By Eric Fetters
Herald Writer
EVERETT — Attracting more technology jobs to Snohomish County will take a few leaders and a specific vision, not just a desire to benefit from the "next big thing."
That was the message to local economic and business leaders Friday from Bob Templin, whose efforts have promoted the growth of Virginia’s high-tech cluster near Washington, D.C.
His Everett presentation was co-hosted by Edmonds Community College and the Snohomish County Economic Development Council.
Templin described how communities can create the right environment for high-tech and biotechnology businesses to thrive.
"The ability to be competitive in the new economy depends on the ability of companies to push innovation to market faster than the competition," he said. "And they don’t do that alone. They draw from the community to do that."
A senior fellow at the Morino Institute and strategic adviser to the American Association of Community Colleges, Templin previously served as president of Virginia’s Center for Innovative Technology. That organization was launched by Virginia lawmakers in 1984 to attract and retain high-tech firms there.
As Snohomish County looks to expand its existing tech corridor and to diversify the economy, the ability to get that done will come down to three things, Templin said. The first requirement is a sense of crisis about its economic condition.
Dave Waggoner, manager of Everett’s Paine Field, said he thinks the crisis already exists, referring to changes at the Boeing Company as "canaries in the coal mine" warning of what else may come.
"The first canary was Boeing taking its corporate headquarters out of here," Waggoner said. "The next canary to die in the coal mine is probably the Sonic Cruiser. We’re poised to win or lose the Sonic Cruiser program, and right now it looks like we’re going to lose."
Templin said the county also needs a core group of business and community leaders working on the program and a "champion" — one person who isn’t afraid to lead the effort to improve the economy and attract new jobs.
"If you don’t have that, it doesn’t work," he said, adding that elected officials cannot be counted on to lead the effort.
Counties that merely try to emulate other successful places also will not succeed, he said. Each needs to determine what industry would be the best fit and chase that specific sector.
Templin warned the local leaders that it can take years to shift a county’s economic base in a new direction. Even when it works, not everything is solved, either. He pointed to the lack of affordable housing, traffic congestion and other problems that are taking root in the technology beltway around Washington, D.C.
"Out of our success, we created a whole new generation of problems," he said. "The question is not if you will have problems. The question is what kind of problems do you want to deal with."
You can call Herald Writer Eric Fetters at 425-339-3453 or send e-mail to fetters@heraldnet.com.
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