Press Releases
October 8, 2007
Technology Transforming ND Landscape, Conrad Says
State's Economic Prosperity Depends on Tapping into New Technologies
Fargo – In a speech today before the region’s business and community leaders Senator Kent Conrad encouraged them to explore investments in business technology – creating new jobs and expanding economic opportunity throughout North Dakota.
“We are living in an age in which technology is transforming the economic landscape of the nation,” Senator Conrad said. “Our economic prosperity depends on tapping into new ideas and new technologies and putting them to work here in North Dakota.”
Senator Conrad joined leaders from industry, academia and government at the Ninth Annual Great Plains Technology Conference and Trade Show to discuss and debate trends in business and technology. The conference was organized by Senator Byron Dorgan, the Chamber of Commerce of Fargo Moorhead, the Information Technology Council of North Dakota, and Spider and Co.
Speakers joining Senator Conrad included several business and community leaders from across the nation, including Dr. Thomas Hunter, President and Laboratories Director of Sandia National Laboratories and Kyle Warnick of Microsoft.
Senator Conrad, who is a senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, discussed how he is working with his colleagues to draft the 2007 Farm Bill with an emphasis on the development of new technologies devoted to renewable fuels like cellulosic ethanol, which can be derived from virtually any type of plant material found across North Dakota’s landscape.
“This is an exciting time for North Dakota’s energy, technology and agriculture sectors,” Senator Conrad said. “Our state is on track to develop the breakthrough technologies to convert our farm products into fuel. North Dakota can be the leader in securing our nation’s energy independence.”
Senator Conrad is the chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Energy, Science and Technology.
