Tri-Cities Tech Business Update

August 2009 Issue

Tech News and Notes

Richland companies receive grant funding

Two Richland-based companies will receive funding under the U.S. Department of Energy's 2009 Small Business Innovation Research grant program. The grants are awarded to small businesses to conduct research and development that could result in commercialization of a technology. InnovaTek, Inc. will receive funding for a project that will develop advanced membrane reactor technology for the production of clean hydrogen. Visual Editor Consultants will receive funding for a project that will help create a simple tool that can provide fast and accurate source-shield-detector calculations to protect against nuclear threats. At Innovatek, contact Patricia Irving at 509-375-1093, ext. 222.  At Visual Editor Consultants contact Randy Schwarz at 509-539-8621.

Tri-Cities ranks high on patents list

According to a study by the State Science & Technology Institute based in Westerville, Ohio, the Tri-Cities area ranks 47^th on a list comparing the number of patents issued per capita throughout the U.S. The study highlights the number of inventors per 1,000 residents in 357 metropolitan areas in the country. At number 47, the Tri-Cities is in the 87^th percentile nationwide. Download the complete table.

Training facilities upgraded

Vivid Learning Systems, in Richland, Wash., has expanded its Hanford General Employee Training classroom from 20 to 50 computers and has also hired three additional staff to accommodate increased training needs for new staff hired as a result of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Recently, the demand for HGET training has grown from 66 new employees per week to 142 per week. The upgraded classroom is now open from 7 am to 7 pm on weekdays. It will remain open until midnight if training needs continue to increase. Contact Christopher Collier at 509-545-9100, ext. 1514.

Tri-Cities Research District establishes industry targets

The Tri-Cities Research District has developed its annual strategic planning framework and action plan. The planning documents help guide the organization's processes to physically develop the Research District. As part of the annual planning, the TCRD Board focuses on specific industry targets that closely align with the Research District's strengths, including clean energy, biosciences, environmental technologies, and computation/software. Download the organization's action plan and other documents. Contact Diahann Howard at 509-375-3060.

Delta High School grand opening

The new high school devoted to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, will hold a community reception on August 27. Delta High School, located in Richland, Wash., will open with its first class this fall. The school is a joint effort between Battelle; the Kennewick, Richland, and Pasco School Districts; Washington State University Tri-Cities; Columbia Basin College; the Washington STEM Education Foundation; and the Tri-Cities community. The reception will begin at 6 pm. The school is located on Columbia Basin College's Richland campus at 1011 Northgate Drive. Contact Deidre Holmberg at 509-205-9807.

Imageworks honored with national awards

Imageworks, based in Pasco, Wash., received two Aster Awards and two Horizon Interactive Media Awards for its work on medical marketing projects. The company received both a gold and a silver Aster Award for its work on a project with Kadlec Medical Center. Imageworks received a silver and a bronze in the Horizon Awards for its work on projects with AdvanceMed Hanford. Contact Christopher Collier at 509-545-9100, ext. 1514.

Dade Moeller executive named society Fellow

The president and chief operating officer of Dade Moeller & Associates, Inc., based in Richland, Wash., has been elected a Fellow in a prestigious professional society. Matthew Moeller will be part of the 2009 class of Fellows in the Health Physics Society. Moeller is being recognized for his significant contributions to the profession of health physics (radiation protection science). The company also announced that David Borders has been named deputy chief operating officer. Borders most recently served as project manager of a multi-million dollar support services contract for the Department of Energy's Office of River Protection.

Contact Paula Tumlinson at 509-946-0410, ext. 283.

State agency changes name, sharpens focus

The Washington State Department of Trade and Economic Development has changed its name to the Department of Commerce. Along with the name change, the agency has refined its mission to focus on growing and improving jobs in Washington State. The name change went into effect in July after the legislature passed the proposed bill and Governor Chris Gregoire signed it into law. The agency also changed its website address and conducted a six-week statewide outreach effort to gather information needed to implement the new mission. Contact Penny Thomas at 360-725-2805.

Young professionals group names new chair

Erin Sappington has been named the new chair of the Young Professionals of the Tri-Cities. Sappington takes over from outgoing chair Angie Mykel. The group is a networking group made up of young professionals, primarily in their 20s and 30s, in the Tri-Cities, focused on recruiting and retaining talented young professionals to the region's work force. Contact Erin Sappington at 509-545-2544.

Tech Opportunities and Resources

Department of Defense funding under Recovery Act

The U.S. Department of Defense is accepting proposals for projects that will be funded under the agency's "Near Term Energy-Efficient Technologies Recovery Plan." The program is funded through the money the agency received from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The program will focus on investigating energy technologies that can satisfy capability gaps, present opportunities for military applications, or spur initiatives within industry. The program will fund 51 research and development projects that focus on efforts such as engine efficiencies, cost-effective solar energy photovoltaics, fuel cells, alternative fuel testing, mobile waste-to-energy, and tactical micro-grids. Proposals will be accepted and funding awarded on an ongoing basis. Download more information.

Exhibit at Gesa SmartMap Expo 2009

The Tri-City Development Council is accepting applications for vendors at its annual SmartMap Expo. The Expo will be sponsored by Gesa Credit Union and will be held on October 1 at the Trade, Recreation, and Agricultural Center in Pasco, Wash. Booth space is available for $400 for a 10' x 10' space. Register online. Contact Gary White at 509-735-1000.

Sponsorships available for Harvesting Clean Energy conference

Conference coordinators for the 10^th annual Harvesting Clean Energy Conference have sponsorship opportunities available for the event, which will be held in February 2010 in Kennewick, Wash. Sponsorships help make the conference affordable for farmers, ranchers and rural landowners. More than 700 individuals and companies are expected to attend. The conference features a variety of tracks that emphasize opportunities for rural landowners, the latest in renewable energy technologies, where the new clean energy jobs and training programs are, and the new clean energy economy. Download information on sponsorship benefits and a sponsorship application. Contact Dana Schlenker at 253-445-4575.

Resources online

1) The column "Building a company takes time" was published in the Tri-City Herald on June 28. The article discusses the value of planning and patience in building and growing a new business. 2) Prosperity Partnership, based in Seattle, Wash., has released a guide to help businesses applying for funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The presentation "A Basic Introduction to Energy-Related ARRA Funding Opportunities" includes an overview of the Recovery Act, the application process, and links to additional online resources.

Tech Dates and Deadlines

2009 Micro Nano Breakthrough Conference

SEPTEMBER 21-23. REGISTER BY SEPTEMBER 11. The 2009 Micro Nano Breakthrough Conference will be held September 21-23 at the DoubleTree Hotel and Executive Meeting Center in Portland, Ore. The agenda includes a full-day symposium on solar energy and technical sessions on topics such as advanced nanomaterials for energy storage, sensor systems, microtechnology for energy applications, and many others. The cost is $195 until September 11 and $245 after September 11. There are also student rates available, as well as the option to sign up for individual short courses or the symposium. The event is sponsored by the Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnologies Institute and the Washington Technology Center. Register online.

Northwest Entrepreneur Network "First Look Forum"

SEPTEMBER 24. APPLY BY AUGUST 10. The Northwest Entrepreneur Network will hold its Fall First Look Forum in Seattle on September 24. The forum is designed to bring together new businesses with investors. Twelve applicants will be selected to participate. Each will have three minutes to pitch its business to an audience of investors. The audience will vote to select five semi-finalists who will have an additional 10 minutes to give expanded presentations. One presenter will be selected to receive the grand prize, which includes goods and services such as printing, coaching, and office space. The application fee is $55 for NWEN members and $100 for non-members. Applications are due by August 10. Apply online.

Gesa SmartMap Expo 2009

OCTOBER 1. The Tri-Cities Development Council will hold its annual Gesa SmartMap Expo, on October 1 at the Trade, Recreation, and Agricultural Center in Pasco, Wash. There is no cost to attend the expo. TRIDEC will also hold a manufacturing luncheon at noon, which costs $35 for members and $40 for non-members. Register online or call 509-735-1000.

Harvesting Clean Energy 2010

FEBRUARY 7-9, 2010. The 10^th annual Harvesting Clean Energy Conference will be held at the Three Rivers Convention Center in Kennewick, Wash., in February. The event focuses on advancing rural economic development through clean energy production. The conference features a variety of tracks that emphasize opportunities for rural landowners, the latest in renewable energy technologies, where the new clean energy jobs and training programs are, and the new clean energy economy. Register online.

Life Science Innovation Northwest Conference

MARCH 16-17, 2010. The Washington Biotechnology and Biomedical Association will hold the first Life Science Innovation Northwest Conference in Seattle in March. The new conference will replace the organization's Invest Northwest event and will focus on the life science industry in the Pacific Northwest.

PNNL This Month

PNNL wins two R&D 100 awards

Scientists at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have won two of R&D Magazine's prestigious "R&D 100 Awards" for advanced instrumentation for human health and for innovative engineering for renewable energy sources. "We are extremely proud of our winners," said Steve Ashby, PNNL's deputy director for science and technology. "They're among our very best scientists and engineers. As these awards attest, they went the extra mile to turn their innovative research into practical solutions that will help address challenges in energy, environment and national security." R&D Magazine presents awards annually to the 100 most innovative scientific and technical breakthroughs of the year. PNNL's award-winning technologies are the Perpetua Power Puck^TM, a device that creates electrical energy from temperature differences in its surroundings, and the Ultrasensitive ESI-MS Source & Interface, which increases the sensitivity of mass spectrometry instrumentation to improve analysis for human health studies. Read the complete news release. Contact Lisa Teske at 509-372-6850.

Researcher honored with early career award

A computational mathematician at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has been recognized with a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. Alexandre Tartakovsky earned the PECASE award for pioneering work in environmental sciences. The award honors his research on subsurface flow that addresses past and future energy needs: cleaning up buried nuclear or toxic contaminants and storing carbon dioxide from fossil fuels underground. Announced by the White House, the PECASE is the highest honor given by the U.S. government to scientists and engineers who are at the start of their careers. Read the complete news release. Contact Mary Beckman at 509-375-3688.

Schwenk elected chair of WTC

Mike Schwenk, vice president and director of technology deployment and outreach at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, was elected chair of the board of directors for the Washington Technology Center. The organization is a statewide economic development organization focused on technology and innovation. Read the full article.

Research spotlight: Geothermal heat extraction

Researchers at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Wash., have developed a new geothermal heat extraction process to deliver clean power generation. PNNL's advanced heat recovery method will use low-temperature "hot rock" resources. The new method for capturing significantly more heat from low-temperature geothermal resources holds promise for generating virtually pollution-free electrical energy. Scientists at PNNL will continue research to determine if their innovative approach can safely and economically extract and convert heat from vast untapped geothermal resources. The goal is to enable power generation from low-temperature geothermal resources at an economical cost. In addition to being a clean energy source without any greenhouse gas emissions, geothermal is also a steady and dependable source of power. Read the complete news release. Contact Geoff Harvey at 509-372-6083.

Got News?

We invite your contributions! We will consider items that fit the mission of this publication, including your tech-related news, awards, and notices of upcoming events. Please send text and photos to Andrea McMakin or call (509) 372-6013.

Tri-Cities Tech Business Update is published by the Economic Development Office at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Each month, we send you an e-mail message, giving you the link of news, tips, awards, upcoming events, and other information about local technology-based businesses and organizations that support them. With business and community partners, our goal is to build and diversify the Tri-Cities economy—adding skilled jobs in primary-sector industries that bring in outside dollars. Currently, more than 1,100 tech-related businesses, investors, and economic development stakeholders subscribe to the newsletter, mostly in the Mid-Columbia area and the rest of the Pacific Northwest. This newsletter (RL-P00-009) supports DOE-Richland's vision for the future of the Hanford Site and surrounding area through the creation of research opportunities, new industries, and new business clusters