The Technology Collaborative, a statewide economic development organization, held its own in a tight economy in 2007-2008 with programs that created 344 new jobs, eight new companies and a resurgence in state-funded assistance for 16 startups.

Still, the up-and-down ride is getting more volatile, a consortium executive cautioned, as he forecast a good 2009 for new companies but perhaps a weak one when it comes to new jobs.

"It's mixed. I'm not trying to hedge things [but] on the company formation side, we're pretty confident. How that plays out with jobs," CEO David Ruppersberger said, "I really don't know."

Read more in tomorrow's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.