The Whitman County Commissioners have allocated one million dollars to the Port of Whitman County for a proposed commercialization facility in Pullman.

The funding, sourced from the county’s .09 economic development fund derived from local sales tax revenues, will support the port’s Technology Transfer and Commercialization Scaling Facility project located in the Pullman Industrial Park. According to port officials, the facility aims to diversify and enhance the local economy by integrating research initiatives from Washington State University and the University of Idaho. The space is designed for new and existing companies to develop technologies and prepare them for commercial application. A study conducted in 2023 indicated that the facility could generate up to 100 new high-paying jobs within the first five years.

The allocated funds will be distributed over a three-year period to assist with construction costs. It is anticipated that once full funding is secured, the facility will become operational within two years.