Premier Conference on Building Tech-Based Economies Opens Registration

With more than 30 sessions and keynote addresses by Michigan Governor John Engler and U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development David Sampson, SSTI's Sixth Annual Conference promises to be the year's best and most comprehensive conference on tech-based economic development. Building Tech-Based Economies: From Policy to Practice will be held October 2-3, 2002 in Dearborn, Michigan, with pre-conference activities on October 1.

Sessions focus on a variety of topics, including:

• universities roles' in building tech-based economies, including the spin-off of companies and commercialization of technology,
• strategies to involve all areas in a tech-based economy, including rural areas,
• changing approaches to making capital available for tech companies,
• evaluating the success of tech-based economic development programs, and
• building support for investing in science and technology.

The conference will have a unique blend of three types of sessions: best practices, policy, and roundtable discussion. For the first time, four roundtable discussions will permit a free exchange of ideas, opinions, and advice among the conference participants.

Preceding the two full days of the conference will be three pre-conference sessions on October 1, including SSTI's first-ever full-day pre-conference. Focusing on one of the most important areas of tech-based economic development, Growing Your Own: Building Blocks for Bio-Based Economies will explore the elements of successful bio-based economic development strategic planning and the approaches states and communities are implementing. Participants will learn more about one of the nation's largest life sciences initiative, and tour the R&D lab of one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies. Half-day pre-conference sessions will concentrate on measuring and monitoring the knowledge economy, presented in cooperation with ACCRA, and an introduction to tech-based economic development.

If you're interested in:

• building a vibrant tech-based economy,
• capitalizing on universities' impacts on local and regional development,
• developing public and private capital sources for entrepreneurs and start-up companies,
• encouraging strong partnerships between universities and companies, or
• extending economic growth to all regions and population groups,

then Building Tech-based Economies: From Policy to Practice is for you. For more information on the conference, visit: http://www.ssti.org/conference02.htm [expired]