Upcoming
Events & Opportunities | |
AUGUST 3-4
Oregon BEST is proud to be a sponsor of this sixth annual conference hosted by the Oregon Wave Energy Trust. It focuses on responsibly accelerating development of the ocean renewable energy industry and realizing its full economic and environmental potential in Oregon, nationally, and internationally. Portland, OR
AUGUST 7
Targeting innovators with early-stage ideas, the Oregon Lab2Market Entrepreneurship Intensive (held Aug. 31-Sept. 1 at PSU) is an experiential workshop to help shape good ideas to reach the marketplace. The workshop integrates lectures and exercises to help entrepreneurs critically asses their business idea and refine their elevator pitch. Portland, OR.
AUGUST 15-19
IdeaLab:
Retrofitting Communities
Learn how to develop and commercialize products and innovations that promote productive and environmentally sustainable communities. Portland, OR
AUGUST 19
(Submission Deadline)
NREL Industry Growth Forum
The National Renewable Energy Lab's Industry Growth Forum is the nation's premier event for clean energy and energy efficiency technology start-ups to gain exposure to and feedback from venture capitalists, corporate investors, government agencies, and strategic partners.
SEPTEMBER 9
Oregon Transportation Summit
Brings together Oregon's academic and practicing transportation professionals to advance the state of the art by accelerating new research into practice and shaping the agenda for future research. The summit features a plenary session, a luncheon program and a variety of workshop sessions. Portland, OR
SEPTEMBER 12
 (Early-bird registration ends soon)
Oregon BEST FEST '11, where researchers, entrepreneurs, and business leaders come together to spark collaboration and help create jobs for the region's green economy.
OCTOBER 23-25 Harvesting Clean Energy Conference This 11th annual conference provides a bounty of practical information and access to experts across the full range of rural energy opportunities - from wind power, solar, geothermal, small hydro, and biofuels to biopower, food processing innovation, and efficiency technologies that cut energy costs and enhance profitability. Boise, ID (Oregon BEST serves on the conference Steering Committee.)
OCTOBER 26-28 Produced by the Portland Sustainability Institute, the EcoDistricts Summit is the premier annual conference dedicated to neighborhood-scale sustainability innovation. Portland, OR
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CONTACT US
Oregon BEST
P.O. Box 212
Portland, OR 97207
Tel. 503-725-9849
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Executive Director's Report
Differentiating Oregon's Cleantech Strengths
Greetings!  Oregon is one of many states vying for a national cleantech leadership position. This is tough competition. With limited resources, classic management theory suggests we should look at strengths that differentiate us from other regions. Our historic industry and research strengths in natural resources (forestry, water resource management, etc.) and agriculture are areas in which we have distinguished ourselves.
But how are these unique strengths relevant to cleantech?
That's the question one of the panels will be addressing at Oregon BEST FEST '11 on September 12th in Portland. We're assembling a team of experts to discuss how our natural resources and expertise can help position Oregon as a leader in developing and deploying innovative technologies and models for energy generation, green buildings, and other business opportunities that utilize our forests, fields, land, and waterways.
I hope to see you there!
David Kenney, President & Executive Director
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Join us for 'Best-est' BEST FEST yet!
Oregon BEST FEST '11 is shaping up to be the best BEST FEST yet! The region's most inspiring (and affordable) conference of its kind, Oregon BEST FEST '11 features a diverse range of speakers, research presentations, and interactive workshops focused on creating jobs through informed innovation in the built environment and renewable energy sectors.  University researchers and industry leaders collaborate to offer innovative insights on a range of topics ranging from smartgrid, solar, and net-zero water, to bioenergy, green chemistry, green materials, and building science. There's also a session on how Oregon can capitalize on its natural resources to create a competitive advantage in cleantech development.
(NOTE: the Oregon BEST Sustainable Built Environment Consortium Industry Advisory Board meets the following day, September 13th, for its fall meeting; if you'd like to participate, contact Johanna Brickman.)
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SPOTLIGHT on Oregon BEST Research
Printing Solar Cells with Inkjets
Oregon BEST Faculty innovate breakthrough production methods
 Oregon BEST Member Faculty Chih-Hung Chang and Greg Herman at Oregon State University have discovered a way for the first time to create successful "CIGS" solar devices with inkjet printing.
The breakthrough reduces raw material waste by 90 percent and will significantly lower the cost of producing solar energy cells with some very promising compounds. Chang and Herman direct the Oregon Process Innovation Center for Sustainable Solar Cell Manufacturing, a signature research facility of Oregon BEST that is helping the solar energy industry improve its manufacturing processes. Read the full story. |
Companies Win Funding, Awards
Affiliations with Oregon BEST Member Faculty lead to success
Companies working closely with Oregon BEST to fast-track commercialization see growing returns: - Sustainable Industries has named a window insert from INDOW WINDOWS (an Oregon BEST Commercialization Grant recipient) one of its Top-10 Green Products. Portland-based Indow Windows is also a semifinalist in the Clean Tech Open competition, which aims to find, nurture, and fund the next generation of cleantech companies.
 - Oregon BEST Commercialization Grant recipient TRILLIUM FIBERFUELS won a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the EPA to further develop technology for creating fuel-grade ethanol from straw and other biomass.
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New Oregon BEST Board Member
A Fond Farewell, and a Hearty Welcome Aboard!  | |
UO's Andrews Espy
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All of us at Oregon BEST extend our deep appreciation to RICH LINTON, the University of Oregon's outgoing VP of Research, for his years of contributions as a board member of Oregon BEST. We wish him the very best in his new ventures.
At the same time, we welcome to the Oregon BEST board of directors KIMBERLY ANDREWS ESPY, the incoming VP for Research and Innovation and Dean of the Graduate School at the UO. We look forward to working with her as we continue to help fuel Oregon's green economy.
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Commercialization Manager Sought
Oregon BEST is hiring a Commercialization Program Manager to lead our growing emphasis on helping companies commercialize breakthrough research. See the job description on our website for more details about this new and important position at Oregon BEST. Application deadline is Wednesday, August 10, 2011. |
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From sustainable chemistry to recycling auto engine exhaust...
Oregon BEST Researchers IN THE NEWS...
 ··· On OPB's "Think Out Loud" program, Portland State University professor of public administration JENNIFER ALLEN, a Fellow at PSU's Institute for Sustainable Solutions, discussed Oregon's opportunities in the move toward more sustainable chemistry practices and ways to position the state as a leader in green chemistry. Listen to the OPB program. Read Full story...
···Oregon State University professors HAILEI WANG (left) and RICH PETERSON have developed a way to capture automotive exhaust and waste engine heat to boost fuel efficiency. The technology could also be used to cool homes. Full story...
··· University of Oregon chemistry professor SHANNON BOETTCHER is one of 18 early career scientists selected worldwide to the 2011 class of DuPont Young Professors. Boettcher studies solar energy conversion and is specifically pursuing development of materials that will not only convert sunlight into electricity but also store reserves of energy for later use. Full story...
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The Oregon Built Environment & Sustainable Technologies Center (Oregon BEST) connects businesses with our growing shared-user network of university research facilities to transform renewable energy and sustainable built environment research into on-the-ground products, services, and jobs that power Oregon's green economy. Oregon BEST's founding partner universities include Oregon State University, the Oregon Institute of Technology, Portland State University, and the University of Oregon.
Oregon BEST · PO Box 212 · Portland, OR 97207-0212Tel. 503-725-9849 · On the web: oregonbest.org |
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