
Industry leaders, state officials and others will appear in a panel discussion June 15 in Fayetteville in a collaborative event between the University of Arkansas and the Arkansas Advanced Energy Association called “Energy Innovation in Arkansas.”
The event, at the Arkansas Research and Technology Park, is an effort to connect advanced energy industry stakeholders with potential research partners and funding opportunities, according to the AAEA, a trade association based in Little Rock.
A morning session starting at 9:30 a.m. will offer insights to researchers and entrepreneurs seeking federal funding to commercialize energy technologies, according to a news release from the university and the AAEA. Eileen Chant, outreach program manager for the U.S. Department of Energy, who will speak on the department’s small business funding program known as SBIR/STTR.
Mike Malone, the university’s vice chancellor for economic development, said the event will provide “an opportunity to drive innovation and collaboration with our state’s energy industry, entrepreneurial ecosystem and researchers.”
“We have the resources and know-how in Arkansas to make a significant positive impact in this sector,” Malone said in the release.
The afternoon session will include a panel discussion on Arkansas’ energy future featuring Lisa Perry, senior manager of energy services for Walmart Inc. of Bentonville; Becky Keogh, state infrastructure coordination at the Arkansas Department of Finance & Administration; Glen Hooks, policy manager for Audubon Delta; Tom Waggoner, managing director of Syntex Industries LLC of Little Rock; and Douglas Hutchings, CEO of Delta Solar of Little Rock.
The panel will be followed by an “Innovation Showcase,” the release said, highlighting energy innovations” taking place at the university, with entrepreneurs at the research and technology park, and at companies around the state. A networking time is scheduled to close the day.
“The climate of the energy industry in Arkansas is changing daily, as are the needs for new innovations and technologies to support its developing sectors,” said Heather Nelson, board chair of the AAEA and co-founder and president of Seal Solar of North Little Rock. “This type of collaboration can lead to advancements that will keep our state competitive in this space and ultimately benefit Arkansas ratepayers.”
Attendance is free to the public.