Agriculture, technology and industry interests will converge during the 2015 Bioindustry Summit scheduled May 28 in the Memorial Union on the NDSU campus.
The summit will explore changing market, technological and political conditions and their impacts on the region's bioeconomy.
"With volatile energy and agricultural commodity prices, interest in value-added opportunities is growing," says David Ripplinger, NDSU assistant professor and bioenergy specialist. "The summit is a premier venue for farmers, innovators, entrepreneurs, academics and government to meet."
The summit is sponsored by NDSU, the NDSU Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, the Bio Science Association of North Dakota, North Dakota Farmers Union, North Dakota Corn Utilization Council, North Dakota Soybean Council and North Dakota Alliance for Renewable Energy.
A research and development showcase will highlight research from regional scientists. Interested individuals should submit their ideas using the summit's electronic system.
This year's summit will be the first to include a government networking event where innovators, entrepreneurs and investors will be able to visit informally with program specialists from a number of state and federal agencies. A roundtable will be held to discuss opportunities and challenges facing the region's bioeconomy.
The summit will open with registration and a continental breakfast at 7:45 a.m. on May 28. U.S. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp will be the keynote speaker.
Other speakers include:
- John Hoeven, U.S. senator (invited)
- Kevin Cramer, U.S. representative
- Doug Goehring, North Dakota agriculture commissioner
- Rina Singh, Biotechnology Industry Organization senior director of policy
- Joel Stone, Green Biologics president
- Mark Elless, U.S. Department of Energy technology manager
- David Grewell, Biopolymers and Biocomposites Research Team chairperson, Iowa State University
- Rick Vierling, National Corn Growers Association director of research and business development
- Brendan Jordan, Great Plains Institute vice president
- Patrice Lahlum, North Dakota Alliance for Renewable Energy coordinator
The registration fee is $100 for professionals before May 22 and $125 after that date. The fee for students is $50. Registration includes access to all events, breakfast, lunch and two breaks.
For more information, contact Ripplinger at 701-231-5265 or david.ripplinger@ndsu.edu or Ken Hellevang at 701-231-7243 or kenneth.hellevang@ndsu.edu.
Visit http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/bioepic/2015-bio-industry-summit to learn more about the summit, register or submit a poster abstract.
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