Tri-Cities Tech Business Update

November 2012 Issue

Tech News and Notes

Wine Industry Leaders Announce $17 Million Raised to Date for Future Wine Science Center at WSU Tri-Cities

Wine industry leaders from across the state gathered to announce $17 million raised to date, and $4 million still needed, for the future Wine Science Center at Washington State University Tri-Cities. About 150 people, from donors to students, joined Governor Christine Gregoire and WSU President Elson S. Floyd to dedicate the site, which is within the Tri-Cities Research District at the corner of George Washington Way and University Drive in Richland. Read more...

ONAMI Receives SSTI Excellence in TBED Award

Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnologies Institute (ONAMI) was named as the winner of the Commercializing Research Category of the SSTI 2012 Excellence in TBED (Technology-Based Economic Development) Awards. The awards are given to organizations serving as national models for states and regions investing in science, technology, and innovation to grow their economies and create high-paying jobs. ONAMI is an effective alliance of academic, industry, and government leaders committed to growing multi-institutional research capacity, an infrastructure network, and commercialization deal flow in a state with modest resources. Since its founding in 2004, ONAMI has leveraged $386 million in federal and private research and capital investment dollars, and 39 U.S. patents related to nanoscience or microtechnology have been issued to ONAMI member researchers. Read more...

Washington State is Ripe for Business

Washington State has been making headlines for innovation, being business-friendly, and Seattle's recent export boom. Below are a few highlights along with links to the respective articles.

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  According to the State Entrepreneurship Index by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Washington is ranked as the fifth most innovative state, as calculated by patent activity in 2011. An abundance of life science companies and research labs helped drive that number, including PNNL with 109 patents issued in FY11. Read more...
• According to the Tax Foundation, a non-partisan research group based in Washington, D.C., Washington is one of the best states in the country in which to run a business because of its relatively low taxes. Read more...
• Global Trade Magazine states that being one day closer to Asia than other U.S. ports and sending air cargo via polar route have fueled metro Seattle's $35.4 billion export boom, leading to Seattle being ranked #6 when it comes to global trade. Read more...
• A new report says 40 percent of jobs in Washington State are connected to exports and imports. While much of that trade stems from airplanes produced and shipped in the state, the new report also sheds light on other parts of the economy such as international tourism and agriculture. Read more...

Four Washington Companies "Most Inspiring"

Puget Sound Business Journal. Four of the nation's "most inspiring" companies are Washington State companies, according to a new magazine poll. A new consumer survey conducted by an Atlanta-based consulting and training firm ranks Microsoft Corp., Amazon.com Inc., Starbucks Corp., and Costco Wholesale Corp. in the top 12 of the country's 25 "most inspiring" companies. The goal of the survey was to find a correlation between successful companies and those that inspire their consumers. Read more...

The Winner of the One-Sentence Pitch is...

Geekwire hosted a contest where entrepreneurs could pitch their company - in one sentence - for a chance for a full scholarship for the Founder Institute's fall semester entrepreneurial mentorship program. The winner also qualified for a spot in GeekWire's Elevator Pitch Meetup. To review successful one-sentence pitches, read more...

Washington Closure Exceeds Small Business Goals in Fiscal Year 2012

Washington Closure Hanford awarded $159 million, or 93 percent, of its subcontract dollars to small businesses in fiscal year 2012. Nearly two-thirds of that money ($104 million) was awarded to businesses in the Tri-Cities and Yakima areas. Read more...

Tech Opportunities and Resources

One-stop Portal for Business Information

Check out Tri-CitiesBusinessBuilder.com! It's a web portal for businesses to get information about business plans, permits, incubator space, funding, classes, and more. The portal is easy to use and designed for all businesses regardless of size, maturity, or industry. A business owner, employee, or someone thinking about starting a business can go to a one-stop portal to direct them to the people and organizations that are best suited to help with the specific question or issue. Tri-CitiesBusinessBuilder.com is linking businesses to the right resources at the right time. Read more...

Coworking Office Space

The typical one-person shop doesn't necessarily have the resources to set up a professional office environment. At Room to Think, freelance contractors, telecommuters, and startups share workspace, knowledge, enthusiasm, and support. Instead of working at home, members of the group work separately...together. Coworking spaces provide a way for entrepreneurs and non-traditional workers to share costs, resources, and ideas in a collaborative environment. Read more...

SBA State Trade and Export Promotion Program

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has awarded the Washington State Department of Commerce another year of federal funding to help Washington's small businesses grow through exporting. The $1.4 million grant, part of the SBA's State Trade and Export Promotion (STEP) program, represents the fourth largest state award and continues the successful programs offered through Commerce's Export Washington initiative. Read more...

Northwest Entrepreneur Network

At Northwest Entrepreneur Network (NWEN) the goal is to teach you everything you need to know and connect you with everyone you need to know so that your first startup feels like your second. NWEN's website will help facilitate achievement of that goal. NWEN provides educational offerings geared towards the specialized needs of the entrepreneur. Read more...

Impact Washington's Small Business Consulting Program

Impact Washington announces its new Small Business Consulting Program, an initiative aimed at bringing assistance to the state's smallest manufacturers to help them grow their businesses.  Manufacturers with under 10 employees comprise over half of the manufacturers statewide. Often, these companies are providing great manufacturing jobs in their local communities but don't have access to the resources to help them improve and grow. This new program is designed to provide that needed assistance with no out-of-pocket cost to the manufacturer. Read more...

Technology Alliance Offers Support to Small Businesses

The Technology Alliance is a statewide, not-for-profit organization of leaders from Washington's technology-based businesses and research institutions united by their vision of a vibrant innovation economy that benefits all of the state's citizens. Through programs, events, data analysis, and policy activities, they advance excellence in education, research, and entrepreneurship to support the growth of our high-impact industries; the creation of high-wage jobs; and economic prosperity for our entire state. Check out the Technology Alliance website for events and opportunities. Read more...

Tech Dates and Deadlines

Intro to Chemistry for Teens

November 3 and 10. An introduction to chemistry for teens is planned by the Richland Section of the American Chemical Society. It will be led by Tri-City area chemists, including scientists from PNNL. The program will be held on the mornings of November 3 and 10 at Columbia Basin College in Pasco, and is open to youth 13 or older. A $5 fee will be collected at the door for materials. Registration is required. For more information or to register call 509-545-6749 or email steve_krogs@hotmail.com.

WEBINAR: Tips on Electronic Submission to NIH

November 6. Successful submission of NIH SBIR/STTR proposals requires a thorough understanding of grants.gov and NIH eCommons websites. This one-hour webinar begins at 11:00 a.m. PST, and provides tips for successful submission and how to avoid common mistakes to help ensure an on-time submission. For more information, visit www.bbcetc.com/training/, or contact info@bbcetc.com.

Pitch Night

November 7. No matter what you sell or what stage your business is in, a strong pitch is a critical foundation for your success. Pitch right and you can sell anything to anyone. Pitch wrong, and you can have the best product in the world and you might not be able to make anyone care. Two tracks are planned for Pitch Night, hosted by Room to Think. The event is being held at Tagaris Winery from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Read more...

Small Business Forum

November 9. Washington Policy Center's (WPC) Center for Small Business is hosting its biennial small business forums throughout the state. WPC policy experts and business leaders will gather at the Country Gentleman in Kennewick from 12:00 - 1:30 p.m. to discuss the important issues facing businesses. This is your opportunity to meet with policymakers, business leaders, and elected officials to share the challenges facing your business, develop solutions, and to look ahead to what's in store for 2013 with a new governor and legislature. Read more...

Entrepreneur University

November 9. Entrepreneur University is a one-day, all-inclusive incubator of entrepreneurial insight that will be held in Seattle. It's the Hothouse for Entrepreneurs... and they're growing start-ups. NWEN will bring together panels and workshops focused on Launch, Run, and Trending Topics (Lean, Gamification, Crowdfunding, and more). In one day you'll make connections to key influencers, network with like-minded entrepreneurs, gather educational materials, and set your sights on the right path for growth. Read more...

Tiny Startup Camp

November 10 and 11. Jason Glaspey has started more than a dozen Tiny Startups - some successful, others not so much - and is bringing speakers together to share their experiences and expertise through a two-day event called Tiny Startup Camp. The event will be held in Portland Nov. 10-11 and is a 'come learn how to do something, then do it--while you're still at the event' type of event. Read more...

Meet the Buyer: Doing Business with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

November 27. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs purchases millions of dollars' worth of products and services from small businesses each year. Attendees will learn more about how to sell to the VA and be better prepared to take part in this federal government marketplace. This session will cover the following key topics: What products/services does the VA purchase? Where and how do you start selling to them? What is the buying process? How do I locate opportunities? The event will be held at Tri-Cities Business & Visitor Center from 10:30 - noon. Cost is free. RSVP: (509) 736-0510 or ashley.coronado@tricityregionalchamber.com

Washington Innovation Summit

November 29. Join 250+ business, research, and policy leaders at the 2012 Washington Innovation Summit. This day-long conference organized by the Technology Alliance focuses on what really makes innovation economies grow. Through a combination of expert speakers and interactive panel discussions, participants in the 2012 Summit will explore how we can grow, retain, and attract educated, innovative talent; capitalize on our state's leadership potential in big data; and maximize innovation for high-impact job creation and economic growth. Early-bird registration ends November 2. Read more...

PNNL This Month

Agreement will Lead to Commercialization of Batteries for Renewable Energy Storage

A Washington state firm with a 27,000-square-foot manufacturing and design facility in Mukilteo has signed a license agreement with Battelle to further develop and commercialize a type of advanced battery that holds promise for storing large amounts of renewable energy and providing greater stability to the energy grid. The agreement with UniEnergy Technologies LLC is intended to advance and commercialize "redox flow" battery technology. Read more...

Companies Reaching for the Clouds for Computing Power

By now, we've likely all at least heard of cloud computing, and to some extent may grasp what it's all about. But many of us may not realize just how big of a deal it is. Cloud computing is the use of hardware or software computing resources that are delivered as a service over a network, typically via the web. The gist of it is, almost anything you can imagine doing with your computer system doesn't have to physically exist on your system or in your office in order to be accessible to you. You can entrust remote services with your data, software, and computation. It's easier, and also much less expensive. To learn how startups are using cloud computing read more...

PNNL Operating Under 5-year Contract Extension for Battelle

Tri-City Herald: The Department of Energy announced that it planned to extend Battelle's contract to manage the DOE national lab in Richland just over a year ago, but the contract extension was signed less than two weeks before it took effect. The contract will extend Battelle's run as contractor from 1965 to September 2017. Read more...

Battelle Funding New Cybersecurity Program at CBC

Columbia Basin College is starting a new, comprehensive program in Cybersecurity to include a one-year certificate, two-year associate's degree, and a Bachelor of Applied Science degree program. The certificate and associate degree programs will start Fall 2012 and the bachelor program is planned for Fall 2013. Battelle is contributing $118,000 for development and implementation of the first year of the Bachelor of Applied Science program since it will be solely funded through fees, grants, and donations. Read more...

Battelle-led Pacific Northwest Smart Grid Goes Live

Tri-City Herald: The Pacific Northwest Smart Grid Demonstration Project has gone live with technology to track information across the power system. It's the most recent phase of a Battelle-led project intended to help develop the base information needed to allow the nation's policymakers and utilities to understand the costs and benefits of smart grid technology. 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 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