Agricultural, technology and business interests will converge at the Future of the Bio-Industry Summit being held May 21 in the Memorial Union at North Dakota State University.
The theme of the summit is “Feed, Fuel, Heal and Build the World.” It will explore advances, trends and opportunities in bioenergy, bioproducts, biomaterials, biotechnology, and biomedical technology and products.
“The summit was developed to show the breadth of products that can be created from biological materials, the opportunities that exist for bio-based industry, and some of the local bioindustries and research,” says NDSU professor and Extension Service agricultural engineer Ken Hellevang, who organized the event. “The summit features national and local speakers with ample time for networking.”
The summit is designed to answer questions on how organic-based technology serves as an economic driver in the region, and how innovators and economic developers can capitalize on the opportunities in the region’s abundant resources.
The NDSU Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Department, Bioscience Association of North Dakota, Red River Valley Research Corridor and North Dakota Commerce Department are sponsoring this event.
The summit will open with registration and a continental breakfast at 7:45 a.m., followed by a welcome and summit overview from NDSU President Dean Bresciani; Ken Grafton, NDSU’s vice president for Agriculture, dean of the College of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Natural Resources, and director of the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station; and John Ballentine of the Bioscience Association of North Dakota.
Steve Padgette, vice president of biotechnology at Monsanto, will be the keynote speaker. He will speak at 8:45 a.m.
Other speakers and their topics are:
- Cathy Enright, executive vice president for food and agriculture for Biotechnology Industry Organization – the state of the bioindustry
- Sandra Broekema, Great River Energy, and Neil Doty, Corn Utilization Council – bio-based product potential
- Edward Glatzer, managing director of technology and analysis at IHS Chemical – economic potential of ethanol derivatives and other biochemcials
- Marvin Duncan, former agricultural economist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Chief Economist – evaluating product opportunities
- Chad Ulven, c2renew Corp., and Richard Glynn, Avianax LLC – homegrown companies and their strategies for success
- Brendan Jordan, vice president of the Great Plains Institute – advancing the biochemical industry
- Kelly Rusch, NDSU vice president for Research and Creative Activity, and Michael Moore, University of North Dakota associate vice president for IP Commercialization and Economic Development – research activities
The cost to attend the summit is $100 if you register by April 30 and $125 after that date. Students may attend free of charge.
Source:ndsu.edu