The U-M Community is invited to a two-day workshop on Revitalizing Innovation in Michigan for Clean Energy Manufacturing in the Michigan League April 21 and April 22, 2011.
This special event is being presented by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation in collaboration with Ann Arbor SPARK. Co-sponsors include: The School of Natural Resources and Environment, the Michigan Memorial Phoenix Energy Institute, Office of the Vice President for Research, and the Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise.
Continuous innovation in manufacturing is essential for maintaining U.S. economic leadership in an intensively competitive global market. Innovations in the production of advanced batteries, motors, controllers, lighting devices, wind machines, photovoltaic modules, and other clean energy products is critical to meeting U.S. energy and environmental goals.
Though Michigan’s research infrastructure suffered during the deep recession that forced major cutbacks in the research funded by the auto industry, the state has leveraged local investment, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding, and the strengths of its universities to begin rapidly rebuilding manufacturing by investing in new industries. Many of these new investments are in clean energy, and the DOE is interested in learning from this natural experiment in rapid rebuilding of R&D and manufacturing capability.
Key questions for exploring how to create an ecosystem of innovation throughout the state:
- What will enable and accelerate innovation in R&D and advanced manufacturing in Michigan? What cross-cutting, catalytic collaborations should be created between universities, laboratories, manufacturers and government?
- How can the University community accelerate the commercialization of clean energy technologies developed at universities? Where are the weak links? Can other University entrepreneurial efforts play a role?
- How can the University Research Corridor, Next Energy and Ann Arbor SPARK contribute to speed, innovation and deployment? What role does/should the DOE-funded Industrial Assessment Center play?
- How caneffective, low-cost, long-term financial support for advanced manufacturing and project deployment be built that is less dependent on state and federal funding? What is the most effective means of attracting venture capital?
- How can the local, state and federal government help?
A two-day workshop bringing leaders and students to campus to discuss ways to:
- Revitalize the innovation infrastructure of Michigan in ways that take maximum advantage of new investments
- Define the roles that can be played by Michigan’s universities to foster innovative R&D/entrepreneurial behavior on campus and in the community
- Invite venture capital and other funding sources to consider leveraging against state/local sources
- Engage the technology community in new and existing industries
Goals:
- Spur innovation, demonstration, commercialization and diffusion of advanced technologies that support our clean energy, automobile and other core industries
- Nurture a culture of startups and other groups who can help move ideas from laboratories to new businesses and jobs.
- Accelerate advanced manufacturing, clean energy technologies and materials science to enhance the region’s growing supply chain for renewable energy equipmen.
Additional contact information: Bruno Vanzieleghem, MMPEI (brunov@umich.edu).