Gov. Gregoire highlights �fierce competitors� at Washington Technology Summit

For Immediate Release: April 15, 2008

BELLEVUE � �Fierce competitors� in the technology industry are keeping Washington at the forefront of innovation while helping it weather the national economic slowdown, Gov. Chris Gregoire told business leaders at the 2008 Washington State Technology Summit Tuesday.

Gregoire was keynote speaker at the annual confab of technology industry leaders.

�Everywhere I look, we are at the forefront of innovation � from clean energy technology to global health to advances in manufacturing and materials,� she said. �Your job is to keep moving forward, and our job in state government is to figure out the best ways to help, and then get out of the way.

�One reason is our export-driven economy forces us to be fierce competitors in a global marketplace. We accept and embrace globalization and make it work for us,� she said. �Our competitiveness is strengthened by our world-class colleges and universities, which provide an educated and skilled workforce along with cutting-edge research and development.�

Gregoire said the Life Sciences Discovery Fund the state created in 2005 at her request is helping life-science research organizations flourish and capitalize on their strengths, and state funding through the Washington Technology Center RTD (Research & Technology Development) program has helped companies bring alternative energy and biotechnology concepts to market. Meanwhile, the state�s climate change initiative is creating �green collar� jobs around the state.

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