Five Zones Share $4.3M to Promote and Develop Regional Economies in Washington

Washington State is attempting to replicate the success of North Carolina’s Research Triangle in promoting regionalism and industry clusters through a new Innovation Partnership Zones initiative.

 

Gov. Christine Gregoire announced last week the designation of 11 Innovation Partnership Zones throughout the state -- five of which were also awarded state grants totaling $4.3 million allocated in the fiscal year 2007-09 capital budget (see the April 30, 2007 issue of the Digest).

 

To qualify for the designation, applicants must bring research, workforce training and a globally competitive company together in close geographic proximity for a cooperative, research-based effort that will lead to new commercially viable products and jobs, according to the governor’s press office. The idea is to form industry clusters around universities and research parks, utilizing resources from higher education institutions to grow companies in emerging fields. The five applicants awarded grants include:

• Bellingham Innovation Zone for low-wake, fast ferry vessel prototypes, hydroscience and engineering and design, wake wash energy studies, advanced composite and alumninum alloy techniques.
• Grays Harbor Sustainable Industries Innovation Partnership Zone for R&D of bioenergy, bio-based product manufacturing, particularly high-value byproducts from bio-based energy production.
• Pullman Innovation Partnership Zone for clean information technology and datacenter technologies, such as energy-efficient technologies, and power and cooling infrastructure.
• Spokane University District Innovation Partnership Zone for biomedical research such as computational biology, bioinformatics, systems biology, epigenetics, genomics, chromosal biology, and drug discovery.
• Walla Walla Valley Innovation Partnership Zone for agricultural innovation with a focus on enology/viticulture and water/environmental studies.

Grants can be used for expenses including shared infrastructure, telecommunications, equipment or construction and up to 10 percent for administration. The following applicants are designated as Innovation Partnership Zones and receive special access to state funding and resources:

• Aerospace Convergence Zone for research in new materials and processes for aircraft production.
• Battelle, Sequim Marine Research Operations, Clallam Economic Development Council for marine biotechnology, coastal assessment and restoration, forecasting stressors on marine and estuarine systems.
• Bothell Biomedical Manufacturing Corridor for the establishment of a University of Washington Biotechnology and Biomedical Technology Institute, principally to support medical device/ultra-sound manufacturing.
• Discovery Corridor Innovation Zone for semiconductor and micro-device design, IC manufacturing and processing, display technology and multimedia.
• South Lake Union Life Science Innovation Partnership Zone for bioscience and biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, cardiovascular and regenerative biology, cancer research and infectious disease research.
• Tri-Cities Innovation Zone for research in sustainable development, with a focus on integrated electrical-thermal production, solar dish generating systems, and commercial-scale fuel cells.

Washington