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RE: Tech Valley Sumit

Ben Rowland — Fri, 20 Jan 2006 19:19:09 GMT

Hi all-

Feel free to add your events to our calendar.

RE: Tech Valley Sumit

BRodda — Thu, 19 Jan 2006 14:37:38 GMT

The short answer is metrial scineces. The componets won't change in functionality; but they will be lighter, stronger and cheaper. The first componet that will be revoluntionised is the sensor.

Here is an article from the nanotech center on just that topic

http://www.albanynanotech.org/Capabilities/MIL/

Here is a good snippit from the above link:

"As a recent example of the advantages of MEMS technology, consider the MEMS accelerometers, which are quickly replacing conventional accelerometers for crash air-bag deployment systems in automobiles. The conventional approach uses several bulky accelerometers made of discrete components mounted in the front of the car with separate electronics near the air-bag and costs over $50. MEMS has made it possible to integrate onto a single silicon chip the accelerometer and electronics at a cost under $5 to $10. These MEMS accelerometers are much smaller, more functional, lighter, more reliable, and are sold for a fraction of the cost of the conventional macroscale accelerometer elements.

Within the next few years, MEMS accelerometers are expected to completely displace the conventional devices in all foreign and domestic model cars. The dramatically lower component costs of MEMS accelerometers allow manufactures to consider placing air-bag deployment systems for protection of passengers against side impacts. Continued improvements in the MEMS accelerometer technologies over the next few years may allow the sensor to determine the size and weight of an auto passenger and calculate the optimal response of the system to reduce the possibly of air-bag deployment induced injuries."

RE: Tech Valley Sumit

SwiftWalker — Thu, 19 Jan 2006 14:25:18 GMT

That's really interesting, I didn't know Albany was a center for nano. I was just chatting with a colleague this morning about nanotech (hence my posting of the Washington Post article from last week). Any thoughts or insights about how nanotech may impact the auto business, specifically the automotive components industry?

RE: Tech Valley Sumit

BRodda — Thu, 19 Jan 2006 14:05:18 GMT

If you like nanotech were fast becoming the world leader here. They just allocated $435 million for a nanotechnology research center for UAlbany. Lots of good technology start ups do to the proximity of RPI, Union and SUNY Albany. That and the cost of living is so much less that payrolls don't have to be as large and office space is cheap.

Do to that we have incubators, @7-10 local VC's (not including angel investment groups) and all the other trappings that people would never expect a medium sized city to have.

Doesn't hurt that we are less than 3 hours from Boston, NYC and Montreal either.

RE: Tech Valley Sumit

SwiftWalker — Thu, 19 Jan 2006 13:44:35 GMT

Wish I lived in Albany!

Tech Valley Sumit

BRodda — Thu, 19 Jan 2006 13:38:42 GMT

The 6th annual Tech Valley Sumit is comming up on April 26th. The main features are a $100,000 Business Plan Competition and Lawrence A. Bossidy is the retired CEO and chairman of the board of Honeywell International Inc. and co-author of the best-selling book “Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done” .

It's a good place to meet other technology start-up people and to smooze.

Links:

http://www.techvalley.org/Pages/News%20_%20Events/Tech%20Valley%20News/1-19-2006.html

http://www.techvalley.org/Pages/Work/Summit%20in%20Tech%20Valley.html