Reflecting increased interest among business school students in cleantech innovation and investment trends, the Samuel Zell & Robert H. Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business and the Erb Institute for Global and Sustainable Enterprise will co-host the University’s free investment event focused exclusively on this sector. Cleantech 2009: Innovations, Opportunities and Building Business will be held on Friday, Nov. 20 from 7:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. at the University of Michigan Union and is open to the public.
The event kicks off with keynote addresses from national cleantech innovation experts Bruce M. Kahn, Ph.D., director and senior investment analyst at Deutsche Bank Asset Management, and Steven Chalk, chief operating officer, energy efficiency and renewable energy from the U.S. Department of Energy. Their presentations will cover emerging trends in cleantech, investment opportunities and the U.S. regulatory environment.
Two panel discussions will follow. The first, “Current Investment Spaces,” will be moderated by Dr. Peter Adriaens, professor of entrepreneurship with a primary appointment in Civil and Environmental Engineering, and joint appointments in the School of Natural Resources and Environment and the Ross School of Business. This session will explore technology, financing, policies and other specific aspects of development related to specific markets within cleantech, including wind, solar and energy storage. Panelists include experts from Environmental Law and Policy Center, Nth Power, Sakti3 and Accio Energy.
The second panel will focus on the role of the State of Michigan in developing today’s cleantech industry. This panel will be moderated by Thomas P. Lyon, director of the Erb Institute, and will feature experts from NextEnergy, Shepherd Advisors and the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth.
“There is tremendous potential for cleantech to prosper in Michigan, with the support of a robust research corridor at universities within the region, access to existing manufacturing capabilities and infrastructure, and policies that promote the long term sustainability of the industry in the Midwest,” said Adriaens. “The symposium will bring together many of the industry’s top experts, investors and policymakers, as well as promising startups and students interested in the space, for candid conversations on how to advance innovation in this nascent sector and develop a hub for cleantech here in our backyard.”
Realizing the economic potential in this market sector and the need for education in this space, the University has launched a number of courses, programs and campus initiatives to foster research and business development in cleantech, including the pioneering Cleantech Venture Assessment course, clean energy tracks in the Michigan Business Challenge and cleantech investments through the University’s two student-led venture funds.
