Top Five Reasons to Attend the ARPA-E Summit

December 9, 2015  

 Reasons to Attend the Summit

ARPA-E’s Annual Energy Innovation Summit is the preeminent energy event of the year, bringing together the best minds in business, academia, and government to advance transformational technologies that could fundamentally change the way we generate, use, and store energy. This year’s Summit will be held February 29-March 2, 2016 at the Gaylord Convention Center just outside of Washington, DC. 

Here are the top five things to look forward to at the 2016 Energy Innovation Summit:

1. Technology Showcase. The Technology Showcase provides ARPA-E project teams and research organizations with a platform to display their innovative energy technologies to investors and researchers eager to collaborate. This year’s Technology Showcase will feature more than 250 technologies, some of which will be on public display for the first time. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to see live demonstrations and learn about these cutting-edge energy technologies. Also, look out for guided tours of the Showcase floor! ARPA-E Program Directors and Technology-to-Market Advisors will facilitate tours of the floor based on subject areas of interest and expertise.

2. Networking Opportunities. The ARPA-E Summit is the perfect venue to network with energy innovators, investors, and policymakers. With 2,000+ attendees, participants will have the opportunity to engage with energy professionals from a diversity of sectors, all of whom are looking for opportunities to collaborate. The Summit schedule facilitates ample networking, both casually and formally, such as industry-focused receptions and the Government Agency Networking Program, during which more than 20 federal agencies are available to discuss funding and partnership opportunities. 

3. Inspirational Speakers. The 2016 Summit will feature dynamic, thought-provoking speakers from academia, government, and industry. Mainstage speakers will address the importance of innovation in advanced technologies for U.S. competitiveness and economic growth, and the necessity to transform our energy future domestically and abroad. Confirmed speakers include Former Vice President and Chairman for The Climate Reality Project Al Gore, Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, U.S. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, U.S. Senator Christopher Coons, U.S. Representative Bill Foster, World Bank Group President Dr. Jim Yong Kim, American Air Liquide Holdings, Inc. Chairman and CEO Mike Graff, Xerox Chief Technology Officer Dr. Sophie Vandebroek, and BASF Corp Chairman and CEO Wayne T. Smith

4.Educational Panels. Panels at the ARPA-E Summit cover a wide scope of technical, commercial, and policy-focused topics on the current state of energy technology and where our energy future is headed. Expert panelists will give technical talks and provide insight on topics such as the future of grid technology and energy storage, biofuels, marine energy, and much more. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with panelists to ask questions. 

5.Tech-to-Market Focus. To address the needs of our energy future, we must transition cutting-edge energy technologies from the lab into the market. The ARPA-E Summit does this by educating attendees on best practices in commercialization, such as effective prototyping, how to perfect your pitch to investors, and more. The educational panels combined with investor presence and continuous networking result in the perfect opportunity to work towards commercializing impactful energy technologies.

To learn more about the ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit, you can visit the website here. For up-to-date information on the ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit and the recent news at the Agency, sign up for the ARPA-E Newsletter here.