Innovation for Public Benefit

With support from the Hoveida Family Foundation, WSAS hosted a Thought Leaders Seminar Series to explore how Washington might more deliberately aim research and innovation at public benefit.

About the Series

Washington has a world-class innovation ecosystem: research strength, technology leadership, a strong economy, creativity, an ingrained sense of possibility, and global reach. This series explored how we might more deliberately aim these strengths at our region’s critical needs— from energy systems that meet economic, environmental, and community goals to vibrant communities with access to healthcare and economic opportunities.

Many across the state, nation, and world are working hard to translate research and technology for public impact. Through this seminar series, we learned from those who are leading this work and from scholars studying innovation about what makes that translation succeed.

Rethinking Regional Innovation Ecosystems

Thursday, September 3, 2026, 12:00-1:00 PM

Conventionally, innovation means turning new ideas into products, services, and companies, with success measured in patents, startups, capital raised, and jobs. By those measures Washington ranks among the most innovative places on earth. But markets deliver what people will pay for, not always what a region most needs, and no single product or company can address a complex challenge on its own. This session asked what the public benefits of coordinated research and innovation actually are, what promotes or inhibits them, and how we might measure them. Drawing on the scholarship of public-value and mission-oriented innovation, it considered how a “public value” frame could change the outcomes we pursue and how we define success.

  • Innovation for Public Value: A Reframe. Barry Bozeman, Regents Professor Emeritus, Arizona State University
  • Increasing Public Benefit of Research in Washington. Jodi Sandfort, Dean, Evans School of Public Policy and Governance, University of Washington
  • Lessons from Regional Innovation Hubs. Erwin Gianchandani, Assistant Director, NSF Technology Innovation and Partnerships

Moderated by Lee Huntsman, President Emeritus, University of Washington and WSAS Board Member

Innovation in Regional Energy Systems

Wednesday, September 16, 2026, 12:00-1:00 PM

What counts as success in energy innovation? Not just technologies commercialized, but increased energy reliability, reduced environmental impacts, and fair energy prices. The energy transition spans generation, distribution, transmission, and storage, and it is shaped by decisions about land use, siting, workforce, utility rates, and technology choices. This session looked at what it takes to innovate at a systems level with multiple goals in mind. The conversation drew on global examples of energy systems innovation, innovations for permitting and siting infrastructure, and distinctive opportunities for energy systems innovation in Washington.

  • Innovation for Energy Siting and Permitting. Kurt Beckett, Chair, Washington State Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council
  • Global Examples of Public Value Energy System Innovation. David Hart, Professor Emeritus, George Mason University and Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations
  • Energy Systems Planning for Multiple Goals. Deborah Smith, former CEO of Seattle City Light

Moderated by Michael Kintner-Meyer, Electrical Engineer, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and WSAS Member

Translating Research for Health Benefits

Thursday, September 24, 2026, 12:00-1:00 PM

Entire fields have grown up around methods to move discoveries into therapies and research evidence into practice. This session brought scholars and practitioners of research translation into conversation, asking what they have learned, where their approaches could be integrated more deliberately across disciplines, and how we might apply them to close the gap between research and benefits for Washington residents and communities.

  • Rethinking Biomedical Research. Stephen Friend, President, 4YouandMe and Chairman, Sage Bionetworks
  • Implementing Evidence-Informed Technologies and Approaches. David Chambers, Deputy Director for Implementation Science, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute
  • Engaging Communities in Health Research. Amanda Boyd, Professor and Director for Native American Programs, Washington State University and WSAS Board Member

Moderated by Judith Wasserheit, Professor Emerita of Global Health and Medicine, University of Washington and WSAS Board Member

Discussions with Regional Leaders

Thursday, October 8, 2026

The series concluded with a panel of state leaders describing opportunities they see for research and technology to contribute to public impact, especially in health and energy. Participants then moved into interactive roundtables to better understand state needs, learn from each other about innovative approaches, and discuss what could be done in Washington state to better connect research with innovations in technology, policy, and practice for public benefit.