April 2005
Technology Alliance Celebrates Passage of Life Sciences Discovery Fund and University Technology Transfer Legislation
The Technology Alliance has identified key policy priorities for Washington to be competitive and grow its technology-based economy. Working with leaders from business, academic institutions and the broader community, the TA works to build support for these policies for the benefit of the state and its citizens. In the 2005 state legislative session, the TA and its partners achieved two major victories on key policy initiatives that will support Washington research and commercialization.
Life Sciences Discovery Fund:
The TA has been a vocal proponent of a state-supported research capacity initiative that would build on Washington's existing research assets and leverage support from federal and private sources. Between 2003 and 2005, the TA coordinated the two-phase effort known as Bio 21, which brought together a broad-based non partisan coalition of leaders from across the state to design the conceptual framework for such an initiative and recommend a program structure for implementation by the state.
This year, Governor Christine Gregoire championed the creation of the Life Sciences Discovery Fund, a proposal largely based on the work of the Bio 21 Steering Committee and incorporating many of the key recommendations put forward in the Bio 21 reports produced by the TA in 2004 and 2005. The Fund is designed to support research that advances human health using $350 million in strategic contribution payments Washington will receive over a ten-year period for its leadership in the tobacco settlement. The state funds will leverage support from non-state sources for a total impact exceeding $1 billion. This initiative will help drive important advances in health care, new company formation and job creation in Washington State. The legislation creating the program, Senate Bill 5581, was approved by the state legislature in April and presently awaits the Governor's signature.
The TA worked with many individuals, companies and organizations from across the state as part of the Washington Life Sciences Fund Coalition that supported enactment of this legislation, achieving a major victory for the future health of Washington's citizens and economy.
University Technology Transfer:
The TA achieved another significant policy victory this year with the approval of House Bill 1806, which amends the state ethics law to allow Washington's public universities to establish their own administrative procedures to manage potential conflicts of interest relating to research and technology transfer activities. The bill encapsulated a number of recommendations put forward by a study committee convened by the TA to examine the effect of the existing state ethics law on university technology transfer, with a view to encouraging more effective commercialization of technologies developed within our universities. The final report of the study committee is available here.
Preview: Technology Alliance 8th Annual State of Technology Luncheon
Each year, over 1,000 leaders from our state's high-tech industries, trade associations, research and academic institutions, business, and government gather to celebrate Washington's progress in growing a strong technology-based economy, making the State of Technology luncheon the premier event for Washington's technology community. The Technology Alliance has an exciting and informative program lined up for this year's luncheon, so don't wait to book your table or ticket to this popular event.
New Economic Impact Study Reveals Importance of Technology-Based Industries to Washington State's Economy
The Technology Alliance recently completed the fourth in a series of studies of the economic impact of technology-based industries in Washington State. The study showed that these industries have become increasingly vital to our state's overall economic health, accounting for the largest share of employment, labor income and business activity of any major sector in the state economy in 2003.
Why Dr. Wick Haxton "Digs" the DUSEL: the Proposal to Build a Deep Underground Science & Engineering Laboratory in the Cascades
At the February Science & Technology Roundtable (STRT) breakfast, Dr. Wick Haxton, Professor of Physics at the University of Washington, explained the potential benefits of a proposal to build a Deep Underground Science & Engineering Laboratory (DUSEL) in Cashmere Mountain in the Cascades.
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