Focusing on Innovation and Community Relations
business, camas, sharp, sharp laboratories of america inc., sharp labs, technology, vancouver,
Sharp Laboratories of America Inc. has made a positive impact on Clark County since it came to Camas in 1995, not only diversifying the economy with high-tech jobs, but also working to develop the local workforce of tomorrow.
Sharp Labs, which is part of the global research and development network for Sharp Corp., came to Southwest Washington after Sharp Microelectronics of the Americas was established here in the 1980s. A subsidiary of Sharp Electronics Corp. in Mahwah, N.J., Sharp Labs in Camas was the first U.S-based lab for the company. The applied research division’s goal is to develop ideas to improve the ways people interact with and benefit from the company’s technology. Since its founding, Sharp Labs has filed more than 2,000 patent applications.
Besides innovating new products, Sharp also aims to make an even more direct impact locally.
“We have a goal of helping the community,” says Jack Van Oosterhout, president and CEO of Sharp Laboratories of America Inc. in Camas.
Sharp Labs is known for generous donations to various organizations and entities, including local arts organizations and schools.
In fact, a major focus of corporate giving is for educational initiatives. On that front, Sharp Labs has several programs in place for high school students.
“We have an internship program for students who have completed advanced placement classes,” Van Oosterhout says. “It helps encourage their development in the science and engineering fields.”
Sharp Labs has internship programs for university students, too, and there is a larger, worldwide program that supports PhD students working in the science, math and engineering fields.
“We want students to think about a future in science and engineering,” Oosterhout says.
Story by Michael Kelly
Photo by Brian McCord
