(1) The director shall designate innovation partnership zones on the basis of the following criteria:

     (a) Innovation partnership zones must have three types of institutions operating within their boundaries, or show evidence of planning and local partnerships that will lead to dense concentrations of these institutions:

     (i) Research capacity in the form of a university or community college fostering commercially valuable research, nonprofit institutions creating commercially applicable innovations, or a national laboratory;

     (ii) Dense proximity of globally competitive firms in a research-based industry or industries or of individual firms with innovation strategies linked to (a)(i) of this subsection. A globally competitive firm may be signified through international organization for standardization 9000 or 1400 certification, or other recognized evidence of international success; and

     (iii) Training capacity either within the zone or readily accessible to the zone. The training capacity requirement may be met by the same institution as the research capacity requirement, to the extent both are associated with an educational institution in the proposed zone.

     (b) The support of a local jurisdiction, a research institution, an educational institution, an industry or cluster association, a workforce development council, and an associate development organization, port, or chamber of commerce;

     (c) Identifiable boundaries for the zone within which the applicant will concentrate efforts to connect innovative researchers, entrepreneurs, investors, industry associations or clusters, and training providers. The geographic area defined should lend itself to a distinct identity and have the capacity to accommodate firm growth;

     (d) The innovation partnership zone administrator must be an economic development council, port, workforce development council, city, or county.

     (2) On October 1st of each year, the director shall designate innovation partnership zones on the basis of applications that meet the legislative criteria, estimated economic impact of the zone, evidence of forward planning for the zone, and other criteria as recommended by the Washington state economic development commission. Estimated economic impact must include evidence of anticipated private investment, job creation, innovation, and commercialization. The director shall require evidence that zone applicants will promote commercialization, innovation, and collaboration among zone residents.

     (3) Innovation partnership zones are eligible for funds and other resources as provided by the legislature or at the discretion of the governor.

     (4) If the innovation partnership zone meets the other requirements of the fund sources, then the zone is eligible for the following funds relating to:

     (a) The local infrastructure financing tools program;

     (b) The sales and use tax for public facilities in rural counties; and

     (c) Job skills.

     (5) An innovation partnership zone shall be designated as a zone for a four-year period. At the end of the four-year period, the zone must reapply for the designation through the department.

     (6) The department shall convene annual information sharing events for innovation partnership zone administrators and other interested parties.

     (7) An innovation partnership zone shall provide performance measures as required by the director, including but not limited to private investment measures, job creation measures, and measures of innovation such as licensing of ideas in research institutions, patents, or other recognized measures of innovation. The Washington state economic development commission shall review annually the individual innovation partnership zone's performance measures and make recommendations to the department regarding additional zone designation criteria.

[2007 c 227 § 1.]