AT TECH SUMMIT, EXPERTS TALK JOB GROWTH STATE WANTS TO BE A LEADER IN INNOVATION

BYLINE: ANDREA JAMES P-I reporter

Washington entrepreneurs have come up with a bunch of ideas that are marketable on a world scale - operating systems, coffee shops and online bookstores to name a few.

That's why when Peter Andrews, the chief scientist for Queensland, Australia, was asked to speak to Washington leaders on how to succeed in the global economy, he said, "It seems to me pretty self-evident that you already have."

But, as economic development generally goes, more is better.

Nearly 400 people gathered at the state's third annual technology summit Thursday at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue. The one-day summit focused on four sectors: energy, life sciences, wireless communication and nanotechnology. In previous years, the summit has covered software, aerospace, agriculture and defense.

"The main thing is to bring people together from all over the state," said Lee Cheatham, executive director of the Washington Technology Center. "We can use it to establish Washington state and the Pacific Northwest as a leader in innovation and technology."

The Washington Technology Center is a state economic development agency that focuses on tech-related job growth and commercializing new ideas.

Turning Washington into a hub for harnessing wave and tidal energy was the topic of one panel discussion. The oceans of the world have enormous energy that, if converted into electrons, could power entire cities.

"There is a lot of activity this year that is just staggering that is under way," said Steve Klein, general manager of the Snohomish County Public Utility District. "We think there's a real opportunity for the Northwest area to become a leader in this technology."

Gov. Chris Gregoire spoke from Lacey by webcast as the morning keynote. She repeated a familiar refrain of focusing on education to fill an abundance of highly skilled jobs.

"Microsoft started, as I understand it, literally in a garage. Boeing started in a boathouse. Starbucks began in a simple shop in Pike Place Market," she said. "So what ideas, what innovations, will grow our economy in the next Washington?"

Gregoire and Queensland Premier Peter Beattie share similar views on how to compete globally, Andrews said.

"She was clearly switched on by the same idea - you can tilt the playing field by how you invest as a state government," he said.

Andrews told the crowd that he is impressed with Washington's governor.

"It's very rare for a politician to understand what you're talking about," he said.

Panelists also discussed public education and making sure that new technologies are safe.

"Nanoscience is not inherently safe," Donald Baer of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory said. "It's like every other technology; it has to be used appropriately."

One of the biggest obstacles many firms face is public resistance to new technology, said Roger Girard, chief executive of IsoRay in Richland. His company makes radioactive isotopes that attack cancer tumors.

Girard attended the conference because such gatherings help "begin to change how people view this world of science, technology and medicine."

The summit also helps business leaders tune their radar and get politicians on board.

"This kind of work can't be done without public money," Cheatham said.

Chris Raezer, an Arlington city councilman, said he learned about new technology at the summit and that he wants to help businesses in his town expand.

"We all think our communities are special, but then we find out they truly are because you have people in your own backyard working on cutting-edge technology," he said. "That's really exciting to discover."

P-I reporter Andrea James can be reached at 206-448-8124 or andreajames@seattlepi.com.