On Friday, officials with the city of Vancouver said the designation will lead to marketable products, company formation and jobs.
“We are thrilled with the statewide designation, which will allow us to brand this part of the state as a hotbed for innovation in applied digital technology research and business,” said Chad Eiken, community and economic development director for the city of Vancouver, in a press release.
“Together, locally, we will build the connection between colleges and businesses to develop new technologies, create a steady supply of locally trained talent and jobs for them to land in, expand infrastructure to grow our area’s technology industries, and bring new technology applications and products to market,” he added.
With the IPZ designation in tow, city officials said a “Digital Technology Accelerator” program will attract new employers to the following two zones to grow the technology sector:
- Downtown Vancouver – Seen as a prime location for creative innovators, as the small digital and software workforce increasingly gravitates to urban core environments.
- East Vancouver – On the 192nd Ave. corridor at Highway 14, Vancouver and Camas are already home to global and national high tech companies. Officials expect IPZ projects to help open up new markets for existing technologies and attract new businesses.
Agencies working with the city of Vancouver to obtain the four-year IPZ designation include the city of Camas, Washington State University Vancouver, Clark College, Columbia River Economic Development Council, Camas-Washougal Economic Development Association, Southwest Workforce Development Council, Wacom Technology Corp and Woobox.
