Up until the late 1970s, Washington, D.C., still operated with the mindset of a government town. Today, that is changing.

For one, the D.C. metro area is the 11th-largest exporting region in the United States. It offers the highest concentration of technology workers in the nation. There are over 700 foreign-owned firms in the Greater Washington Region.

Add to that the fact Greater D.C. has the country's largest percentage of the adult population with at least a college degree.

Growing technology sector sparks growth

With 12,183 high-tech companies, Greater Washington D.C., ranks first in the country in the number of tech firms. Among those top businesses are Lockheed-Martin, General Dynamics, American Online, Danaher Corp., Nextel Communications, Fairchild Corp., Life Technologies, Spacehab Inc. and CACI International.

Biotechnology is also strong in the area, with more than 30,000 professionals in biotech fields. The city's proximity to the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration are contributing factors. Prominent firms include Cellmark Diagnostics, Genetric Therapy, Human Genome Sciences and Microbiological Associates.

Netplex a real shining star

One of the jewels in Greater Washington's technology crown is the "Netplex," a 20-square-mile area in northern Virginia and southern Maryland, with a concentration of firms specializing in advanced data communications, switching and networking.

"This economy is connected to the world," said John R. Tydings, head of the Greater Washington Board of Trade. "It's diverse, certainly within the area of technology."

The area also doesn't lack for educational institutions. Tydings pointed to the University of Maryland at College Park, George Mason University and George Washington University as examples of schools that offer excellent courses in science engineering and computer science.

The local utility, Potomac Electric Power Co. (PEPCO), is helping firms locate in the area and plug into incentives available from a host of sources.

Focus on rebuilding city's core

The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development is involved in a host of programs to revitalize less developed areas of Washington, D.C., that will not only benefit living conditions there, but bring life back into the heart of the city.

One such effort is the East of the River Revitalization Public Initiative Strategy for Ward 7. This project has already resulted in 2,400 affordable homes and apartment units

being constructed.

Other programs include the Washington, D.C. Marketing Center, a public-private partnership set up to promote and market the District of Columbia as the premier city in the region and nation in which to conduct business, live, shop, seek education and health care and enjoy world-class museums and cultural attractions.

Another program, the Digital Capital Alliance, is the Mayor's advisory group on high-technology issues in the district. The Alliance consists of the leaders of district-based technology companies.

Some companies represented include XM Satellite Radio, BET Holdings, Blackboard.com, Venturehouse Group, Doceus.com, Adrenaline Group, SmarThinking.com and DCVentureNet. Their input has been invaluable in building the technology sector in the District.

Areas of discussion include policy, regulatory reform, infrastructure improvements, funding and real estate and facility challenges.

Another area of focus is how the district can better market itself internally and externally to the technology industry.

The newest tool in the District of Columbia's economic development arsenal is the National Capital Revitalization Corp. (NCRC), an entrepreneurial real estate development company. The NCRC is authorized to acquire and assemble parcels of land for development, issue bonds and enter into partnerships with private industry to bring prosperity to some of the area's most under-served neighborhoods.