The 9th Annual Industries of the Future-West Virginia Symposium (IOF-WV) will be held Tuesday and Wednesday, Nov. 8-9, at the Charleston Marriott.. The focus of the symposium is on energy-related innovations that create competitive advantages for West Virginia companies.

IOF -WV is a joint program of the West Virginia Development Office and the West Virginia University National Research Center for Coal and Energy (NRCCE).

Capturing waste heat and fuel for reuse in the manufacturing process displaces energy that would otherwise have to be purchased at todays record high prices, said Carl Irwin, IOF -WV co-director and event organizer. Therefore, Tuesdays luncheon talk will feature Thomas R. Casten, chair and CEO of Primary Energy LLC , based in Oak Brook, Ill., onRecycling Industrial Energy.

Casten will be joined by Charles Bayless, president of the WVU Institute of Technology, and State Sen. Brooks McCabe to discuss strategies for creating energy advantages for West Virginia industry.

WVU President David C. Hardesty Jr. will join the symposium on Wednesday to address challenges common to both energy-intensive companies and major universities, and to share his thoughts on leadership for navigating changes over the coming decade.

Brian Kastick, director of the WV Office of Public Policy and Federal Affairs, will speak at the Nov. 9 luncheon session on the Manchin administrations views on energy initiatives and energy-intensive industries.

Also on tap Wednesday, will be a presentation by Richard Aiken, senior associate with Booz Allen Hamilton, a leading strategy and technology consulting company, on aspects of the recently passed Energy Policy Act of 2005 that are relevant to energy intensive manufacturing companies.

Jacques Beaudry-Losique, program manager for the U.S. Department of Energys Industrial Technologies Program (ITP), will also give an update on ITP , including funding opportunities to support innovation in energy-intensive industries.

ITP is the Department of Energy (DOE) office that originated the national

Industries of the Future program in the early 1990s, a program that has helped U.S. energy-intensive manufacturing firms save about 3.99 quadrillion BTUs, equivalent to approximately 688 million barrels of oil, and $20.4 billion in energy costs while vastly improving national competitiveness, productivity and product quality.

We are excited to be returning to Charleston where we held the nations first ever state-level IOF symposium in 1997,Irwin said.Its a great opportunity for our industry colleagues to network with university and national lab researchers, state legislators and university presidents.

Irwin noted that a number of short courses, workshops and exhibits are on tap throughout the two-day symposium.

Registration is $100 for half-day, $125 for one day, and $150 for two days. Symposium details and registration information are available from Kathleen Cullen at (304) 293-2867 ext. 5426 and on the IOF -WV website athttp://iofwv.nrcce.wvu.edu.