The Inland Northwest Technology Education Center, or Intec, says it is close to announcing a new strategy for helping the Spokane area bolster high-tech employment by focusing more attention on what it calls energy technologies.


Randy Long, the nonprofit organizations chief executive officer, says the Inland Northwest has a concentration of technology-related companies that are involved with the energy industryperhaps more of a cluster here than anywhere else in the Northwest.


Among those companies are LineSoft Inc., Itron Inc., Itronix Corp., Avista Labs, Avista Advantage, all based here, and Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories Inc., in Pullman.


They form a pretty darn good nucleus for us, says Long, who was named Intecs CEO last fall. Now how can we get a synergy out of those companies?


Long is keeping mum about how Intec will pursue that strategy, hinting only that the organization is pursuing funding sources and is doing further study on the industry. He says the organization will announce the strategy around April 1.


Intec already knows that the strategy would include a training componentin keeping with the young organizations mission of organizing high-tech education and training programsbut it also could end up being broader than that, Long says. In November, Intec signed a partnership agreement to help the Spokane Area Economic Development Council attract and retain technology-related jobs, though that effort isnt focused on energy technology.


The timing is right for Intec to pursue a strategy in energy technologies, says Long, especially considering last years run-up in energy prices and new calls for conservation and alternative energy production.


Discussions about the new strategy began more than a year ago, and have gained momentum in recent weeks, says Long, who prior to joining Intec was human resources director at LineSoft, a software developer for the power industry.