From May 14-19, 2023, PSRC hosted the Americas Competitiveness Exchange (ACE) after months of preparation and coordination by PSRC staff with federal, local, and OAS partners. The Washington State Department of Commerce provided key financial support to make the program a success. Greater Seattle ACE brought together 60 senior-level government, business, policy, and economic decision-makers from over 20 countries, primarily from the Americas, to experience the diverse range of projects, strategic investments, public-private partnerships and best practices from the region’s economic, innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem. ACE delegates visited King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish counties across a weeklong tour of the central Puget Sound region.
Delegates met with private sector companies such as Amazon, Boeing, Microsoft, Starbucks, Aviation Technical Services and SAFE Boats. The program included panels on the region’s aerospace industry, aerospace fuel sustainability and tourism and arts economic development. The delegates toured the region’s strategic economic anchors, such as Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Port of Bremerton, Port of Everett and Port of Tacoma. They also visited the region’s educational, research and innovation hubs at the UW’s CoMotion Labs, Clean Energy Test Beds and Global Innovation Exchange, UW Tacoma, Center for Urban Waters, the 5G Agricultural Field Labs at Swans Trail Farms and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center.
Every day of the Greater Seattle ACE, receptions were held to connect the delegates with local leaders and brief them on the region’s history, culture, wine and industry. The Amazon Spheres, Chateau Ste. Michelle, Future of Flight and Suquamish Tribe were among the gracious sites for the receptions.
In total, Greater Seattle ACE delegates met over 130 local elected officials, business leaders and economic development staff on their over 330-mile journey in the central Puget Sound region. For more information on the delegates, locations and to see video recaps of each day’s programming, visit the ACE Greater Seattle website.