Executive Brief - May 2024: An AI Center of Excellence in Oregon?

When I was in Salem yesterday with Governor Kotek for a bill signing ceremony for Oregon’s new “right to repair” bill, she joked that we seemed to be spending a lot of time together.  To be sure, we are also spending part of this morning together in Wilsonville.  Kidding aside, the Governor continues to demonstrate that she is serious about economic development in Oregon.

This morning TAO will be joining fellow founding members BlueGreen Alliance, Oregon Business Council, Oregon Business for Climate and Oregon Environmental Council for the inaugural meeting of the Oregon Clean Technology Task Force.  This focused business initiative was first announced by the Governor’s Office at last month’s WINGS Climate Tech Conference, organized at PSU by TAO and Climate Curious with support from a host of different organizations.  

Governor Kotek and Senator Wyden will be co-chairing the task force, and they are eager to build on the recent success of the Semiconductor Task Force. In the coming months, the task force will develop recommendations to position Oregon to access significant federal funding focused on clean tech manufacturing, as well as improve Oregon’s competitiveness in attracting, expanding and sustaining new and existing clean energy technology companies.  

Members of Oregon’s federal delegation are also serious about economic development and innovation.  

In addition to Senator Wyden, Congresswoman Bonamici will address the Clean Tech Task Force this morning.  And after that, Congresswoman Bonamici will also host a roundtable with TAO members to discuss her work on the newly-formed Congressional AI Task Force, including recommendations for federal AI policies and AI opportunities here in Oregon.  

Few opportunities for Oregon are bigger than a vision that combines the power of AI capabilities with climate tech innovation.  This was called out by NVIDIA’s founder and CEO, Jensen Huang, during his remarks last month at Oregon State University.  It is also a cornerstone of TAO’s strategic initiatives that we have been working on over the past couple of years.  And we are just getting started.

This image provides a nice visualization of what constitutes the “AI Stack”:

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What I like about this visualization (shout-out to Andrew Desmond for sharing it) is that it includes energy.  The computational power involved in processing AI models requires a lot of Senergy.  

Climate tech innovation must go hand-in-hand with AI innovation.  The EDA Tech Hub designation awarded to OSU for microfluidics (with applications in semiconductors/AI, climate tech and biotech with collaboration from OHSU, UO, etc.), the NSF Regional Innovation Engine initiative at OSU focused on semiconductor innovation, the new Collaborative Innovation Complex at OSU that will feature a world-class supercomputer–these are just some of the initiatives currently underway that have the potential to significantly elevate Oregon’s capabilities within the Compute layer, not to mention all of the CHIPS Act funding awarded to all of the semiconductor companies pursuing R&D in Oregon.

We need to foster cleantech energy innovation in Oregon alongside anything related to innovation in Compute, Data, and Models.  TAO is a member of the Powerize Consortium, which was formed by PSU as part of the EDA Tech Hub study grant awarded last year.  This work is focused on energy storage systems and grid modernization.  We are also one of the founding members of the Oregon Climate Tech Task Force focusing on policy and economic incentive recommendations to further strengthen Oregon's energy manufacturing sector and position Oregon to secure a share of the $60B available in the federal IRA to support climate tech manufacturing.  

Each of these “layers” of the AI Stack present opportunities for research, commercialization, startup formation, and workforce development.  Notably, each of Oregon’s higher ed institutions–public, private and community colleges–have workforce development programs that are relevant to one or more of these “layers”.  Through TAO’s work on the Future Ready Oregon Tech Consortium, service on the Workforce & Talent Development Board, and individually with our higher ed and workforce investment board partners, as well as partnerships with organizations like OBC, we are working to align and coordinate as many of these efforts as possible in service to this larger vision.  

When it comes to research, commercialization and startup formation, climate is one among multiple potential applications of the AI Stack should one be created in Oregon.  A strong case could also be made for human health and wellness.  Another potential area is govtech / infrastructure (urban planning, public health, the built environment, transportation planning, etc.).  To be sure, Oregon’s public universities have compelling research capabilities in these areas.  

Gradually, and so far relatively quietly, the building blocks for a formidable AI Stack at the center of an AI Center of Excellence are being assembled here in Oregon.  These projects don’t happen without political support, a sense of urgency, and a lot of people and organizations moving in the same direction.  We have the political will, a sense of urgency, and more and more people and organizations in the region are starting to move in the same direction.  This window of opportunity is not a large one, and we are not the only state jockeying for position. Will this be yet another clever plan that sits on a shelf or a bunch of under-funded projects pursued in isolation from one another?  Or will this be our moment to quickly align around a common vision and execute it better than any other state?  

We need your support.  If you would like to explore getting involved, please send me an email.

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