VANCOUVER — The heads of British Columbia and Washington state say investing in an innovation corridor between the two jurisdictions will bolster state-of-the-art research efforts, which they predict will one day lead researchers to find a cure for cancer.
Premier Christy Clark and Governor Jay Inslee trumpeted both the success and the potential of strengthening cross-border collaboration between B.C. and Washington state at the Emerging Cascadia Innovation Corridor Conference in Vancouver.
The leaders also floated the possibility of developing joint academic degree programs, which could be started on one side of the border and finished on the other, as well as linking PhD certificates to offers of citizenship.
Signed an MOU with @GovInslee, furthering our partnership with #Washington to expand BCs innovative #tech sector. https://t.co/meyncrMDUj pic.twitter.com/HFOq1FRECP
— Christy Clark (@christyclarkbc) September 20, 2016
Clark and Inslee's speeches focused heavily on past successes as both leaders gear up in the coming months to face voters for re-election.
Clark drew laughter and applause when she referenced the common features of Washington state and B.C., including an abundance of rain, mountains and ocean, as well as opposition to U.S. presidential hopeful Donald Trump.
Bill Gates, the renowned co-founder of computer giant Microsoft, is scheduled to speak to the group of business and government leaders later today.
