(NHI Nanoblog) The NanoBusiness Alliance, an industry group, is set to kick off its ninth annual conference later this month in Chicago.
The organization is expecting about 300 to 500 people for NanoBusiness 2010, said Alisa Kronshage, senior coordinator for the group. The conference runs Sept. 27 and 28 at McCormick Place in Chicago.
The goal of the gathering, as always, is to get scientists, regulators, venture capitalists and entrepreneurs talking — not just in the official sessions, but in the hallways, too, Kronshage said.
Among the scheduled keynote speakers are William Moffatt, president and CEO of the health care company Nanosphere, and Fabien Cousteau, grandson of the famed ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau.
Several government representatives are speaking as well: Michael H. Shapiro, a deputy assistant administrator in the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Water, is giving a lunchtime talk. U.S. Rep. Daniel Lipinski, an Illinois Democrat, also has been invited to speak to the group.
The schedule includes forums on several tracks, including environment, health and safety, and innovations in nanotechnology. Members of pro-nano advocacy groups or business representatives populate most of the scheduled panels, but academics and government officials also are represented.
For more information, check out the conference website.