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| Oregon Technology Business Center | |
|---|---|
| Name | Oregon Technology Business Center |
| Type | non-profit technology incubator |
| Founded | 1980s |
| Headquarters | Hillsboro, Oregon |
| Region served | Oregon, United States |
| Focus | technology commercialization, startup incubation |
Oregon Technology Business Center is a private nonprofit technology incubator and real estate manager in Oregon, United States. It provides infrastructure, business development services, and commercialization support to startups and emerging firms in semiconductor, software, cleantech, and advanced manufacturing sectors. The organization connects innovators to capital, supply chains, and research institutions across the Pacific Northwest.
The organization was established in the 1980s amid regional efforts to leverage investments by Intel Corporation, Tektronix, Hewlett-Packard, Oregon State University, and Portland State University to retain high-technology jobs. Early initiatives aligned with programs from the Economic Development Administration, Oregon Department of Commerce, and local development agencies such as the Port of Portland and Port of Hillsboro. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s it expanded facilities during technology booms tied to ventures from Mentor Graphics, Precision Castparts, FLIR Systems, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and collaborations with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Responses to the dot-com contraction involved partnerships with Small Business Administration loan programs, National Science Foundation grants, and workforce retraining efforts linked to Community Colleges of Portland and Lane Community College. In the 2010s it refocused on cleantech and microelectronics startups connected to initiatives at Oregon Health & Science University, Columbia River Economic Development Council, Ecovative Design, and Silicon Forest clusters. Recent events engaged state initiatives such as those from Governor of Oregon offices, Oregon Innovation Council, and federal programs including the Department of Energy Advanced Manufacturing Office.
The mission centers on accelerating commercialization through incubation, acceleration, and facility leasing, aligning with regional innovation strategies from Portland Development Commission, World Trade Center Portland, and Business Oregon. Core programs include mentorship drawn from executives at Nike, Inc., Columbia Sportswear, Intel Corporation, and startup accelerators modeled after Y Combinator, Techstars, and Plug and Play Tech Center. Business assistance leverages curricula and intellectual property support from University of Oregon, Oregon Health & Science University, and tech transfer offices such as Oregon State University Research Office. Capital access programs interface with Oregon Angel Fund, Angel Oregon, Cascade Angels, Ben Franklin Technology Partners, and venture firms like Pioneer Capital, DFJ, and Sequoia Capital-affiliated investors. Workforce development collaborates with Worksystems, Inc., Portland Community College, Reed College, and professional networks such as Oregon Entrepreneurs Network and Startup Grind Portland.
Property holdings include multi-tenant labs, cleanrooms, and incubator offices proximate to semiconductor fabs owned by Intel Corporation and electronics firms such as ON Semiconductor. Facilities feature wet labs similar to those at Massachusetts Institute of Technology spinouts, and fabrication spaces comparable to SEMATECH consortia facilities. Campus locations are near transportation nodes like Port of Portland terminals and highways connecting to Portland International Airport. Real estate management echoes models used by Research Triangle Park, Stanford Research Park, and Cambridge Science Park, providing flexible leases to startups spun out of Oregon Health & Science University, Oregon State University, Portland State University, and private research labs including Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Environmental upgrades reference standards by U.S. Green Building Council and certifications akin to LEED.
Collaborations span academia, industry, and public agencies: academic partners include Oregon State University, University of Oregon, Portland State University, and Oregon Health & Science University; industrial partners include Intel Corporation, Mentor Graphics, FLIR Systems, and Precision Castparts; public partners include Business Oregon, Port of Portland, and county economic development offices. It participates in consortia with Microelectronics Education Center, SEMATECH, CleanTech Alliance, and regional clusters such as Silicon Forest and PNW Tech Alliance. International linkages mirror ties with Japan External Trade Organization, Trade and Investment Queensland, and trade missions coordinated by U.S. Commercial Service. It also works with capital providers including Ben Franklin Technology Partners, Oregon Angel Fund, and federal programs like Economic Development Administration grants.
Measured outcomes include job creation, tenant scaling, and successful exits. Alumni companies have obtained financing from National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation SBIR awards, and venture rounds from firms like Kleiner Perkins, Benchmark, and Andreessen Horowitz. Exits include acquisitions by multinational corporations such as Thermo Fisher Scientific, Google, and Microsoft Corporation-affiliated entities. Regional impacts track with metrics used by Bureau of Labor Statistics and U.S. Census Bureau analyses showing contributions to high-tech employment in Washington County, Oregon and the Portland metropolitan area. Economic development reports cite spinouts that engaged supply chains with Precision Castparts, Nike, Inc., and semiconductor suppliers linked to Applied Materials and Lam Research.
Governance is typically overseen by a board with representatives from academia, industry, and finance, drawing directors from organizations such as Intel Corporation, Oregon State University, University of Oregon, Port of Portland, and Oregon Business Council. Funding sources include lease revenues, philanthropic gifts from entities like Meyer Memorial Trust and Oregon Community Foundation, grants from Economic Development Administration, USDA Rural Development, and programmatic support from Ben Franklin Technology Partners and Oregon Innovation Council. Financial partnerships have included credit facilities with regional banks such as U.S. Bank, KeyBank, and investment from venture partners including Pioneer Capital and Portland Seed Fund.
Category:Organizations based in Oregon