|
Prosperity Partnership E-Newsletter
February 10, 2006
Moving Forward on the Big Three in 2006
The Prosperity Partnership is pursuing three major initiatives this year that are fundamental to our long-term economic success: education, transportation and tax reform. Work on each of these is now moving forward on several fronts.
The Prosperity Partnership’s 160 organizations are committed to bringing proposals to the legislature on education and tax reform measures in 2007. Working groups are forming this month to develop the legislative proposals. The schedule calls for draft proposals to be completed by June followed with review and refinements by our work groups,  partner organizations and the region’s residents over the summer and fall.
We will work closely with Governor Gregoire, who already has made these issues priorities of her administration, and with legislative leaders from both sides of the aisle.
Look for more information on these initiatives and how to get involved at the Prosperity Partnership website.
“We can do a lot of great things to improve our economy, and we have teams of folks working on specific actions to improve our competitiveness right now. But if we don’t take on the Big Three, we put our future – and the future of generations to come – at severe risk,” said PSRC Executive Director Bob Drewel.
 back to top
First Year Action Items Accomplished
We’ve just started the new year and the Prosperity Partnership has already tackled six key actions. The 2006 First Year Action Items call for hundreds of working group participants to complete 18 specific steps that will improve our region’s economic competitiveness.
First Year Action Items Score Card
| Life Sciences |
| |
 |
Develop a vision of the life sciences - WBBA |
| |
|
|
| New and Small Business Support |
| |
|
Leverage the Alliance of Angels program into high-quality entrepreneurship mentoring, to help both create and grow companies. – Technology Alliance |
| |
|
|
| Aerospace |
| |
|
Create a statewide aerospace association. – Prosperity Partnership (PSRC and industry partners lead organizations) AFA of Washington (www.afa-wa.org) was established in January. |
| |
|
|
| Logistics & Int’l. Trade |
| |
|
Communicate a jointly developed logistics and international trade message. – Trade Development Alliance |
| |
|
Develop consensus freight message that resonates with the public (part of Enhance freight mobility through securing sustained funding and developing transportation chokepoint solutions initiative). – FAST Corridor Partnership |
| |
|
|
| Social Capital |
| |
|
Develop a strategy to celebrate and promote arts and culture as a strategic economic advantage for our region. – Prosperity Partnership (PSRC & ArtsFund lead organizations) |
Congratulations and thanks for the great work -- only 12 more to go! For the complete list of First Year Action Items, click here.
back to top
Regional Transportation Plan Taking Shape
 The Prosperity Partnership has made advancing a regional transportation ballot measure a top priority in 2006.
Last month, the Regional Transportation Investment (RTID) Executive Board, the body charged with developing a transportation plan for Pierce, King and Snohomish counties, took an important step forward by announcing agreement on a proposal that could go the voters as soon as this fall.
The RTID investment package consists of about $7.2 billion for 14 major road and bridge projects in the three country area, and would rely on a combination of sales and motor vehicle excise tax. Click here to find more details of their proposal.
The Prosperity Partnership applauds the RTID’s work on a regional transportation package.
back to top
New U W Initiative to Boost Technology Transfer
Finding ways to improve our startup success rate is important to our region’s long-term economic health. As the leading research institution in the region, the University of Washington plays a critical role in the Prosperity Partnership’s efforts to improve the movement of technological innovations from laboratories into the marketplace.
 Along with Technology Alliance’s entrepreneurship mentoring project (a first year action item), the U W’s Office of Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer is working to dramatically boost the number of research ideas that become new company start ups through an innovative new initiative called Launch Pad.
According to the Association of University Technology Managers, in 2004 the UW was in the top 10 of universities ranked according to the number of businesses started based on discoveries. However, it lagged behind the leading institutions in the number of startups created.
Launch Pad seeks to put the technology transfer program in high gear by attracting start up entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and other researchers. Programs like Launch Pad and the Technology Alliance’s entrepreneurship mentoring project will contribute to improving our region’s startup success rate.
Visit the UW Tech Transfer Office’s website for more information about Launch Pad.
back to top
|
