Two nationally acclaimed universities anchor the corridor: Oregon State University to the north and the University of Oregon to the south. Frequent collaboration on a range of programs and study areas occurs between the two schools. Lane Community College and Linn-Benton Community College complement the sophisticated research and educational offerings of the universities. These two-year colleges work closely with area businesses and private industry councils to create vocational programs that respond to the needs of specific industries.

The corridor has all of the characteristics and assets to help technology-based companies grow and prosper. The number of new businesses and industries has grown steadily, and significant additional growth is expected. SWRC is working to continue the region's investment in educational institutions and community infrastructure to preserve this regional advantage.

SWRC members are collaborating on enhanced job training programs to improve the employment opportunities for residents of the Corridor and provide a foundation for business development. SWRC members are working to increase the extension of the broadband telecommunications network throughout the Corridor.

The SWRC consortium came together to advance the prospects of the region, to assure that its advantages are better known, and to assist in preserving and enhancing the region's advantages for high tech development. The SWRC consortium itself works to be one of the region's assets. The SWRC consortium is governed by the Board of Directors, which has representatives from all SWRC members. The detailed management and direction of the consortium is provided by the SWRC Executive Committee.

The current membership of the Executive Committee is:

Chair: Ellen Volmert, City of Corvallis
Vice Chair: George Dooley, U.S. Department of Energy, Albany Research Center
Member: Mary Spilde, Lane Community College
Member: Marcy Eastham, Hewlett Packard
Member: Dave Frohnmayer, University of Oregon
Member: Richard Linton, Ph.D., University of Oregon
Member: Doris Johnston, Pacific Power & Light
Member: Edward Ray, Oregon State University
Member: Richard Holdren, Ph.D., Oregon State University