▁Base ▁near ▁Air way ▁He ights . ▁The ▁leading ▁indust ries ▁in ▁Sp ok ane ▁for ▁the ▁employed ▁population ▁ 1 6   year s ▁and ▁older ▁were ▁educational ▁services , ▁health ▁care , ▁and ▁social ▁assistance ▁( 2 6 . 5   percent ), ▁ret ail ▁trade ▁( 1 2 . 7   percent ), ▁and ▁arts , ▁entertain ment , ▁recre ation , ▁and ▁accommod ation ▁food ▁services ▁( 1 0 . 4   percent ). ▁As ▁the ▁metropol itan ▁center ▁of ▁the ▁In land ▁North west , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁parts ▁of ▁southern ▁British ▁Columbia ▁and ▁Al berta , ▁Sp ok ane ▁serves ▁as ▁a ▁commercial , ▁manufact uring , ▁transport ation , ▁medical , ▁sho pping , ▁and ▁entertain ment ▁hub . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁the ▁Sp ok ane – Sp ok ane ▁Valley ▁M SA ▁had ▁a ▁gross ▁metropol itan ▁product ▁of ▁$ 2 5 . 5 ▁billion ▁while ▁the ▁Co eur ▁d ' Al ene ▁metropol itan ▁area ▁was ▁$ 5 . 9 3 ▁billion . ▁ ▁As ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁economic ▁development ▁in ▁the ▁Sp ok ane ▁area ▁primarily ▁focus es ▁on ▁prom oting ▁the ▁following ▁indust ries : ▁manufact uring ▁( es pecially ▁a eros pace ▁manufact uring ), ▁health ▁sciences , ▁professional ▁services , ▁information ▁science ▁and ▁technology , ▁fin ance ▁and ▁ins urance ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁clean ▁technology , ▁and ▁digital ▁media . ▁To ▁aid ▁economic ▁development , ▁the ▁eastern ▁branch ▁of ▁In nov ate