November 2005
Highlights from the 2005 Technology Institute
The Technology Alliance gathered leaders from state government, business and research institutions for its fifth biennial Technology Institute in September. The purpose of the two-day retreat is to examine, in depth, policy issues affecting Washington’s technology sector. Focusing on the theme, “Realizing the Promise of Innovation,” 2005 Institute participants explored ways in which Washington can capitalize on its world-class research assets to foster commercialization and new company creation for a thriving technology-based economy in our state.
Welcome to the New Economy
Dr. Rob Atkinson, Vice President & Director of the Technology and New Economy Project at the Washington, D.C.-based Progressive Policy Institute, opened the conference with an overview of the “new economy,” one that is based on research and development (R&D) and technological innovation. Dr. Atkinson called attention to the United States’ position as a world leader in innovation, citing the fact that we innovate on a broader spectrum than any other country, we have the world’s best capital markets, and we boast the world’s best universities, but suggested that these strengths can be eroded by our own actions or inaction.
“We see fewer and fewer PhD’s in science and engineering being produced in this country. That means the market is getting tighter, the pool of talent is getting smaller....The real scarcity in this equation, in the long run, is not capital; it’s ideas and the people who produce them.” -Dr. V. Lane Rawlins, President, Washington State University
Drawing a correlation between the extent to which a state’s economy is based on innovation and its per capita income growth, Dr. Atkinson emphasized the spillover in economic and societal benefits of R&D and technology industries. For states that want to encourage the growth of high per capita incomes and a better quality of life, he advised that they concentrate on innovation. Calling attention to Washington’s relative strengths in industry R&D, number of scientists and engineers in the workforce and other measures, Dr. Atkinson suggested that our state appears, for now, to be holding our own. However, he cautioned against complacency. Noting the fierceness of competition from other states and countries, he insisted that Washington must continue to innovate if it is to be a leader in the new economy.
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Stem Cells (But Were Afraid to Ask)
Dr. Lawrence Goldstein, Professor of Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine and a leading proponent of California’s Proposition 71, the voter-approved stem cell initiative, took participants through the science of embryonic stem cells and the promise they hold for combating disease and aiding the development of new drugs.
The potential of embryonic stem cells to dramatically improve research and treatment of disease arises from their ability to produce more cells that can adopt different, specialized functions within the body. He described them as raw material that could allow scientists to make whatever kind of cell they choose, presenting exciting possibilities for new methods of drug testing and development, transplantation, and research using human, rather than animal, cells to better understand disease mechanisms. Regarding the debate over embryonic vs. adult stem cells, the latter of which are more restricted in the types of cells that can be produced and their applications, Dr. Goldstein explained that there is no argument within the scientific community over the value of one over the other: we should move forward with research in both.
“Getting the best graduate students, the best medical students, the best young students to come to your institutions, do their research work there, and then maybe stick around and start companies or make discoveries – that’s the lifeblood of this kind of enterprise.” - Dr. Lawrence Goldstein, University of California San Diego School of Medicine
Dr. Goldstein offered a detailed overview of the biology of embryonic stem cells. He explained how the cells are cultured from a blastocyst, a mass of roughly 200 cells that grows from a zygote before the stage at which implantation in the womb occurs, and which can be achieved in the lab and successfully frozen and thawed. Acknowledging the uncertainty created by current federal policy and a patchwork of state policies regarding stem cell research, Dr. Goldstein listed three reasons for using public funds: if the public pays, the public has a right to know; there are business and financial limitations in the private sector; and many of our best scientists work in public institutions.
California voters’ approval of Proposition 71, he said, demonstrated the public’s willingness not only to support stem cell research but to direct a significant amount of public money to it. When asked about the competitive implications of California’s investment for Washington and other states, Dr. Goldstein suggested we consider, “Can you continue to recruit the very best young people in an environment where everybody thinks that the center of the action, and the hottest field going in biology, is California or Massachusetts?”
Casting Off the Medieval Mold
The primary focus of the 2005 Institute was how discoveries at Washington’s research institutions can be successfully commercialized, leading to new products, companies and jobs in our state. Panel discussions examined the role of the scientist; the role of institutions; and, the role of the state in cultivating a climate that encourages technology transfer and commercialization.
“Collaboration and critical mass count, and therefore the role of research-intensive universities becomes very acute in making this all work." - Dr. Mark Emmert, President, University of Washington
University of Washington President Mark Emmert offered his perspectives on the role of the university in promoting commercialization. To provide context, Dr. Emmert reviewed the history of the university as an institution organized around departments not unlike medieval guilds. The function of moving research out into the world is, he pointed out, relatively new to the university and one which requires a change in culture.
He suggested that the focus of today’s university needs to be on more than technology transfer; it has to be on business development. He cited the need for stronger partnerships; case management dedicated to the business model; more productive relationships with business; and more fluid movement of people between the business and academic worlds as goals for the university going forward.
Echoing the assertion that commercialization poses special challenges, participants in a discussion on the state’s role in commercialization noted that we have an opportunity to capitalize on two recent gains from the last legislative session: creation of the Life Sciences Discovery Fund and the granting of authority to public research universities to develop rules governing faculty involvement with industry. It was agreed that the state has an important function in creating an environment that encourages new discoveries made in Washington institutions to be developed, commercialized and exploited here for the benefit of our citizens and state economy.
The Ins and Outs of Growing Successful Companies
“Entrepreneurs don’t need rules, they need tools...You want to make sure that entrepreneurs have an opportunity to succeed.” - Rob Arnold, President & COO, Geospiza, Inc.
Institute participants next turned their attention to the issues faced by those trying to start and grow companies in Washington. Our state garners high marks for quality of life, and the cluster of world-class institutions and companies is an important factor in attracting talent, especially in the biotechnology sector, due to the multitude of opportunities concentrated here. So, what might hold our state back from reaching its full potential?
Panelists expressed particular concern over the impact of K-12 education quality on a company’s ability to recruit talent from outside the state, a theme that was echoed by various speakers during the conference. Increasingly, employers have to contend with a perception that the quality of public K-12 education falls short of what recruits are looking for when considering whether to relocate to Washington. Participants agreed that a concerted effort is needed to strengthen K-12 education not only to prepare our students to be successful in the new economy, but also to bolster Washington’s competitiveness when it comes to attracting the best and brightest to our institutions and companies.
Another problem Washington has to grapple with is a lack of management expertise to support the growth of medium-sized companies in our state; we boast large corporations like Boeing and Microsoft at one end of the spectrum, and a number of innovative small companies at the other end, but we have not succeeded in supplying the experienced management talent necessary to nurture the growth of companies in between. Panelists advised that Washington should focus on creating more programmatic links between universities and the business community emphasizing management training in order to better meet the needs of companies in this middle stage.
Washington as a World Leader
To bring the 2005 Institute to a close, Dr. Chris Elias, President of the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH), delivered a presentation on the vital work of PATH in developing technology and supporting systems to improve global health and Washington’s leadership in this space.
Dr. Elias emphasized the opportunity that Washington has to advance its position. Specifically, he pointed to the strong presence of world-renowned scientific talent and universities, philanthropic resources, and innovative companies that have a history of leading technology revolutions in Washington as key to asserting our state’s leadership. In closing, Dr. Elias urged the government, business, academic and research leaders in attendance to focus on building upon these assets, highlighting the benefits that will accrue to our state in the form of highly skilled jobs, new investment, expansion of talent, and the potential for new company creation; in other words, the products of Washington fully realizing the promise of innovation.
View the complete highlights and photos from the 2005 Technology Institute.
Spokane STRT: Serving up Science & Technology for Breakfast in Eastern Washington Beginning January 2006
Expanding upon the model of its successful Seattle-based Science & Technology Roundtable program, the Technology Alliance will offer its signature menu of science and technology for breakfast to the eastern side of the state for the first time with the new Spokane STRT. The program, which is being produced in collaboration with the Northwest Association for Biomedical Research, will hold its first breakfast on January 6, 2006.
Click for details and to register online
Breakfast, the Most Important Meal of the Day: The 2005-06 Seattle Season of the Science & Technology Roundtable
Schedule of Speakers:
- December 9, 2005: Bob Moore, Senior Researcher, Microsoft Research
- January 13, 2006: John Bransford, James W. Mifflin University Professor of Education, University of Washington
- February 10, 2006: Patrick Duffy, Director, Malaria Antigen Discovery Program, Seattle Biomedical Research Institute
- March 10, 2006: Andrew Meltzoff, Job & Gertrud Tamaki Endowed Chair, Professor of Psychology and Co-Director, Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington
Click for the entire schedule and a special offer!
Taking It to the Next Level: TA Launches New Pilot Program to Mentor Promising Young Technology Companies
Seeking to leverage the Alliance of Angels process and go one step further in supporting innovative young companies, the Technology Alliance has launched an exciting new pilot project in the Puget Sound region, the TA Mentor Network, designed to connect post-funded companies with mentors to help propel them to the next stage of growth.
The Turbulence of the Economic Downturn Behind Them, Angels Are Flying High Once Again
A chill is in the air, but the Alliance of Angels is heating up: deal activity in the Pacific Northwest’s premier angel group has steadily increased since 2002.