The Challenge…
What industries will lead Washington in the next century? Where will we find the new industries, the new Boeing or Microsoft, of the next century? How can we take advantage of new technologies to transform traditional sectors like agriculture, construction, and forest products?
The Opportunity… The Advanced Technology Initiative
The Advanced Technology Initiative is a partnership between the legislature, private business, and the state’s research universities. It creates new programs specifically targeted toward creating new industries and transforming existing industries in the areas of greatest opportunity for the state of Washington. The ATI is a bridge between cutting edge research and education and new economic activity.
What is the Advanced Technology Initiative?
The Advanced Technology Initiative represents a major new tool for stimulating business activity in the state of Washington. The Advanced Technology Initiative seeks funding to create and support a new type of structure at the state’s two research universities. The heart of this structure is a set of "expertise clusters" composed of faculty and professional staff who will be selected to work collaboratively with the private sector. The goal is to leverage research into direct economic benefits. The ATI is aimed at transforming existing industries and generating new enterprises. Our current priorities include the following specific areas:
The ATI concept represents a long-term plan. Future priorities, like today’s priorities, will be selected because they represent emerging educational and workforce needs where the strengths of private industry and university research combine to create unique opportunities for growth in Washington’s economy. They fall into three broad areas of critical importance to the future of our region's economy: materials, biological science, and instrumentation and computing.
Leadership and Investment
The Advanced Technology Initiative draws on proven models of economic and research development from Washington's own history. In the 1950’s visionary members of the Washington legislature invested in the expansion of the School of Medicine at the University of Washington. This was not business as usual, but rather a major new initiative. Today, the fruits of that investment can be seen in many areas. The School of Medicine has become a world leader in research and treatment. It has several departments ranked in the top five in the country. It has become a regional magnet for medical services. It has received hundreds of millions of dollars in out-of-state grants and contracts and has become a major generator of high paying jobs.
Advanced technology initiatives have been successful in other states including Florida, New Mexico, and Utah. On one occasion private funds made it possible to prove the value of expertise clusters in this state. Using these funds, the UW was able to recruit Dr. Leroy Hood as the senior member of a biotechnology cluster. Hood’s arrival immediately bolstered Seattle's biotechnology industry. It has attracted some of the field’s best talent and tens of millions of dollars in private and federal research funding to our state. New jobs and new companies (capitalized at over $50 million) have been created directly as a result of his work. New curriculum materials have been created for UW students and Dr. Hood has become a leading advocate for science education in the K-12 system. By any measure, the investment in recruiting Dr. Hood and his team has repaid itself many times over in just a few short years. It is one reason Washington has become a national leader in biotechnology.
Creating the new industries of the next century requires leadership and investment from many sectors. The University of Washington and Washington State University are collaborating to identify the best opportunities for leveraging the contributions of our research universities and private industry into expanded economic activities. The ATI’s target areas were selected through a competitive process at WSU and UW and in consultation with business leaders. But legislative leadership is also needed. University resources are heavily committed to undergraduate education—as they should be. To give universities the flexibility and resources to contribute more directly to economic transformation, legislative support and leadership are necessary. This can be an exciting partnership.
What are "expertise clusters" and what do they cost?
Each expertise cluster consists of 3-5 faculty members and/or technical support staff, organized around a particular theme and nationally recognized research leaders. These researchers would direct their efforts toward providing the intellectual capital for new companies, increasing the competitiveness of regional industries, and educating students to work in new and transformed industries. Faculty and staff would be chosen specifically for their demonstrated ability to work in harmony with the private sector to exploit the state’s best opportunities in advanced technologies.
The cost of each cluster is approximately $500,000 per year for salaries, benefits, and operations. Additional start-up costs will be sought in some cases.
Where are the opportunities?
The University of Washington and Washington State University have identified six areas of opportunity. We are proposing clusters in each of these areas:
Computer animation & digital media (UW)
New companies are springing up to take advantage of the revolution in digital media. Outstanding research at the UW complements Washington’s digital media companies. The new program will help to make our region a leader in a new industry as well as to train people for some of the over 7,000 vacant jobs in the state’s software industry.
Reproductive biology (WSU)
WSU’s Center for Reproductive Biology addresses problems of reduced salmon runs, pollution, and human health. It has already attracted external funding and spun off three new biotech firms. Additional investment will allow the Center to develop programs in fish reproduction, reproductive toxicology, breast cancer, and human fertility. We estimate an increase of 100 new private sector jobs for scientists and technicians.
Infectious disease (UW)
UW researchers are unraveling the genetic codes for several disease-causing microorganisms. This work promises to provide entirely new ways to fight disease and new classes of pharmaceutical products. By adding to UW capabilities in microbial pathogenesis, combinatorial chemistry, and bioinformatics the state can not only reap the economic benefits, but also the medical benefits of these discoveries.
Semiconductor manufacturing (WSU)
WSU’s Center for Semiconductor Research will build on existing links with Vancouver area electronics firms by pursuing research on semiconductor materials, design, and manufacture. We anticipate a return of several times the match on the state investment. According to news accounts, the expanded research and educational presence of WSU was a prime consideration behind the Taiwanese Semiconductor Company’s decision to build a $1.2 billion plant in the Vancouver area.
Advanced materials technologies (UW)
Precision forestry and forest products manufacturing. Markets for wood products continue to grow in spite of new limits on timber harvests. UW forestry researchers, however, are applying new technologies to forest production, management, and wood processing. A 10% improvement in output is within reach. Such an increase would contribute approximately $1 billion to the state economy and 25,000 jobs—one half of them in rural areas.
Sustainable construction technology. The United States currently lacks a central facility for research and testing of new construction materials. The result is reduced innovation, massive product failures, millions of dollars of litigation, and untold homeowner loss. UW scientists seek to create a laboratory and clearinghouse for information about new materials.
Precision agriculture (WSU)
The new "precision agriculture" technologies being pioneered at WSU hold the potential for water savings, reduced use of chemicals, reduced pollution, increased production, and improved quality of crops. Precision agriculture research will also lead to new commercial products and businesses for our state.
For further information contact: Washington State University, State-wide Affairs, 509-335-6665, e-mail
fischerk@wsu.edu or University of Washington, Office of Research, 206-543-6616, e-mail macp@u.washington.edu