Washington Business Winter 2019 | Washington Business | Page 19

washington business NewSpace Conference Highlights Washington’s Opportunity to Seize on Growing Space Sector The Space Frontier Foundation held its annual NewSpace conference in Renton in June. The three-day gathering included a presentation from Aerospace Futures Alliance President and CEO Kally Maloney about the opportunities the space sector represents for Washington if stakeholders work together. The sector represents $1.76 billion in economic impact to the state with 6,200 direct jobs in Washington state, according to a new study. The space economy is at a tipping point, Jeff Feige, chairman of the Space Frontier Foundation, the conference sponsor, said in his opening remarks. He explained how private competition is lowering the cost of launching things into space so dramatically, and that new ambitions for space have become possible, sparking a new wave of entrepreneurship. AWB Government Affairs Director Clay Hill attended the conference and reported back on the discussion. On AWB’s Olympia Business Watch blog, Hill explained how other states, such as California, Texas, Colorado and Florida, and other countries are racing at 10 times the speed of Washington state to capture NASA Small Business & Innovation Research grants to seize on the growing space sector. As an aerospace hub and Passages: Paul Allen, Microsoft Co-founder and Civic Benefactor home to two prominent space companies, Hill said Pa u l A l l e n , c o -f o u n d e r o f Washington lawmakers, to Microsoft and an eclectic investor date, have not been receptive in business, technology and civic to capitalizing on the life, died Oct. 15 of non-Hodgkin’s opportunity to grow the sector: lymphoma. He was 65. “Unfortunately, Washington Tributes quickly poured in for policymakers seem quite cool Allen, whose interests led him to to advancing initiatives to show support sports teams, rock music, policy support for the space w i l d l i f e c o n s e r va t i o n , b ra i n industry. This year, a Senate research, and much more. bill sponsored by the industry “I met Paul Allen when I was in 7th grade, and it changed my life,” Microsoft to provide a capped amount co-founder Bill Gates wrote on his Gates Notes blog, saying he looked up of business and occupation to Allen, who was two years ahead of him in school, tall, and a genius with tax credits for research and computers. He added that a few years later, “At an age when other high school development in advanced kids were sneaking out of the house to go partying, Paul and I would sneak out spacecraft manufacturing at night to go use the computers in a lab at the University of Washington. It received a public hearing but sounds geeky, and it was, but it was also a formative experience, and I’m not failed to move out of the state sure I would have had the courage to do it without Paul.” Senate Economic Development The Seattle Times Editorial Board, in eulogizing Allen and “his extraordinary, and International Trade eclectic mix of business, scientific and artistic interests,” also asked if the region Committee.” is sustaining the types of schools, neighborhoods, universities and political Read the full recap of the climate necessary to remain a fertile ground for raising world-changing conference here: http:// bit. entrepreneurs. ly/SpaceSectorWA. For more Aside from philanthropy, Allen is known for his robust investment in Pacific information on the space sector Northwest sports teams: The Seattle Seahawks, the Seattle Sounders FC and and legislation to support it, the Portland Trail Blazers. contact Hill at [email protected] or 360.943.1600. winter 2019 19