Yesterday we wrote of the the launch of the Cascadia Innovation Corridor at a conference in Vancouver, BC. An article in TechVibes today provides some additional coverage we don’t want to overlook.
The region has the “potential to become an important innovation corridor,” but doing so will require regional leaders work together, the [BCG] study said. This could be possible through sustained collaboration aided by an educated and skilled workforce, a vibrant network of research universities and a dynamic policy environment.
“Our cities share many common attributes,” said Washington Roundtable President Steve Mullin. “Throughout history, Cascadia has been a region on the forefront of economic growth, whether trade, energy, aviation or technology. To stay competitive in a global economy, we need to think regionally about where we can align resources to make a greater impact on our society and economy.”
Microsoft recently invested $90 million to open the Microsoft Canada Excellence Centre, a state-of-the-art development facility that will create products for the global market and develop technology talent in British Columbia. The center will grow to more than 750 positions and have an estimated economic impact across B.C. of $180 million each year. In addition, Boeing also recently opened a laboratory in Vancouver to focus on data analytics, software development and professional consulting work.
Good examples of the existing synergies on which the project will build.
And then there’s this report today in the Puget Sound Business Journal of an exciting collaboration on cancer research.
The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Seattle Cancer Care Alliancesigned a memorandum of understanding with the BC Cancer Agency Tuesday to work together on accelerating cancer-fighting technologies.
The group aims to accelerate discoveries and enhance cancer research performance, expand patient access to clinical trails and provide better training opportunities for young scientists and researchers.
PSBJ reporter Carol Garnick adds,
The partnership comes as Washington and British Columbia work to develop a cross-border partnership to encourage broader innovation and collaboration on new technologies and life science discoveries.
We hope to see many more such efforts as the Cascadia Innovation Corridor develops and evolves.
