Governor's Innovation Summit to Highlight Idaho's Creative Entrepreneurs

9/16/2009
Boise, ID: Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter will convene the Governor’s Innovation Summit on Thursday, September 24th, bringing together some of Idaho’s most creative entrepreneurs to discuss overcoming challenges and leveraging high-tech success into career opportunities and economic growth.

Governor Otter, Lieutenant Governor Brad Little and Idaho Innovation Council Chairman Jefferson Jewell will preside, and the rest of the Idaho Innovation Council will participate, at the daylong Innovation Summit at Boise State University’s Stueckle Sky Center. The Governor also will participate in the 2009 Stoel Rives Idaho Innovation Awards Banquet at the same location after the Summit’s conclusion.

Like the Governor’s Business Summit on August 31st, the Innovation Summit will involve panels of leaders from various industry sectors sharing their experiences and perspectives on doing business in Idaho. The goal is to gain insights on how the State of Idaho can help turn ideas – “intellectual capital” – into careers and economic opportunities as part of the Governor’s Project 60 initiative to grow Idaho’s gross domestic product from about $51 billion to $60 billion a year.

Panels will include representatives from technology-driven manufacturing, energy and defense, agricultural/biological technology, software, higher education and research, and entrepreneurs/small business.

“Too often the creativity and energy of Idahoans is stifled by cumbersome processes, unnecessary regulations and uncertain financing. We need to find better ways to unleash the potential of the great minds we have at Idaho’s colleges, laboratories and businesses,” Governor Otter said. “I’ve been talking about ‘limited government and unlimited opportunity’ for a long time. Now we’re bringing together the right people from the public and private technology sectors to help realize that goal.”

The Innovation Summit is open and free to the public. The Idaho Department of Commerce and the Idaho Innovation Council will develop an executive report and recommendations based on the information gathered at the Summit and submit it to Governor Otter later in the year.

For the full Agenda, Click Here.

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