Tri-Cities Tech Business Update
This monthly e-mailed update contains news, opportunities, upcoming events, and other information about Mid-Columbia tech businesses and the organizations that support them.
June 2011 Issue
Tech News and Notes
WSU, PNNL, Clean-Vantage, and Port of Benton research project to turn nearly any organic waste into biofuels
An innovative idea for making advanced biofuels such as jet fuel, diesel, and gasoline from regional resources is moving forward with a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The team of Washington State University Tri-Cities, the Port of Benton, Clean-Vantage LLC, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) will conduct the $1.5 million "BioChemCat" pilot project in the Bioproducts, Sciences, and Engineering Laboratory (BSEL) at WSU Tri-Cities under the leadership of Birgitte Ahring, director of the WSU Center for Bioproducts and Bioenergy, and the Battelle Distinguished Professor. Read more...
Richland-based SIGN wins Non-Profit Manufacturer of the Year Award
Seattle Business Magazine has bestowed the highest honor on Surgical Implant Generation Network (SIGN), recognizing them as 2011 Manufacturer of the Year in the non-profit category. In another category, Kennewick-based Bruker Elemental received honorable mention. SIGN is a non-profit that designs and manufactures surgical kits featuring a nail-and-screw system that can be implanted without the need for surgical imaging or other expensive equipment or facilities rarely found in developing countries. SIGN not only makes and assembles the surgical kits, but also trains doctors in their use. Since 1999, more than 200 hospitals in 48 countries have treated a total of 70,000 patients using SIGN's system. Read more...
USS Triton Memorial Park update
Development continues on the USS Triton Memorial Park overlooking the Columbia River in the Port of Benton's Technology & Business Campus within the Research District. The exterior of the sail has been restored and repainted, and workers have installed decorative walls and a new concrete pad that sets off the submarine's massive sail (66 feet long and 23 feet tall) of the unique, one-of-a-kind nuclear submarine. Read more...
Sustainable Aviation Fuels Northwest
Sustainable Aviation Fuels Northwest (SAFN) is the nation's first regional stakeholder effort to explore the opportunities and challenges surrounding the production of sustainable aviation fuels. Aviation leaders including Boeing, Alaska Airlines, Port of Seattle, Port of Portland, Spokane International Airport and Washington State University convened Sustainable Aviation Fuels Northwest almost a year ago to chart a "flight path" away from fossil fuels toward lower carbon and more sustainable alternatives. This is the first process in the nation to fully explore these issues and identify the need and opportunities for sustainable fuels for aviation. Read more...
InnovaTek Funded for Airport Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle
Innovative technology to reduce the cost and environmental impact of air travel is getting support from the federal government. The Department of Energy has selected InnovaTek to receive a Phase I award under its Small Business Innovation Research Program for development of a Fuel Cell Range Extender for battery-powered airport ground support equipment. The $150,000 Phase I award is to establish feasibility of the technology to meet the needs of airlines and ground handling companies to reduce emissions and fuel costs. Read more...
Hydrovolts wins Imagine H2O prize, latest in industry recognitions
Hydrovolts Inc., producer of innovative hydrokinetic turbines for renewable energy generation, won first place in the Imagine H2O Water-Energy Nexus Prize, adding one more industry accolade for its solid business model and marketable technology. More than 50 companies from around the world entered the competition last year. Hydrovolts won $20,000 in cash from prize sponsors, and $30,000 in professional services from the attorneys at Cooley LLP and the accountants at PwC. PNNL has provided support to the company through its Technology Assistance Program. Read more...
Port of Benton executive director earns professional certification
Scott D. Keller, Executive Director of the Port of Benton, will receive the Professional Port Manager certification awarded by the American Association of Port Authorities in Seattle this September. Keller is only the 83rd candidate from North, Central, and South America to be awarded the certification since the program began in 1995. Keller wrote his program thesis on "Transfer of Government Property to Port Districts - Pros and Cons". It is available on the organization's website at http://www.aapa-ports.org.
Infinia names Mike Ward to serve as CEO
Mike Ward has been named Chief Executive Office of Infinia Corporation. Ward, 54, most recently served as President of Autoliv Americas, with 13,000 employees and $2.1 billion in revenue, one of the largest operating divisions of Autoliv Corp. (NYSE: ALV), a leading provider of automotive airbag and safety restraint systems. Prior to that, he was President of Autoliv North America beginning in 2004. Ward joined Autoliv 25 years ago and played key engineering, sales, and operating roles during Autoliv's successful efforts to drive industry wide adoption of airbag systems. Read more...
Kennewick/Pasco/Richland ranked 35th in country for economic strength
An independent economic research firm, POLICOM Corporation, which specializes in analyzing local and state economies, has recognized the vigor of the Tri-Cities economy and ranked it number 35 in the country for economic strength. This is a substantial increase from 2004 when the Tri-Cities was ranked number 268. Read more...
Kennewick-based Electronic Systems Technology, Inc. wins Small Business Manufacturer of the Year Award
Tech Opportunities and Resources
MBA students available to help local businesses
The MBA program at WSU Tri-Cities occasionally has students who are looking for an opportunity to provide analysis and recommendations to a business as a part of the student's culminating project. The business would have to be willing to communicate with the student and provide access to appropriate information, including financial information. There is no cost for the service and students can sign confidentiality agreements. The evaluation would include such components as statistical analysis, information systems, marketing, cost accounting, and administrative control, financial decision-making, and final recommendations. If you know of a business that would be interested in utilizing this service, or for more information on the program, contact LoAnn Ayers, Director of Campus Advancement, at (509) 372-7252 or email her ayers@tricity.wsu.edu
Tri-City Regional Chamber's Small Business Resource Center kiosk unveiled
The Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the official launch of its Small Business Resource Center. The Small Business Resource Center provides entrepreneurs and existing businesses with easy access to start-up information, consultation services, educational opportunities, and connections to a network of non-profit and government agency resource partners that offer business-building services to the Tri-City region. Read more...
Tech Dates and Deadlines
4th Symposium on Energy Storage: Beyond Lithium Ion
June 7 - 9 | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory | Battelle Auditorium: Widespread adoption of electric vehicles could greatly reduce dependence on finite petroleum resources, reduce CO2 emissions, and provide new scenarios for grid operation. Although new electric vehicles with advanced lithium ion batteries are being introduced, further breakthroughs in scalable energy storage, beyond current state-of-the-art lithium ion batteries, are necessary before the full benefits of vehicle electrification can be realized. Motivated by these societal needs and by the tremendous potential for materials science and engineering to provide necessary advances, a consortium comprising IBM Research and four U.S. Department of Energy national laboratories (Pacific Northwest, Lawrence Berkeley, Argonne, and Oak Ridge) will host a symposium. Read more...
Young Professionals in Energy kick-off social
June 9 | 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm | Bookwalter Winery: Young Professionals in Energy (YPE) is a non-profit energy industry networking organization with over 20,000 members worldwide, and now the Pacific Northwest is part of this growing network. YPE Tri-Cities (YPE-TC) is focused on bringing to light the concerns of local and regional young professionals while looking to those more established in the energy industry for guidance and insight to the ever-changing landscape of the future of energy. Attend YPE-TC's kick-off event to get a better understanding of the group. Read more...
Journal of Business accepting applications for Annual Young Professionals Award
June 10. The Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business is seeking the bright young stars of the area's business and professional arena to highlight in the Fourth Annual Mid-Columbia Young Professionals Awards. Nominees can be professionals in any field, from doctors or lawyers, to chefs, winemakers, business owners, or dental assistants. Nominees must be 40 years of age or under as of June 1, and work in Benton and Franklin counties. They must have distinguished themselves within their career, company, or industry, and within the community. Nomination deadline is June 10. Read more...
8th Annual NH3 Fuel Conference call for papers
June 10. Participants at the NH3 Fuel Conference, Portland, OR, can expect an excellent technical agenda covering all areas of NH3 as a solution to energy independence. Topics will include NH3 production, storage, delivery, end uses, as well as regulatory, environmental, and safety topics. The call for papers deadline is June 10. The emphasis of the paper should be on some aspect of ammonia as a fuel-NH3 production, storage, distribution, safety, and end uses. Abstracts on the technical, regulatory, economic, and policy aspects of ammonia are also acceptable. Read more...
Economic Development conference focuses on workforce issues
June 14 - 15. The Washington Economic Development Association Summer Conference will focus on the topic of Economic Development/Workforce Development Collaborations. The conference will be much more than a series of presentations about successes or interesting projects. It will serve as a resource for economic development and workforce development organizations and professionals to learn from each other. The conference will showcase best practice models with a focus on teaching how the best practice or successful model was created, and how it is run, so it can be implemented in other communities. Read more...
WBBA's Fourth Annual Life Science Leadership Summit
June 15 | 11:30 am - 6:00 pm | Washington State University, Riverpoint Campus, Spokane: Join the Washington Biotechnology & Biomedical Association (WBBA) and its partners to meet and discuss strategies to help continue Washington's life science growth and competitiveness. Strategies and priorities will be discussed to help continue to build Washington's life sciences sector. Life sciences is now one of Washington's top five sectors, and one of its' fastest growing and most promising for the future of our state's economy and citizens. Read more...
Upcoming events and June classes from WA PTAC
The Procurement Technology Assistance Center's (PTAC) mission is to maximize the number of capable U.S. companies participating in the government marketplace. PTAC programs help companies find and successfully achieve contracts for work with the local, state, and federal governments. With the help of the PTAC program, Washington State companies have won millions of dollars in federal, state, and local contracts and subcontracts. There are a number of events and training sessions occurring in June. Read more...
The Innovation Showcase
July 13. The Innovation Showcase, a program of the Technology Alliance, helps bridge the gap between research and commercialization by highlighting the most promising discoveries and new technologies ready for commercialization in Washington. This quarterly event, attended by a cross-section of Washington State's startup leaders, promotes the idea sharing and networking that helps turn research into results. Showcase attendees include investors, service providers, serial entrepreneurs, and others in the commercialization field. Deadline for submissions is June 8. Read more...
PNNL This Month
PNNL hires world-renowned chemist to lead integrated catalysis unit
Already the largest non-industrial catalysis research and development effort in the U.S. working on clean energy solutions, an existing PNNL research program is being revamped and renamed the Institute for Integrated Catalysis (IIC) and a leading German chemist has joined PNNL to lead the effort. Dr. Johannes Lercher is currently a professor at the Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) and the editor of a leading chemistry journal, The Journal of Catalysis. He will split his time between Richland and Munich, Germany. The hiring of Dr. Lercher is a further example of bringing "star researchers" such as Birgitte Ahring at Bioproduct Sciences Engineering Laboratory, and Thomas Henick-Kling at WSU-TC's wine program to the Tri-Cities Research District. Read more...
Students win big at business plan competitions
Coaching from PNNL's Economic Development Office contributed to a big payoff when a student team from WSU Tri-Cities-EyeDot-won third place overall ($7,000) at the WSU Business Plan Competition in Pullman in late April. EyeDot also won best investment in the semifinal round ($500) and best presenter for one of the team's members ($500) at the competition. The same team also made it into the semifinals at University of Oregon's New Venture Championship international competition in Portland, bringing home $500, for a grand total of $8,500 in winnings.
Two teams from the University of Oregon's Technology Entrepreneurship Program have also enjoyed some significant competition wins for business plans based on PNNL technologies. Sonas, based on PNNL's container screening device technology, won third place and $10,000 at the University of Manitoba competition, and "Best Exhibit Award" and $350 at the University of Cincinnati Spirit of Enterprise competition. VisiRay, based on PNNL's millimeter wave technology, has won numerous awards including first place at the Venture Quest competition, and third place at the New Venture Championship and University of Louisville competitions, for a total of $6,000.
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 Diane Kahler or call (509) 372-4133.
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