Tri-Cities Tech Business Update

October 2009 Issue

Tech News and Notes

Infinia receives grant award

Kennewick, WA-based Infinia Corporation has received a federal grant for its Low Maintenance and Low Cost Cryocooler technology. The $70,000 grant was awarded under the Small Business Innovation Research program. The funding is for six months and will be used for research to develop a more efficient, less expensive cryocooler system for use onboard Navy ships. Contact Songgang Qiu at 509-737-2119.

Solar company establishing R&D center in Richland

The China-based company GCL-Poly Energy Holdings Limited is setting up a solar energy research and development center in Richland, WA. The company is focusing on enhancing its in-house R&D capabilities for production of next-generation solar technologies. The company leased 10,000 square feet of office space in Richland due to "relatively easy access to engineers and solar industry experts and the availability of advance technology support facilities ..." GCL-Poly Energy Holdings Limited is a polysilicon manufacturer for the solar industry. Contact Stephanie Lau in Hong Kong at (852) 3761 3145

IsoRay receives FDA clearance

IsoRay, Inc., based in Richland, Wash., has received clearance from the Food and Drug Administration that will allow the company to expand its market for its Proxcelan^TM Cesium-131 brachytherapy seeds. The Cesium-131 seeds are currently used in the treatment of prostate cancer. The FDA clearance will allow IsoRay to broaden the scope of treatments to include lung, head, and neck tumors as well as tumors in other organs.

Contact Dwight Babcock at 520-240-4840.

Meier honored by AREVA

Meier Architecture Engineering, based in Kennewick, Wash., has been selected as an AREVA Certified Supplier. AREVA provides technological solutions for highly reliable nuclear power generation and electricity transmission and distribution. The honor means Meier meets AREVA's criteria for quality, sustainable development values, and competitiveness. Other criteria include investment in innovation and research and development, and attention to nuclear/occupational safety and the environment. Contact Denise Sweeden at 509-735-1589.

TRIDEC welcomes new staff member

Kayla Pratt is the newest member of the Tri-City Development Council team. She recently joined the organization as the Communications and Member Services Director. TRIDEC is a non-profit organization focused on community and economic development. Contact Kayla Pratt at 509-735-1000.

Tech Opportunities and Resources

Washington Technology Center grant funding

The Washington Technology Center is accepting grant applications for the Research & Technology Development grant program. The funding is designed to transition great ideas out of the laboratory and into the marketplace. The Center allocates $1 million annually for these grants, which are awarded on a competitive basis to university members of collaborative research teams working on innovative technology projects with strong commercial potential. The grants pay up to 80% of the cost of research projects to support work on breakthrough scientific discoveries. Project teams are eligible to receive up to $100,000 for initial proof-of-concept projects and up to $300,000 total for multi-phase projects. Applications are due October 22. The next round of grants will be awarded in December for projects beginning in January 2010. More information.

Zayed Future Energy Prize

The Zayed Future Energy Prize is open for nominations. The annual award is given by the government of Abu Dhabi to honor individuals, companies, non-government organizations and organizations for achievements that reflect innovation, long-term vision, and leadership in renewable energy and sustainability. The grand prize is $1.5 million and additional awards may also be presented. More information.

Tech Alliance Innovation Showcase

The Washington State Technology Alliance has launched a program called the Innovation Showcase designed to create a more connected innovation community and increase the commercialization of technologies developed within Washington's research institutions. The Showcase will be presented four times annually and will feature three to six innovators at each meeting. Attendees will include angel investors, venture capitalists, seasoned entrepreneurs, and service providers focused on the particular needs of early stage businesses. More information available online. Contact Josh Gould at 206-992-2132.

Secrets of NIH Small Business Grant Applications

The Washington Biotechnology and Biomedical Association is hosting two sessions focused on grant preparation and research funding from the National Institutes of Health. The seminar "Secrets of NIH Small Business Grant Applications" will feature Dr. Gregory Milman speaking about topics including success rates for NIH applications, strategies for producing winning proposals, and how to write for NIH review criteria. The sessions will be held on October 2 in Bothell, Wash., and on October 5 in Spokane, Wash. The cost is $35 for WBBA members and $60 for non-members. Register for the October 2 session. Register for the October 5 session.

Resources online

1) The column "National labs, communities should communicate" was published in the Tri-City Herald on August 30. The article discusses the benefits of relationships between national laboratories and their communities. 2) The presentation "Followers, Fans, and Your Business: Making Social Media Work for You" was presented at the Three Rivers Entrepreneur Network September seminar. The presentation features information about online marketing tools. 3) The "XConomy Guide to Venture Incubators" is now available online. The document includes details about 20 startup incubator programs in the United States. Download the free version. See a sample from the premium version.

Tech Dates and Deadlines

Survival Strategies for Small Business

OCTOBER 7. The workshop "Survival Strategies for Small Business" will be held in Tacoma, Wash. in October. The conference is sponsored by the Governor's Industrial Safety & Health Advisory Board and the Department of Labor & Industries. The event is from 2 pm to 4 pm on October 7 and is free of charge. Register online.

Workforce and Economic Development Conference

OCTOBER 27-29. The Workforce and Economic Development Conference will be held in Spokane, Wash. in October. The conference is hosted by the Workforce Training & Education Coordinating Board and the Washington State Department of Commerce. The conference focuses on generating growth by creating diversity, partnerships, and innovation. Register online.

Entrepreneur University 2009 - Dig In, Branch Out

NOVEMBER 5. The Northwest Entrepreneur Network's annual Entrepreneur University event will be held in Bellevue, Wash. in November. This year's event "Dig In, Branch Out: Growing a Company That Lasts" will feature keynote speaker Jill Mintz Clark, the deputy chief operating officer in the Obama for America campaign. The conference will also focus on the two most requested areas of importance to previous attendees: business fundamentals and marketing. The cost is $125 for members and $275 for non-members. Register online.

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. Senator Maria Cantwell and Boeing's Director of Geopolitical and Policy Analysis, Dale Smith, are confirmed speakers. 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 awards for software development

The Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Wash. has been selected to receive an award from CIO Magazine. The CIO 100 award recognizes PNNL's development of original software for project management. The collaborative project management software is called Project Central and is designed to provide a central framework for managers and staff to measure, monitor and report on the progress of their projects. The Project Central software development also resulted in PNNL being named on InformationWeek magazine's annual list of the nation's 500 most innovative users of business information technology. Contact Frances White at 509-375-6904.

PNNL researcher receives Life Sciences Discovery Fund grant

A researcher at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Wash. is one of six recipients selected to receive project grant funding from the Life Sciences Discovery Fund. The organization awarded the grants for projects aimed at improving human health. Norman Karin, a cell biology and biochemistry researcher, received $1.03 million to conduct research to develop safe, effective, and inexpensive implant materials to promote bone regeneration.  The research will be conducted in partnership with Washington State University's veterinary school in Pullman, Wash. Contact Norman Karin at 509-371-3703.

PNNL researcher named NIH Innovator of the Year

An analytical chemist at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has been recognized with a National Institutes of Health Director's New Innovator Award. The award will support Wei-Jun Qian's drive to make new research and clinical diagnostic tools that are dramatically more sensitive, reliable and faster than current technologies. The award, which comes with a $1.5 million, five-year grant, recognizes researchers early in their careers. Qian has been studying proteomics (the proteins that make organisms work) at PNNL only since 2002 but has already published more than 60 scientific papers. NIH selected projects that show creativity and are considered high-risk ventures but with the potential to make a significant impact. Read the complete news release. Contact Mary Beckman at 509-375-3688.

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