Tri-Cities Tech Business Update

April 2013 Issue

Tech News and Notes

Tri-City Investment District's EB-5 Regional Center Approved

The Tri-City Investment District's (TCID) request for an EB-5 Regional Center was recently approved by the federal government. The EB-5 program allows foreign nationals to invest $500K or $1M in companies or projects located within a regional center. The investors must prove that their investment is in an eligible project and that their funds created at least ten jobs before becoming eligible to obtain a green card for them and their immediate family to live and work in the United States. The TCID includes Richland's Horn Rapids Golf Course Development community, Horn Rapids Business and Industrial Park, and Tri-Cities Research District. More than $100 million of new investment within the newly approved district is planned within the next several years. Read more...

Mid-Columbia Small Business Awards

Nominations are due April 4 for the Mid-Columbia Small Business of the Year Awards. Intent to Nominate letters were due March 22, but nominations without the intent letter will still be accepted with a small scoring penalty. The Awards program recognizes small businesses in Benton & Franklin Counties for their exceptional customer service, outstanding commitment to employees, and superior community relations. Businesses are encouraged to self-nominate. Read more...

Tri-Cities Ranks #11 in the Country for Economic Strength

POLICOM Corp. specializes in studying the dynamics of local economies. From its research, it determine sif an area is growing or declining, what is causing this to happen, and offers ideas and solutions to communities to improve the situation. Many factors are considered when determining rankings with the highest ranked areas having experienced rapid, consistent growth in both size and quality for an extended period of time. Read more...

DOE Begins Economic Development Study on Hanford Land

The U.S. Department of Energy initiated an environmental assessment (EA) on approximately 4,400 acres of land on the Hanford site for potential long-term economic development use. The Tri-City Development Council (TRIDEC) has already made a request to DOE for approximately 1,641 acres. TRIDEC estimates that within the original request, a 900-acre site could be utilized by one or two unidentified major companies that might employ up to 3,000 people. The remaining land would be divided into several smaller 100 to 200-acre sites employing up to 500 jobs each. The strategy is to further diversify the economy, creating new jobs as the number of Hanford jobs decreases as the cleanup of the site continues on toward its conclusion. Read more...

Innovate Washington Adds Chief Marketing and Development Officer

Innovate Washington, the state's primary organization focused on growing its innovation-based economic sectors has hired Tim Priest as the Chief Marketing and Development Officer. Tim has led regional economic development initiatives in Portland, Oregon and Washington, DC. He joins Innovate Washington most recently serving as President and Founder of CMO Strategy Group, a marketing strategy and services company specializing in product launches, go-to-market strategies and implementation. Tim has experience marketing initiatives centered on clean energy, biofuels, food & beverage, and cloud technology. Read more...

Execs from Adobe, Gates Foundation, Nike, and PNNL among Powerhouse Presenter Lineup for LES Meeting

For the first time, the Licensing Executives Society (U.S.A. & Canada), Inc. will host its Spring Meeting in Seattle, drawing on the innovation hub's rich and diverse business community for a powerhouse program featuring executive presenters from Adobe, HP, Microsoft, Nike Oracle, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, PhaseBio, Starbucks, T-Mobile, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 343i and other leading organizations. The highly diverse program will examine key developments and trends for IP-interested business professionals across sectors from high tech and clean tech to life sciences, mobile, gaming, consumer products, and more. Read more...

Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce Announces Award Winners

The Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce presented awards to individuals and businesses that achieved success during 2012. Included among the award winners are Dr. Bonnie Dunbar for Tri-City Region Alumnus of Distinction with Business on a Roll Awards going to Bouten Construction, Abadan, and Northwest MedStar. Read more...

Tech Opportunities and Resources

LSDF Accepting Pre-proposals

Recently, the Life Sciences Discovery Fund (LSDF) awarded $750,000 in Proof of Concept grants to three Washington organizations to support transition of promising health-related technologies from concept to commercial product. Additionally, the organization is currently accepting pre-proposals from Washington for-profit and non-profit organizations for both Proof of Concept and Opportunity grants. LSDF has directly funded the commercial development of diagnostic and therapeutic products in Washington since 2007, and through its newest Opportunity grant, expects to support a commercialization infrastructure with the capacity to shepherd multiple ‘homegrown' technologies from idea to impact. Read more...

New Supercomputer Coming to EMSL this Summer

The Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL), located on the campus of PNNL, is one of the U.S. Department of Energy's national user facilities, which attracts scientists from around the world to apply on a competitive basis for its use. This summer it will become home to one of the world's 20 fastest computers. The computer will replace the Chinook supercomputer, the 21st fastest computer in the world when originally installed at EMSL in late 2008. The new computer is expected to be twenty times faster than Chinook. The supercomputer, which is being built by Atipa Technologies, will have 23,000 Intel processors and 184,000 gigabytes of memory. This is four times as much memory per processor as other supercomputers. A calculation that normally would have taken 20 years on your typical laptop, will be processed in an hour by the new computer. Read more...

Take a Virtual Tour of EMSL

PNNL has collaboratively launched a virtual tour showcasing four state-of-the-art laboratories and 12 instruments that are within DOE's Environmental Molecular Science Laboratory (EMSL), a Department of Energy user facility located on the PNNL campus. It features EMSL surface science instruments, nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometers, ion mobility mass spectrometers, and cell isolation and surface analysis tools. EMSL offers more than 150 instruments and a high performance computer, and now some of those instruments can be viewed online. These instruments allow scientists to address some of the nation's greatest energy challenges such as improving biofuels, carbon cycling and its role in climate change and renewable approaches. Read more...

Washington State Creates New Export Website

The Washington State Department of Commerce has created a new web portal to assist small and medium sized businesses find local, state, and federal resources to support their export strategies. The site assists companies that want to: (1) build or expand their export plan, (2) find export grants and loans, (3) consult with a trade specialist at the Department of Commerce, or (4) find local and international opportunities to connect with potential customers and business partners. Read more...

Free Consulting from UW Foster School of Business

The University of Washington has an opportunity for businesses in the Tri-Cities. They are offering an intern (UW business school student) to work with three small to medium-sized companies as a consultant this summer. The student will provide 150 hours of consulting services to each business. Read more...

Tech Dates and Deadlines

Spokane New Economy Summit

April 5 - 6: The Spokane New Economy Summit seeks to promote ideas and strategies for a stronger and more sustainable regional economy and to catalyze support for action. The conference brings together students, small business owners, farmers, and community members to discuss new ways of thinking about and participating in the economy. Discussion topics range from sustainable agriculture to community banking to economics education; and to creating space for networking, collaborating, and building momentum towards a more prosperous, inclusive, and resilient Spokane. Read more...

Cleantech Open Pacific Northwest Accelerator Briefing Webinar

April 9: Become part of an elite group of environmental innovators who have participated in the Pacific Northwest Cleantech Open accelerator since 2009. Join the 2010 National Champion Puralytics from the Northwest, the 2012 National Champion HEVT of Chicago and over 700 other alumni companies which continue to score scientific breakthroughs, funding, deployments and customers, and which have raised millions in external capital. It's about training, mentoring, expanding your business network, global visibility and access to funding opportunities. Read more...

Understanding Government Contracting Solicitations

April 9: The state and federal governments purchase millions of dollars' worth of products and services from small businesses each year. Workshop attendees will gain useful tools that will assist them in better understanding these complicated government solicitations. This session -- from 9:00 - 10:30 A.M. at the Tri-Cities Business and Visitor Center -- will cover the following key topics: elements of a solicitation; types of solicitations; Government purchasing thresholds; responding to sources sought notices; and how to respond to a RFP. Read more...

Walla Walla Business Summit

April 12: The one-day Business Summit is an opportunity to learn from leaders in various business sectors and disciplines. Industry leaders from across the U.S. will converge at the Marcus Whitman Hotel & Conference Center for a day of innovations, trends, and connections. The Walla Walla Business Summit will give you new information, contacts and a fresh perspective on your business. Read more...

Future Energy Conference

April 16 - 17: Returning for its seventh year, this is the event addressing the business side of clean energy. Presented by Northwest Environmental Business Council (NEBC), this conference provides a forum for learning, networking, and business development - and includes members of the energy industry, energy end-users, policy makers, and economic development professionals. The conference will be held in Portland. Read more...

Bridging Partnerships Small Business Symposium

April 17 - 18: The 10th Annual 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 for your growing business. Early bird registration discount is offered through April 8. Read more...

Life Science Innovation Northwest Poster Session

May 17. Poster Session applications are now being accepted for Life Science Innovation Northwest. The Emerging Company & Technology Poster Session is an opportunity to share your cutting-edge innovation with the "who's who" of life sciences in the Pacific Northwest and across the globe. The Poster Session is aimed at helping very early stage companies, entrepreneurs, and social ventures obtain insights from and network with savvy investors, biotech executives, and potential partners. Life Science Innovation Northwest will enable you to communicate your ideas to nearly 1,000 attendees, including executives from public and private life sciences companies, investment firms and strategic partners, research institutions, CROs and CMOs, investment banks, law firms, and the global health community. Read more...

Life Science Innovation Northwest Meeting

July 10 - 11: The Pacific Northwest is home to an expanding and collaborative consortium of biotechnology and biomedical firms, healthcare services, world-class research, innovative startups and established industry leaders. Life Science Innovation Northwest (LSINW) brings together nearly 1,000 attendees from public and private companies, research institutions and the global health community. Public and private investors, investment bankers and business development executives find LSINW one of the most productive conferences they attend. Read more...

PNNL This Month

License Will Lead to Faster-charging Batteries for Phones, Electric Vehicles

An enhanced battery technology that can potentially reduce the time it takes to charge cell phones, electric vehicles, and other battery-powered devices from hours to minutes is the subject of a commercial license agreement between Battelle, operator of PNNL, and Vorbeck Materials Corp. of Jessup, Md. Read more...

PNNL Receives Award for Safety Systems

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is receiving its third Voluntary Protection Program Star Award from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. It's the only Department of Energy science laboratory to have earned star status, the highest ranking in the Voluntary Protection Program. Read more...

Battelle Licenses Technology for Electric Vehicles

Technology that could encourage widespread use of plug-in electric vehicles has been licensed by Battelle to AeroVironment Inc. of Monrovia, Calif. The technology, developed at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, tells a vehicle's battery charger when to start and stop charging based on existing conditions on the electrical grid. The technology is designed to prevent negative impacts to the electric grid as plug-in electric vehicles become more widely used, and use of the technology could result in lower costs for car owners. 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