Despite an economic downturn in the state, Bremerton managed to grow its technology job base by more than 15 percent in 2002, according to the Washington Technology Center’s 2004 Washington Index of Innovation & Technology. The Index includes detailed data on ten regions in Washington, evaluating them against drivers necessary to support a technology economy.
   Bremerton experienced the largest growth in technology jobs among ten Washington regions – more than twice that of the second highest region. Bremerton was the only community that experienced job growth in all three of its major technology sectors.
   Conversely, Bremerton experienced the second worst loss in total employment of all the regions in the state, down more that 35 percent, but rated fourth overall for tech employment as a percentage of total employment. Bremerton also exhibited the smallest gap between technology wages and average annual wages. Typically, among the regions measured, technology wages are roughly 40 percent higher than average job wages. Bremerton’s technology wages were only 16 percent higher than average job wages.
   Bremerton scored well on innovation and financial capacity, and was rated fourth out of ten regions for patent generation, showing a steady increase each year in this area. Most other regions showed a decline from 1998 – a strong patent year. Birth rate in comparison to total companies was solid and the region held strong for both SBIR awards and angel investment potential.
   “Bremerton and Kitsap County are leading examples of how the economic landscape of the state is changing,” says Tab Wilkins, Director of Regional & Technical Services for the Washington Technology Center. “Technology jobs promote growth and encourage new employment opportunities to open up.