Innovation Partnership Zones
Innovation Partnership Zones (IPZs) are unique economic development collaborations that partners research organizations, workforce training, and private sector participation. The research based efforts lead to new technologies, marketable products, company formation, and job creation.

The zones are administered by an economic development council, port, workforce development council, city or county. IPZ are designated for four years and then resubmit an updated business plan and goals for re-designation.

IPZs cover a variety of industry sectors encouraging cluster development including: green IT, medical devices, clean marine transportation, alternative energies, semi-conductor and display, viticulture, water management and aerospace, a few of the current statewide efforts. The IPZs reflect the talent, assets and entrepreneurism of each of their regions.

The IPZs actively work with University researchers, developing prototypes with their private sector partners, providing internship opportunities for university students, incubating start-up companies, developing critical training programs, and pulling technologies through technology transfer. All these efforts bring together industry and the community to develop new paths to innovation. Find out more about how the Washington State IPZ Program is designed as a model for sustainable innovations and new market partnerships through public/private research, workforce development and the reinvention of industrial properties into market affordable mixed use business clusters of diverse types.

Currently 15 IPZs are designated. The IPZ program is administered at the state-level by the WA Department of Commerce.  Read the 2012 annual IPZ report. 

Review the current IPZs below:

Current IPZs

Aerospace Convergence Zone, Snohomish County, Workforce Development Council Snohomish County (2007). Research in new materials and processes for aircraft production.

Bothell Biomedical Manufacturing Innovation Partnership Zone, Bothell, City of Bothell (2007). Promoting the growth and expansion of the biomedical manufacturing cluster, including med tech and pharmaceutical companies, through programs centered on branding, funding, networking, education and secondary industry support.

Central Washington Resource Energy Collaborative, Kittitas County, Kittitas County Chamber of Commerce (2009). Renewable energy technologies development, particularly wind and solar.

Grays Harbor Industries Innovation Partnership Zone, Grays Harbor County, Port of Grays Harbor (2007). Advanced manufacturing clusters with research and development focus on biofuels and bio-based product manufacturing.

Interactive Media and Digital Arts Innovation Partnership Zone, Redmond, City of Redmond and enterpriseSeattle (2011). Fostering an interactive media and digital arts cluster through education, research, workforce development, entrepreneurship workshops and events, and creation of a regional interactive media accelerator.

King County Financial Services Collaborative, King County, King County and enterpriseSeattle (2011). Growing the financial services industry through regulatory changes, workforce education, domestic and international marketing/promotion, and product differentiation. 

North Olympic Peninsula Innovation Partnership Zone, Clallam/Jefferson Counties, Clallam Economic Development Council (2007). Ocean energy research, technology engineering and development, maritime deployment, operations and maintenance that will deliver sustainable renewable energy from the region’s coastline to the region, state and west coast.

Port of Bellingham Waterfront Innovation Zone, Bellingham, Port of Bellingham (2007). Industrial design, advanced materials and fuel technologies in areas such as clean transportation, marine and renewable energy

Pullman Innovation Partnership Zone, Pullman, Port of Whitman County (2007). Clean information technology and datacenter technologies, smart grid technologies, smart farm and smart home technologies.

South Lake Union Global Health Innovation Partnership Zone, Seattle, City of Seattle (2007). Vaccine and immunology research, cancer research, infectious disease research, medical devices and health technologies.

Spokane University District Innovation Partnership Zone, Spokane, Greater Spokane Incorporated (2007). Biomedical research such as computational biology, bioinformatics, systems biology, epigenetics, genomics, chromosomal biology, and drug discovery and clean energy technologies
 

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Tri-Cities Research District, Richland, Port of Benton (2007). Research in sustainable development, with focus on integrated electrical-thermal production, solar dish generating systems, and commercial-scale fuel cells.  

Urban Clean Water Technology Zone, Tacoma, City of Tacoma (2011). Clean water research and technology transfer including analysis of water pollution in urban environments, stormwater management practices, clean water management applications and policy development.

Urban Business Center for Innovative Partnerships, Auburn, City of Auburn (2011). Sustainable industrial redevelopment.

Walla Walla Valley Innovation Partnership Zone, Walla Walla, City of Walla Walla  (2007). Water conservation and management, wine and hospitality cluster, and alternative energy.