The University Partnership of Pittsburgh -- a "formalized coordination and communication vehicle'' between the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University to better spur budding tech entrepreneurs -- was unveiled Thursday morning by Don Smith Jr..

The vice president of economic development for both institutions told members of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties that the initiative isn't really new but just a more formal recognition of the two universities' joint efforts to make all their resources available to promising researchers and business people. "We want to increase awareness ... to stimulate economic development," he said.

The partnership has developed a Web site, www.university- partnership.com, as a place "to go to find out what's available," Dr. Smith said. "It's not necessarily a one-stop shop. It's a first-stop shop."

The partnership plans to release a study later this month by Ohio-based research and consulting firm Battelle on how the region should best move forward with its efforts to grow its tech economy.

Dr. Smith spent much of the time Thursday morning discussing crowded Oakland, where he noted both universities and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center are spilling over because of "huge growth." In a pitch sure to sound like sweet music to the real estate group's ears, he said the region needs more places where companies can set up research and development facilities and startups can land and expand.

One possibility is the 178-acre old LTV Coke Works. Cleveland-based developer Forest City Enterprises has an option to develop the site, but a company official would not comment on whether the firm has plans to turn it into a large multi-use technology research park like the one it is developing in the Chicago suburb of Skokie.

Former CMU computer scientist and software celebrity Avie Tevanian left his job as chief software technology officer at Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple Computer.

Dr. Tevanian began his career in the 1980s as a graduate student at CMU, building the "Mach" operating system that is credited with being the basis of Apple's Mac OS X. Dr. Tevanian's next move is unclear, although Internet blogs report that he plans to take some time off.

A shareholder of Cheswick-based telecommunications concern Tollgrade Communications is pushing for annual elections of directors as a way to boost accountability. The proposal, contained in the company's annual proxy statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission yesterday, said such a change was needed in light of a 40 percent decline in the company's stock price over the past five years.

Local startup support groups Entrepreneurial Lifelines and Helping Entrepreneur's Learn From Peers are joining with M2 Technology to host a panel posing the question, "Is Pittsburgh the greatest entrepreneurial center in the world?"

Local tech success stories such as iGate CEO Sunil Wadhwani, entrepreneur-turned-venture capitalist Glen Meakem and investment firm Raptor LLC managing director Carl Cohen have been invited to weigh in.

The discussion,which runs from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Thursday at the Engineers Society of Western Pennsylvania, Downtown, will be moderated by E-Lifelines founder Karl Schieneman. Cost is $25 per person ($15 for students), and includes lunch. For more information, visit www.eswp.com/eswp/program.htm, or call 412-261-0710.