Partnerships to Reinvent the Tri-Cities Research District

1. Partnerships to Reinvent the Tri-Cities Research District Gary E. Spanner Manager, Economic Development Office Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (509) 372-4296 gary.spanner@pnl.gov www.pnl.gov/edo

2. The Problem • Certain to lose 8,000 jobs in foreseeable future • Hanford jobs account for 30% of employment and 40% of wages in the Tri-Cities MSA • Need to replace high-wage jobs (#7 nationally in % of scientists & engineers) 2

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4. Tri-Cities Research District • Anchored at ends by WSU-TC and national lab • Situated on free-flowing stretch of Columbia River in southeastern Washington State • New focus on recruiting and marketing real estate with new board • New city zoning: business & research park (mixed use allowed) • Now 1,600 acres…down from 4,200 acres • Residences now in the Tri-Cities Research District 4

5. Tri-Cities Research District (Cont.) • Formerly Tri-Cities Science & Technology Park (1990) • Washington State–designated Innovation Partnership Zone • Private developer recently purchased ~150 acres and buildings (~$150M) • Master plan underway for 330 acres of private & public land • Sustainability theme likely for the Tri-Cities Research District 5

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7. Bring in a Marketing-oriented Consultant • ~75 recommendations total • Focus on a smaller area • Asset for all of Tri-Cities, not just Richland • National laboratory is the key asset • Establish a marketing plan • Specific sector/industry targets identified 7

8. Catalog your Pertinent Assets • Create database of support organizations • Identify sources of intellectual capital • Identify which governments, at all levels, are affected • Identify likely public & private funding sources • Led to state designation as an Innovation Partnership Zone 8

9. Establish Collaborations to Boost the “Entrepreneurial Infrastructure” • Formed local angel investor group • Technologies from national laboratory made available to MBA teams • Appointed an adjunct professor for technology entrepreneurship • Actively engaged two tech-based economic development state agencies • Established the Applied Process Engineering Laboratory (incubator with seven collaborators) 9

10. Other Lessons Learned • Sharing costs among several governments and private sector partners is essential because none can shoulder it alone • Convincing cities to spend $$ outside their boundaries is difficult…but necessary • Presentations to city councils & economic development boards are useful for buy-in 10

11. Final Words • Your community could do this • Collaboration among private and public sector organizations is essential • Bundle existing assets (e.g., university, national lab, military base) • Attract the right brains and the right businesses will emerge • Sustainable development is a given 11

12. Questions? 12