Agricultural, technology and business interests will converge at the Future of the Bio-Industry Summit scheduled for May 21 in the NDSU Memorial Union.

The theme of the summit is "Feed, Fuel, Heal and Build the World." It will explore advances, trends and opportunities in bioenergy, bioproducts, biomaterials, biotechnology, and biomedical technology and products.

"The summit was developed to show the breadth of products that can be created from biological materials, the opportunities that exist for bio-based industry, and some of the local bioindustries and research," said NDSU professor and Extension Service agricultural engineer Ken Hellevang, who organized the event. "The summit features national and local speakers with ample time for networking."

The NDSU Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Bioscience Association of North Dakota, Red River Valley Research Corridor and North Dakota Commerce Department are sponsors of the event.

Steve Padgette, vice president of biotechnology at Monsanto, is the keynote speaker.

Other speakers include:

• Cathy Enright, executive vice president for food and agriculture for Biotechnology Industry Organization
• Sandra Broekema, Great River Energy, and Neil Doty, Corn Utilization Council
• Edward Glatzer, managing director of technology and analysis at HIS Chemical
• Marvin Duncan, former agricultural economist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Office of Chief Economist
• Chad Ulven, c2renew Corp., and Richard Glynn, Avianax LLC
• Brendan Jordan, vice president of the Great Plains Institute
• Kelly Rusch, NDSU vice president for Research and Creative Activity, and Michael Moore, University of North Dakota associate vice president for IP Commercialization and Economic Development

The cost to attend the summit is $100 if you register by April 30 and $125 after that date. Students may attend free of charge.

For more information, contact Hellevang at 701-231-7243 or kenneth.hellevang@ndsu.edu. Visit www.theresearchcorridor.com/bioindustrysummit to register.

NDSU is recognized as one of the nation's top 108 public and private universities by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education.