By Washington State Department of Commerce
Washington is something of an anomaly. Deviation from the norm and embracing the unexpected is so deeply ingrained in the culture and the people that it permeates every aspect of the economy.
Blame it on being late to the statehood party or the state’s once remote location in Upper Left U.S.A. Early settlers had to rely on one another to survive (with a lot of help from the indigenous people who had lived in the region for thousands of years). Everything and everyone came from someplace else and it could take months for goods, family and friends to arrive from the East, depending on the weather and whims of the passage around Cape Horn.
The societal and economic mores common on the East Coast never took root in Washington. The work was what was important, not your birthright or bank balance. Great ideas were embraced, regardless of where they came from and modified, melded and merged in a culture of constant collaboration and creativity. Creative friction between individuals, competitors and entire industries occurred organically and spontaneously, spurring huge leaps in innovation and ideation.
Perhaps this explains why Washingtonians think and act differently. The status quo is there to be questioned, not institutionalized. Change is the norm, not the exception and new ideas are welcomed from every corner of the state. Convergence Zone – a meteorological term used to explain the unique way the state’s weather mixes as it goes over and around the mountains – also describes Washington’s culture of innovation.
Collaboration On a Collision Course
This Convergence Zone of innovation and ideas has resulted in some of the most iconic products, services and cultural phenomena the world has ever known. The state’s businesses put a latte in one hand, a mobile phone in the other, made world travel affordable for middle-class travelers, brought still hearts back to life, and shredded the music world with grunge and Jimi Hendrix. In the process, Washington has fundamentally changed the way we communicate, compute, commute and connect, often in the most unexpected ways.
- A casual conversation over double tall mochas (no foam) can spawn a new idea that combines groundbreaking research in a tech lab with an emerging need in healthcare.
- Recent airflow research at an aerospace firm can find its way to a boat builder just down the road, making vessels more efficient in the water.
- A farmer may encounter a startup testing a new idea for a drone that ends up being just what she needs to monitor crops, apply fertilizers and even ward off pests.
Creative Friction On All Fronts
While some other states have clung to their reliance on legacy industries – coal, mining, fossil fuels and timber – Washington continues to shift gears, building a vibrant economic future on the shoulders of its proud past. Forest products are still big business, but managed responsibly. Once known for building the most advanced aircraft in the world, Washington’s aerospace industry has added sustainable fuels, propulsion and technologies, space exploration and uncrewed vehicles to its portfolio. The maritime industry has shifted too, focusing on clean technology, sustainable harvest practices and electrified vessels.
Early on, Washington led the way in the information and communication technology revolution, bringing affordable desktop computing to market and building the first cellular networks. Today, savvy startups open their doors across the street from companies like Amazon and Microsoft, exploring new concepts in quantum computing, artificial intelligence, the metaverse, gaming and cloud computing. True to form, new ideas in technology are finding their way into the state’s life science industry, creating a new generation of biodevices, diagnostics and treatments.
The same is true for the state’s clean energy sector. Washington’s ambitious and historic effort to become 100% reliant on non-carbon emitting energy by 2045 is the cornerstone of this bold undertaking. This initiative will require visionary leaders to bring new ideas to market, including radical advances in energy production and storage technologies, grid management and alternative energy supplies such as solar, wind, hydrogen, biomass and tidal.
Rising to Meet the Challenges of Tomorrow
The world continues to be challenged on multiple fronts. From life-robbing diseases and the cataclysmic effects of climate change to knocking down historical barriers to economic opportunity, the need to challenge the status quo and find innovative solutions to age-old problems has never been more important, or pressing.
Washington’s business climate is up to the task. Since its humble beginnings as a pioneer outpost in the Upper Left corner of the U.S. to its global leadership in aerospace, life science, technology, clean tech and agriculture, the state has continually risen to the challenge with fresh ideas that solve the most daunting challenges.
It is what put Washington on the map to begin with. And while no one can predict what will emerge from Washington’s Convergence Zone of Innovation, one thing is certain. It will most certainly change the marketplace, and at times, the world.
To learn more about opportunities in Washington State, contact one of our business or trade specialists at (206) 256-6100 or email us at moreinfo@choosewashingtonstate.com.
