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News from Seattle's Office of Economic Development

Washington’s high-tech industry adds jobs

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For fifth consecutive year, Washington’s high-tech industry adds jobs 
TechAmerica Foundation
TechAmerica Foundation recently released its 13th annual Cyberstates report detailing national and state trends in high-tech employment, wages, and other key economic factors. For the fifth year in a row, Washington’s high-tech industry added jobs.

Hiring jumps, while job openings edge up slightly 
Seattle Times
New hiring rose in March to its highest level in more than a year while job openings moved up slightly, signs the job market is slowly improving.

Seattle tourism took a hit but should rebound this year 
Seattle Times
The local tourism industry took a hit in 2009, but is already experiencing a rebound this year. According to officials at the King County Convention and Visitors Bureau, the impact to Seattle tourism from the global economic recession was less severe here than around the country.

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As a service to the Seattle business community, the Office of Economic Development curates a daily business news blast, Daily Digest. As a new trial feature on Bottom Line, we’re posting a handful of stories from the Daily Digest every day.  Find the stories informative or helpful? Keep checking Bottom Line or sign up for Daily Digest to receive the full version in your inbox every day. Subscribe to the Daily Digest here.

Twelve Clean Tech Open Pacific Northwest semi-finalists announced

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Twelve clean technology companies were named semi-finalists in the Clean Tech Open Pacific Northwest business plan competition yesterday in Bellevue. The Puget Sound Business Journal reports that more than 150 people attended the award ceremony, which marked the first time that the Clean Tech Open competition has held an event in the Pacific Northwest region.

Selected from a pool of fifty-six companies, these twelve semi-finalists will compete for three $50,000 regional prizes this summer before moving on to the national competition later this year. Once at the national competition, they will have a chance to win a $250,000 prize that includes cash and business services.

The twelve semi-finalists included eight Washington companies, three Oregon companies, and one Idaho company.

• Clarian Technologies — Smart-grid enabled wind and solar appliances, Seattle.
• Extreme Caps — Energy storage, Olympia.
• GoNano — High surface area nanomaterials for energy storage, Moscow, Idaho.
• Green Lite Motors — 100 mpg commuter car/motorcycle vehicle, Portland.
• Hydrovolts — In-stream hydro turbines, Seattle.
• InnovaTek — Renewable hydrogen fuel cell technology, Richland, Wash.
• LivinGreen Materials — Advanced solar technology, Seattle.
• NHThree — Green anhydrous ammonia production, Richland, Wash.
• Pangreen — Mobile and web-based platforms enabling green living, Kirkland, Wash.
• Shorepower Technologies — Electric charging stations, Portland.
• Soluxra — Low-cost organic solar cells, Seattle.
• Veranda Solar — Plug and play solar appliances, Portland.

Congratulations to all of the Clean Tech Open semi-finalists! Greater Seattle’s growing reputation as a high-tech and clean-tech hub owes in part to the work of these innovative young companies.

Seattle’s Office of Economic Development is a proud City sponsor of the Clean Tech Open.

Local clean technology companies create environmentally sustainable business

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clean-tech-open1Want to learn more about how local technology companies are “greenovating”—or interested in investing in clean technology for your own home or business? Officials at the Clean Tech Open Pacific Northwest will announce twelve semi-finalists in its first annual clean technology business competition at a special event on Thursday, June 25th. Open to employees of competing companies as well as the public, the event will highlight twelve regional companies whose proposals represent outstanding innovation and sustainability in the technology field.

The semi-finalist announcement comes less than a month after a study from the Pew Charitable Trusts declared that “the nation’s clean-energy economy is poised for explosive growth.” The Clean Tech Open and the city of Seattle—recently ranked as the #3 city in the nation for clean technology start-ups—are poised at the center of this growth. A record number of participants at the 2009 Open reflects this rapidly expanding interest; this year, the open received 275 applications to participate – up dramatically from 125 entries in 2008.

The Clean Tech Open solicits business proposals and pitches from young clean energy start-up companies. Semi-finalists participate in an intensive weekend of education, consulting, and mentoring, then submit a 20-page business plan and give a 15-minute pitch to a panel of expert judges. From these semi-finalists, twelve finalists (six from the Open’s California region; three from the Pacific Northwest; and three from the Rocky Mountain region) will compete in the national competition for a chance at the National Prize Package, which includes a large cash award.

The Pacific Northwest Semi-Finalist event is open to paid contestants of the 2009 competition, members of the public interested in the Clean Tech Open or clean tech start-ups, and volunteers.

Visit enterpriseSeattle’s Clean Tech Open event page for more information on how to register for the event.