Tri-Cities Tech Business Update

April 2012 Issue

Tech News and Notes

DOE SBIR/STTR commercialization assistance program

The Department of Energy (DOE) recently selected Dawnbreaker to provide commercialization assistance to its SBIR/STTR Phase I and Phase II awardees. Dawnbreaker, based in Rochester, New York, has provided assistance to more than 4,500 SBIR/STTR projects, and specializes in providing commercialization assistance to advanced technology firms. The purpose of the DOE Commercialization Assistance Program (CAP) is to assist SBIR/STTR Phase I and II awardees with commercialization of their technologies. During Phase I, the primary objective is to develop a high quality Phase II Commercialization Plan, which is a required element of the DOE Phase II proposal. Read more...

Obama Administration announces availability of new research funding

The White House recently announced three new Department of Energy funding programs including: $450M to support first-of-its-kind engineering, design certification, and licensing for up to two small modular nuclear reactor designs over five years, subject to congressional appropriations; $35M over three years to support research and development in advanced biofuels, bioenergy and high-value biobased products; and a $14.2M effort to accelerate the development and deployment of stronger and lighter materials for advanced vehicles that will help reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil, save drivers money, and limit carbon pollution. Read more...

Future Point Systems releases indico 1.0, a visual data analysis application

Over the past year, staff at Future Point Systems has been hard at work putting together an easy-to-use, yet highly flexible analysis product, indico. It is specifically designed for people who need to see the knowledge buried within a wide assortment of data, but don't have the time to learn a complex data analysis package. Read more...

Hydrovolts installs 'Big Canal Turbine' in Roza Canal

Hydrovolts' Big Canal Turbine, designed to produce 5kW output in a flow of 2m/sec, was successfully deployed in the Roza Canal near Yakima on March 8. It has been operating continuously and is now producing 6+kW as the water flow in the canal has increased. The operation is supervised by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Yakima field office. This section of the canal is about 11 miles long and operates 11 months a year. The turbine being tested is the first module of three 10kW turbines Hydrovolts is making for DLZ Corporation for its project in India. Hydrovolts is also making the "regular" canal turbine, which will also be tested at the Roza Canal. Read more...

Dan Preston receives Alumnus of Distinction award

The Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce held its annual meeting and awards luncheon recently where keynote speaker Dan Preston received the Alumnus of Distinction award. Preston, a successful former Tri-Citian, is an engineer and inventor, and developer of the digital version of what became General Motor's OnStar program. Dan is also president of Eagle Harbor Holdings, LLC. Read more...

Tech Opportunities and Resources

FY2013 Technology Innovation opportunity announcement

Bonneville Power Administration's (BPA) Technology Innovation (TI) Office conducts an annual funding opportunity announcement requesting proposals that advance technologies/capabilities based on agency research guidance and strategic needs identified in the agency's technology road maps and FY2013 Topic Areas. In FY2013, BPA has approximately $4.5 - 6.0M of funding available for new projects. TI invites proposal submissions for the FY2013 Technology Innovation Portfolio under this announcement. Those interested in submitting a proposal are offered two methods for participation. Read more...

Nova Innovation Competition 2012

Saint-Gobain, the world's largest building materials company, announces a partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council-Northern California Chapter (USGBC-NCC) to co-present the company's NOVA Innovation Competition. The competition rewards start-up businesses around the world offering innovations in sustainable products, advanced materials, high-efficiency building solutions, clean technology, and renewable energy sources with cash prizes and access to partnership opportunities with Saint-Gobain. The deadline to submit an entry is June 30; finalists will win the chance to pitch their innovative business to the senior leadership team of Saint-Gobain in a live speed-dating format at the 2012 Greenbuild International Conference and Expo in San Francisco on November 15. Read more...

Wanted: Business Consultant for Innovate Washington

Innovate Washington is seeking a Business Consultant for the greater Columbia Basin to coach and mentor start-up and high growth clients. The goal is to provide client companies support services that position the firm, entrepreneurs, and investors for success faster than without Innovate Washington services. Read more...

How do you win a startup weekend?

In an article on GeekWire.com, Rebecca Lovell, GeekWire's chief business officer and former executive director of Northwest Entrepreneur Network, offers this advice: "When you have 54 hours to build a demo (or when you're a resource-constrained startup), focus on your customers' pain and how much better their lives will be with your solution." Another piece of advice: understand the difference between users and customers. Read more...

Forbes: Three important loan programs for small businesses

Everyone in the market today knows small businesses are in dire need of capital and loans to finance their historic activity and their growth. But despite a federal reserve 0% interest policy, equity and debt capital are hard to come by for small businesses. Since small business owners may have trouble securing conventional (bank) financing, the loan programs listed within this article can help small business development, expansion or sustainability. Read more...

Tech Dates and Deadlines

EMSL 2012 annual call for user proposals

April 2. EMSL, PNNL's Environmental Molecular Science Laboratory, is known for its cross-cutting diversity of instruments and expertise available under one roof. Scientists and scientific teams can accelerate new discoveries through a no-cost collaboration with EMSL. EMSL's 2012 Call for User Proposals is now open for high-impact user research proposals focused on selected topics in environmental molecular science. Proposals may be submitted now through 11 pm PDT April 2 via the User Portal (http://listserve.pnnl.gov/t/596760/48716/82/0/). Details regarding the focused topics and proposal guidance are available on EMSL's website. Read more...

Exporting Assistance in the Tri-Cities

April 2. The International Marketing Program within the Washington Department of Agriculture (WSDA) will be offering an exciting opportunity for Washington's small food and agricultural (including aquaculture) companies. WSDA will be conducting a two-part program. The first part will provide in-depth export training to participating companies, helping them to develop their export business plans specific to one of four markets (China, Mexico, Taiwan and Japan). The second part of the program will introduce the participating companies to buyers from their targeted market. This is a unique opportunity for new-to-export and new-to-market companies that want to take their first step into an overseas market. Read more...

EDA Regional Training Conference

April 3 - 5. The Economic Development Administration (EDA) Seattle Regional Office will conduct its 2012 Regional Training Conference, "Bringing Jobs Back through Innovation, Collaboration, and Leadership" in Portland, Oregon, April 3 - 5. Several hundred economic development practitioners from throughout the EDA Seattle region are expected to attend. In addition to numerous professional networking opportunities, various experts will address a wide range of economic development topics. Read more...

Pacific Northwest Cleantech Open

April 10. Pacific Northwest Cleantech Open, TRIDEC, and the PNNL Economic Development Office are bringing Cleantech Open to the Tri-Cities. Attend this free event to hear from experienced investors and entrepreneurs about the challenges and opportunities derived from building cleantech ventures. What is unique about cleantech funding and what is the outlook for the cleantech space? Get answers to questions and learn more about the upcoming Cleantech Open competition. Read more...

Bridging Partnerships Small Business Symposium

April 18 - 19. In its ninth year, the Bridging Partnerships Small Business Symposium is a business expo with a focus on government contracting and doing business at Hanford, with exciting networking opportunities and educational breakout sessions. The Symposium brings small business owners and Department of Energy (DOE) small business advocates together to talk about the best ways to partner. Attendees will have direct access to DOE procurement experts and small business liaisons at a local level, and upcoming business opportunities. Read more...

Cleantech Open Accelerator & Competition application deadline

May 8. The Cleantech Open Accelerator & Competition consists of a number of key activities; extensive mentoring, training, business clinics, access to investors and capital, numerous opportunities to showcase to the media and the public, and the competition itself. Since its inception in 2006, the Cleantech Open has awarded over $5M in cash and services to support cleantech growth companies. The 581 participating companies of the Cleantech Open's accelerator programs have raised more than $660M in external capital. Read more...

PNNL This Month

SBIR/STTR Alerting Service

Many entrepreneurial ventures nationwide rely on funding from the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) programs as their primary source of capital for technology development and early-stage commercialization. PNNL's free, award-winning SBIR/STTR Alerting Service is a nationwide resource that improves small business access to a substantial source of R&D capital for entrepreneurial ventures: $2.2B in annual federal research and development funds from 11 federal agencies. Read more...

Doing Business Success Stories

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has a long-standing reputation for advancing scientific frontiers through world-class research and development. The Lab has compiled a number of videos and overviews of some of its more successful business collaboration stories that demonstrate how PNNL works with business to strengthen U.S. competitiveness in the international marketplace and support the economic strength of its communities. Read more...

Diatom biosensor could shine light on future nanomaterials

A glow coming from the glassy shell of microscopic marine algae called diatoms could someday help us detect chemicals and other substances in water samples. And the fact that this diatom can glow in response to an external substance may also help researchers develop a variety of new, diatom-inspired nanomaterials that could solve problems in sensing, catalysis, and environmental remediation. Read more...

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