To Statehouse Report:
I could not agree with you more concerning your
article re our sister state Queensland. Queensland and
South Carolina have many similarities. I was in Queensland
a year ago visiting my brother and family, and of course Steve
Irwin's "Australia Zoo," and I was struck by the
strong enterprising spirit displayed there. I shall look forward
to your article on the collaborations that are starting to
pay off.
-- Sandra Plock, Sumter, SC
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