The Puget Sound Business Journal reports that Gov. Jay Inslee has appointed a committee to improve the competitiveness of Washington’s life science industry.
Washington state’s life science industry isn’t competitive enough when stacked up against other states.
That’s the result of a recent study by the Washington State Department of Commerce, and that’s the reason Gov. Jay Inslee is forming the Life Science and Global Health Advisory Council.
The PSBJ article suggests tax incentives may be a factor.
Between 2003 and 2013, according to that study, life science jobs in Washington state grew just 2.6 percent, compared to 18.25 percent in California, 15.2 percent in Massachusetts, 15.6 percent in Texas and 19.7 percent in North Carolina.
Of those states, Washington also has the fewest incentives for life science businesses — only two, while the other states had six or seven.
The governor’s website has more information on the sector. Good background on the importance of the industry to the state economy can be found in this trend analysis by the Washington Research Council.
