Research & Development
Vision for Research and Development
Regional R&D partnerships stimulate innovation, increase economic diversity, and improve the area's business infrastructure and quality of life.
10-Year Outcomes and Goals:
- Increase the R&D capacity of the Three Rivers region to grow and diversify the economy.
- Encourage entrepreneurship, new business creation, and sustained business success.
- Have an educational base in science and engineering that supports the needs of R&D and the new high-tech companies in the Three Rivers region.
Key Measures of Success Over 10 Years:
- Increase in research expenditures from public and private sources.
- Increase in public-private partnership investments in our intellectual infrastructure (e.g., facilities, equipment, faculty at universities) to enable first-rate R&D.
- Increase in SBIR program and STTR awards and the number of local technology-based companies receiving equity investments.
- Increase in patents generated and the number of technologies licensed by companies in the Three Rivers region.
- An accredited research university in the Three Rivers region with Ph.D. programs in strategic science and engineering areas and a K-12 system that produces students who can enter and be productive in research institutions and high-tech businesses.
Accomplishments During 2003:
- Began working with an economist to establish the baseline for tracking R&D expenditures from public and private sources.
- WSU and PNNL are working together to design a Bioproducts, Sciences, and Engineering Laboratory, and state funding for construction will be requested in the 2006-07 budget; PNNL is planning to compete for a new DOE user facility for biology research.
- Economic development professionals from PNNL and WSU received additional training to help local firms compete for SBIR/STTR grants.
- Battelle established a new $150-million venture fund, called Battelle Ventures, to invest in seed-stage or early-stage companies in life sciences, homeland security, IT, materials, and energy.
- The WTC received a grant from the Economic Development Administration (matched by WTC) to set up angel investing networks in under-represented parts of the state, including the Tri-Cities.
- One technology license from PNNL was issued to a Tri-Cities-based company in FY03, bringing the local PNNL total to seven since 1995. In addition, a California company opened a Richland office this year after licensing a technology from PNNL.
Spring 2003 Workshop Update (PDF 20kb)
