>> SEPTEMBER 2014   
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In This Issue...
Highlights from Oregon BEST FEST 2014
Oregon BEST Funding Leverages $3M Federal Grant
Solar-Activated 'LilyPad' Technology Gets More Funding
Wave Energy Startup Makes Splash
Newest Research Agendas Available: Green Chemistry and Modular Construction
Oregon BEST Staffer to Lead Startup
Oregon BEST Researchers Make Headlines

Oregon BEST Commercialization Funding


Funding Opportunities


Upcoming Events

September 30 - October 1

G1000MPDWEST 

 

The GLOBAL 1000: Meet | Partner | Deal Portfolio Showcase & Conference brings together Fortune 500/Global 1000 players from corporate venture capital, open innovation, external partnering, business development, M&A, tech/startup scouting, research, and licensing groups looking for transactions with innovative, research-intensive startups and SME companies from verified portfolio holders. These include VCs, angels, universities, national and state government startup funding programs, and accelerators and incubators that have companies in their portfolios and want to do deals with the Fortune 500/Global 1000. San Mateo, CA

 

 

October 2-3


Based on last year's success, OMEP (a network member of the National Manufacturing Extension Partnership) is presenting a larger selection of Manufacturing Day events in Oregon across two days. These events provide an opportunity for our local manufacturers to open their doors to people of all ages to show what manufacturing in Oregon really means. See all the featured events at link above. 

 

 

October 7

Portland is home to many Cleantech startups, and every year hosts a Cleantech Open to draw attention to the cleantech industry, as well as to help cleantech startups find funding and foster entrepreneurs with big ideas that address today's most urgent energy, environmental, and economic challenges. Lucky Labrador Pub, 915 SE Hawthorne, Portland, OR

 

 

October 14-15

This two-day conference continues an informed dialogue about the various issues facing clean water technology, including the impacts of regulations on science and production, relationships between stakeholders, and solutions to further propel growth in the water industry. Tacoma, WA

 

 

October 16

Ribbon Cuttings: Two New Oregon BEST Labs 

11:45 a.m.

The Multipurpose River Hydraulics Research Facility features a recirculating system with the ability to test two simultaneous and independent experiments with flows of up to 35 cubic feet per second. This facility is ideal for the construction and testing of river and low head pressurized hydraulic structures, and it can also be used for a wide range of research projects, including flood control, reservoir sedimentation, density currents, erosion and scour, aquatic habitat, stream restoration, fish passage and dam removal. 

 

4:00 p.m.

The OSU-Benton County Green Stormwater Infrastructure Research Facility is a three-celled stormwater research facility for field-scale experiments and testing of green infrastructure, such as raingardens, bioswales, etc. The cells are instrumented with multiple sensors for data collection and modeling that provide the ability to test various stormwater treatment technologies and treatment of various stormwater contaminants. 

  

 

October 16 

The 7th annual GoGreen Portland Conference brings together private and public sector leaders to share their work on the key components of a framework for a socially sustainable community. Experts will discuss social equity advocacy, the development of new economic models, competitive city strategies, behavioral change, new innovations and corporate responsibility. GoGreen creates a platform for attendees to engage in interactive, peer-to-peer, and solution-based learning to generate practical solutions to our region's most pressing challenges. Portland, OR 

 

 

October 16 

This regional event connects seed and early-stage companies with investment opportunities. More than 400 attendees, 50 prominent investors, and 65 companies are expected to attend for a celebration of entrepreneurship and innovation. The winner of the launch-stage competition could walk away with a $250K to $300K+ investment, and the best concept stage company could win a $10K cash prize from BendBroadband. Bend, OR

 

 

October 22-24

Greenbuild is the world's largest conference and expo dedicated to green building, bringing together industry leaders, experts, and frontline professionals dedicated to sustainable building in their everyday work. Featuring three days of speakers, networking opportunities, showcases, LEED workshops, and tours of green buildings in New Orleans, Greenbuild offers a place for thousands to gather and renew their commitment to the green movement. New Orleans, LA   

 

 

October 22

Beneficial State Bank and HATCH are proud to present a fun educational and networking event to connect local small businesses and entrepreneurs to capital providers and other resources to help them succeed. Come join us for engaging discussions and networking with local lenders and fellow entrepreneurs. Portland, OR 

 

 

Watch for breaking news from Oregon BEST at this free, multi-faceted, day-long educational event on the use of wood in non-residential and multi-family buildings. The Oregon Wood Solutions Fair is for architects, engineers, developers, code officials, and anyone else interested in wood's exciting design possibilities. Attendees have access to wood design experts, informative seminars, technical information from manufacturers, engineering consultants and industry associations, and exhibits featuring a wide range of structural and finishing products. Portland, OR 

 

October 24

The CUB Policy Center, in partnership with the University of Oregon School of Law, presents its third annual policy conference. This all-day event explores the challenges and opportunities facing the utility industry in the Pacific NW as the federal government introduces new regulations to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. Portland, OR

 

 

October 26-28

The OEDA conference helps advocate for Oregon's economy Eugene, OR

 

 

October 27-30

VERGE

GreenBiz Group's global event series focuses on how technology accelerates sustainability solutions across industries and sectors. The event brings together the world's largest companies, technology innovators, and cities, creating a broad ecosystem of players to accelerate opportunities for business, the environment, and society. The program has six program tracks: new energy systems, next-gen buildings, resilient cities, sustainable mobility, smarter supply chains, and the food-energy-water nexus. San Francisco, CA

 

 

October 27

New products and services that maximize resource efficiency and minimize environmental impact are the wave of the future. This annual conference, organized by Midwest Cleantech Open and its partners, explores how to capitalize on these trends and offers insights into new developments and opportunities. Minneapolis, MN

 

 

October 28-29

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory's (NREL's) 27th Annual Industry Growth Forum features presentations from 30 emerging clean energy companies, provocative panels led by thought leaders, one-on-one meetings, and organized networking opportunities. An ideal venue for companies to prepare, refine, and present their businesses to a wide range of investors for cash prizes and services. Since 2003, the cleantech companies who have presented here have collectively raised more than $5 billion in growth financing. Denver, CO

 

 

October 30

This conference has become the Washington state's signature clean energy event, bringing together members of the energy industry, energy policy & economic development leaders, project hosts, and users of energy services. Included in the conference are: policy and economic development, the business of renewable energy, efficiency in buildings, and new fuels for transportation. Seattle, WA

 

 

November 11-13

National SBIR/STTR conferences are typically the largest and most important conferences specializing in helping small businesses learn about participating in SBIR/STTR programs. The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer programs are highly competitive, encouraging small businesses to engage in federal R&D work with the potential for commercialization. Representatives from all 11 federal agencies with SBIR programs will be on hand, along with other SBIR/STTR experts and trainers. Austin, Texas



December 9-10 

 

In its 26th year, NWEC brings the latest information and best practices in environmental protection and compliance, sustainable business management, new technologies and services, and current and emerging policy issues. Portland, OR

 

 

December 10-11

This conference brings together representatives of government, industry, utilities, vendor organizations, and academia who have an interest in advancing transactive energy - an approach that combines economic and control techniques to improve power grid reliability and efficiency. Portland, OR  

    


More About Oregon BEST



Contact Us!

P.O. Box 212
Portland, OR 97207-0212
Telephone: 503-725-9849




Executive Director's Report >>

Oregon BEST FEST 2014: A Great Event! 
 
David Kenney portrait

I don't like making people feel bad by telling them how great something was that they missed. But I can't help saying, "If you missed Oregon BEST FEST this year, you really missed out!"

The spacious, LEED Platinum-certified Oregon Convention Center was an ideal setting for our annual conference that has matured over the past six years into a major confluence of cleantech innovators, investors, and ideas - from Oregon and beyond. With more than 400 attendees, 30 cleantech startup companies, 51 speakers, 30 research and lab posters, and a great partnership with the PSU Cleantech Challenge to showcase their finalists, this was truly a great event.

As always, I saw lots of amazing connections being made and I learned a lot, both from our speakers and from other attendees. We've had excellent feedback, and if you did miss it, don't worry - we're already starting to plan for next year's event - our 7th annual! Keep reading below for some recent highlights in our growing network of research partners and companies.
 
BEST regards, 
 

David Kenney, President & Executive Director

Oregon BEST

 

 
Highlights from


"I adore what you're doing here..." Cheryl Martin, ARPA-E  

The Northwest's premier cleantech innovation conference, Oregon BEST FEST, was a grand success, and our largest ever! The two-day, 6th annual event drew more than 400 people to the Oregon Convention Center, where some 30 Oregon BEST Companies displayed their cleantech innovations, dozens of posters featured cutting-edge research, investors connected with startups, and speakers and panelists presented on everything from transactive energy and precision agriculture to stormwater treatment and manufacturing.

Student teams vied for $10,000 in prize money during the PSU Cleantech Challenge, where a two-brother team of Andrew and Jon Thorsvick (pictured, above) won the top prize for their recyclable ThorVolt automobile battery technology that has a longer lifespan than traditional batteries and avoids issues associated with lead and sulfuric acid. The Challenge has plans to expand to other Oregon universities next year!

Cheryl Martin, Acting Director of ARPA-E (pictured, right), told the crowd during her keynote address, "And that's why I adore what you're doing here [at Oregon BEST FEST].... You have to get people together to see what is possible, right? In innovation, the path between you and the market is not straight, but often by talking to enough people you might meet people who see a first market for you, or your technology might solve a problem they're having - and you move forward in this discontinuous manner, but you're moving forward!"

Thanks to all our speakers, sponsors, and attendees who helped make this the best BEST FEST yet!

Funding Leverages $3M Federal Grant   
Oregon BEST investment in Bend startup plays pivotal role

Chris Hagen of OSU and Onboard Dynamics and student reserach team An Oregon BEST investment of $150,000 in commercialization funding to Bend, Ore. startup Onboard Dynamics has helped the company secure a $3 million grant from the U.S. Dept. of Energy's ARPA-E.

The funding will speed commercialization of an on-vehicle natural gas compression technology developed by professor Chris Hagen (pictured in orange with students at the OSU Cascades campus). The technology enables fueling of compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles anywhere a low-pressure natural gas service line is available, and it could cut the cost of fueling CNG vehicles by 50 percent. More >>

Solar-Activated LilyPad Gets More Funds 
Puralytics to test stormwater technology in new Oregon BEST Lab

Solar-activated water treatment system from Puralytics Oregon BEST has awarded a second round of commercialization funding to advance a floating, solar-activated stormwater treatment device that can be deployed in ponds and ditches to keep contaminants out of streams.

Beaverton startup Puralytics has been working with OSU researchers on small-scale testing of its "LilyPad" technology. The new funding will support larger-scale field tests at the OSU-Benton County Green Stormwater Infrastructure Research Facility, the newest addition to the growing network of Oregon BEST Labs. (See calendar to left for information on the lab's October 16th grand opening, along with the opening of another Oregon BEST Lab, the Multipurpose River Hydraulics Research Facility located at OSU). Read full story >>

Wave Energy Startup Makes Splash  
Oregon BEST Company successfully deploys seafloor technology 

M3 Wave Deploys Its Subsurface Technology
M3 Wave Deploys Its Subsurface Technology
M3 Wave, an Oregon BEST Company based in Salem, successfully deployed a prototype of its underwater wave energy generation system off the Oregon coast, with results that exceeded expectations. The technology sits on the ocean floor and converts pressure from waves into electricity. Because the system is submerged, company officials say the design eliminates many of the issues with floating wave energy technologies. Watch the video above, or the KATU TV News coverage of the deployment.
 
Newest Research Agendas Available!
The latest from the Oregon BEST Agenda Development Series 

The latest two Research Agendas available from Oregon BEST - one on Green Chemistry and one on Modular Construction - are now available for downloading. These two new documents are part of six different research agendas published by Oregon BEST in the past two years as part of the Agenda Development Series, forums that provided a venue for industry leaders to collaboratively develop a prioritized research agenda.


At each forum in the series, presentations from experts framed a specific topic or issue, and then via facilitated dialogues, attendees developed a set of research projects that Oregon BEST works to have funded. The resulting Research Agendas were published by Oregon BEST with attendees recognized as co-authors. See all six Research Agendas.

Oregon BEST Staffer to Lead Startup
Entrepreneur-in-Residence tapped for top spot at energy startup  

Chris Ulum former Entrepreneur-in-Residence Chris Ulum, who served as an Oregon BEST entrepreneur-in-residence, has joined Portland startup Building Energy, Inc. as the company's president. During his time at Oregon BEST, Ulum mentored a range of Oregon startups - including Building Energy - as part of Oregon BEST's support for startups, which offers a suite of catalytic tools to help cleantech companies move from launch to product commercialization. More >>

  

Oregon BEST Researchers IN THE NEWS...
 
Vivek Shandas  ��� VIVEK SHANDAS, an associate professor of urban studies and planning at PSU, has found direct links between mature trees in a city and the air quality. His study calculated the amount of nitrogen dioxide (an air pollutant that contributes to respiratory illnesses like asthma) removed by Portland's trees amounts to $6.6M per year saved by avoiding missed school/work days, emergency room visits, and hospitalizations. More >>



  ��� SUNDAR ATRE, an associate professor of industrial and manufacturing engineering at OSU, was awarded a $590,000 grant from Walmart to help restore lost U.S. manufacturing jobs by developing improved, more cost-efficient injection molding techniques. Some of the work will be done at the Microproducts Breakthrough Institute in Corvallis, and the OSU Advantage Accelerator will help develop a commercialization plan for the technology. More >>
 

��� SHANNON BOETTCHER, an assistant professor of chemistry at the University of Oregon, and RICHARD CHARTOFF, a UO research professor of chemistry and biochemistry, have been named recipients of the 2014 UO Research Excellence Awards. Boettcher received the Early Career Award and Chartoff received the Outstanding Accomplishment Award for Technical Research Support. More >> 

The nexus for clean technology innovation, Oregon BEST builds capability, convenes collaborations, and accelerates the solutions to environmental challenges that deliver prosperity in all corners of Oregon. 

 
Oregon BEST
PO BOX 212 � PORTLAND, OR 97207-0212
PH: 503.725.9849 � WEB: oregonbest.org