Washington Technology Center (WTC) was named one of six recipients of The State Science and Technology Institute’s (SSTI) Excellence in TBED awards for initiating successful programs to sustain the nation’s position as a global leader for innovation and competitiveness. WTC’s Research and Technology Development (RTD) Program was honored as a best-practice model for demonstrating leadership and meaningful impact to state and regional economies.

“This award recognizes the effectiveness of our staff and partners’ research commercialization efforts,” said Lee Cheatham, Ph.D., executive director of WTC. “We’re pleased that Washington is receiving national attention for efficiently delivering economic development services, specifically by leveraging state dollars to create new job opportunities in advanced technology.”

“Successes such as this are possible only because of the support of the Washington State Legislature and our research institution partners, and the commitment of our all-volunteer Board of Directors and Advisory Committees,” said Cheatham.

WTC’s Research and Technology Development Program awards $1 million in applied research funding each year to teams comprised of companies and researchers in the state of Washington. The grant program helps move innovative ideas out of the laboratory and into the commercial marketplace. SSTI’s third-annual awards follow a nationwide competition recognizing outstanding achievements in tech-based economic development (TBED) emphasizing impact, strategic value and replicability. Recipients were selected by a panel of accomplished former and current practitioners and were honored during SSTI’s 13th Annual Conference.