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Preliminary Workshop Agenda

The objectives of the Regional, State, and Local Initiatives in Nanotechnology workshop are to promote the continued success of regional, state, and local nanotechnology initiatives; to create economic growth and jobs in the United States; to identify mechanisms for improved technology transfer between researchers and industry; and to provide an opportunity for those who are planning new regional, state, and local initiatives to benefit from the knowledge of those who have already established them.

Thursday November 3 rd

Plenary Session 12:00 to 4:45
Breakout 4:45 to 5:30
Reception and Dinner 5:30 to 7:30

Plenary Session

12:00-12:15 Charge for the workshop
John Sargent , US Department of Commerce, Technology Administration
Sean Murdock , NanoBusiness Alliance

12:15-12:45 Economic Development in the National Nanotechnology Initiative
Celia Merzbacher , Office of Science and Technology Policy and Co-Chair, Nanoscale Science, Engineering, and Technology Subcommittee of the National Science and Technology Council. The Federal role, the importance of local development activities, PCAST recommendations regarding tech transfer

12:45-1:15 Nanotechnology and Economic Development: The Albany Example
Lamar Hill , Director of Business Development, Albany NanoTech

1:15-1:45 Brief presentations introducing initiatives:
Tom Rogers, Innovation Valley Nano Alliance
Jim Mason, Oklahoma Nanotech Initiative
Nik Rokop, Chicago Micro and Nanotechnology Community

1:45-2:15 Panel Discussion: The New Global Reality: Competing for Technology-Based Economic Development in a Global Environment
Moderator: John Sargent ??
Sean Murdock , Executive Director, NanoBusiness Alliance
David Lackner , Lux Research
Richard Seline , New Economy Strategies

2:15-2:30 Break

2:30-3:00 Brief presentations introducing initiatives:
Placid Ferreira, Nano-CEMMS Center, University of Illinois
Shawn Decker, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Center for Accelerated Applications at the Nanoscale
John Martin Jr., Washington Nanotech Initiative

3:00-4:45 Panel: Identifying and Accessing Federal Resources
Moderator: Philip Lippel , National Nanotechnology Coordination Office
C. Robert Sawyer , Regional Director, Economic Development Agency/US Department of Commerce
Charles Russomanno , program officer, Small Business Innovation Research Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of Energy (tentative)
Kristin Bennett , program officer, Nanoscale Science Research Centers, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Department of Energy
Scott McNeil, Director, Nanocharacterization Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health
Sandip Tiwari , Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Cornell University, and Director, National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network (NSF-Sponsored)
Robert Chang , Professor of Materials Science, Northwestern University, and Director, Center for Learning and Teaching in Nanoscale Science and Engineering (NSF-Sponsored)

The Federal government has a wide variety of tools and programs that can help catalyze nanotech cluster development, and help initiative members leverage their assets. Panelists will describe some of these tools and programs, and how regional, state, and local initiatives can facilitate interactions between their members and federal resource providers.

Breakout Sessions

4:45-5:30 Breakout discussion:
Section 1: User facilities and networks
Section 2: Grant programs

Panelists and other representatives of federal resources will answer questions and lead discussion about availability, cost, scheduling of resources; opportunities for collaborations; scope and timing of solicitations and program announcements

Reception and Dinner

5:30-6:00 Reception and Structured Networking (Matching of players based upon alignment of interests into small groups to build rapport and familiarity)

6:00-7:30 Dinner (hosted by NanoBusiness Alliance)
Dinner Spearker: A representative from the State of Illinois will discuss Nanotech development from the State's Perspective

Friday November 4 th

Plenary Panel 8:00-9:30
Breakout 9:30 to 10:15
Plenary Panel 10:45 to 11:45
Breakout 11:45 to 12:30
Working Lunch and Report Drafting 12:30-3:30

8:00-9:00 Panel: State and Local Initiatives: Challenges, Lessons Learned
Some state or local nanotechnology initiatives are just being formed, while others are now hitting their stride. Representatives from both new and established initiatives will explore the challenges of operating at the local or state level.
Moderator: Sean Murdock, NanoBusiness Alliance

Chris Mather, Cleveland Nano Network
Darrel Gubrud, Minnesota Nanotech Initiative
Jim Mason, Oklahoma Nanotech Initiative
John Bedz, Michigan Small Tech Association
Randy Bell, Texas Nanotech Initiative

9:00-9:30 Brief presentations introducing initiatives:
Griff Kundahl, Colorado Nanotech Association
John Hardin, North Carolina Department of Commerce
Thomas McDunn, Rockford Area Ventures

Breakout Session

9:30-10:15 State and Local Breakout.
Challenges for state and local initiatives. Business/operating models. Interacting with and engaging with universities.facilities, personnel, intellectual property. Achieving legitimacy. Other themes identified from initiatives survey.

10:15-10:45 Break

Plenary Panel

10:45-11:45 Panel: Challenges for Regional Partnerships and lessons learned

The mantra in economic development has always been .all economic development is local.. Yet, individual localities are increasingly finding it difficult to compete alone, and are looking to cross traditional governmental boundaries and partner with others in regional alliances. While this model is relatively new, several nanotech initiatives have begun the journey and will explore the benefits and challenges of doing so.
Roy Chaleff - Ben Franklin Technology Partners (BFTP)/Nanotechnology Institute (NTI)/MANA
Skip Rung -Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnologies Institute(ONAMI)
John Martin, Jr. -Washington Nanotechnology Initiative (WNI)
Nancy Vorona -Chesapeake Nanotechnology Initiative (CNI)

Breakout Session

11:45-12:30 Breakout Discussion: Regional Challenges. How does one form networks and partnerships? What about geographies without nearby cluster partners? Other themes identified from initiatives survey.

Tying it all together.

12:30-1:30 Working Lunch

1:30-3:30 All participants are invited to help synthesize the workshop findings and draft the report.

3:30 Adjourn