The Blog

Larry Williams, Assistant Director, Department of Commerce Larry Williams, Assistant Director, Department of Commerce

10/16/09

Yesterday, the Washington State Department of Commerce was proud to welcome the first ever regional Future in Review (FiRe) Conference to Seattle. This unique, marquee event gave Washington the chance to showcase its impressive knowledge-based, technology-driven industries, and provided a platform to discuss how we can harness our state’s culture of innovation to create jobs, strengthen our communities and tackle issues of both local and global significance.

Since 2003, FiRe has brought together a diverse group of thought leaders to explore how technology and business can address local challenges on the horizon. This forward-looking approach has made FiRe one of the world’s premier technology conferences and aligns with how we envision growing and improving jobs in our state. We must remain nimble, opportunistic and position Washington to compete and succeed in tomorrow’s innovation and knowledge-based marketplace.

With speakers like Michael Dell, chairman and CEO of Dell Inc.; Irwin Jacobs, co-founder and board member of QUALCOMM; and Mark Anderson, CEO of Strategic News Service, this inaugural FiReGlobal: West Coast event brought together the brightest minds from across the country and the globe to tackle issues right here at home.

From the use of technology in our education system to curbing ocean pollution and fostering entrepreneurism, conversations like these will positively impact the future of Washington’s innovation economy. Equally important, they lay the foundation for how Washington companies will help improve the quality of life for people in our communities and around the world.

While no one has a crystal ball, we can count on the fact that many of the same technological breakthroughs discussed at FiRe will change how we do business tomorrow. Washington businesses have been catalysts for this change in the past, but their ability to do so in the future will also depend on our state delivering competitive advantages including a workforce matched to employer needs, infrastructure built for the 21st century, and an efficient regulatory system.

For more information on FiReGlobal: West Coast, organized by Strategic News Service, please visit http://www.futureinreview.com/global/wc/index.php.