Leaders of industry, academia and government will convene in Charleston Tuesday, Jan. 23, for the 2007 Industries of the Future-West Virginia (IOF-WV) Day at the State Capitol and West Virginia Technology Associations Technology Summit.

IOF -WV, a joint program of the West Virginia Development Office and the West Virginia University National Research Center for Coal and Energy (NRCCE), works with West Virginias traditional industries to increase energy efficiency, reduce waste and improve productivity in energy-intensive industries through partnerships between West Virginia companies, WVU researchers and national laboratories.

IOF-WV Day at the Capitol puts a focus on WVU s unique partnership with the West Virginia Development Office to help energy-intensive manufacturers be more energy efficient,said Carl Irwin, IOF -WV co-director.The event is a lot of fun and is a great networking opportunity.

Irwin added that many people dont realize the diversity of products manufactured in West Virginia. Samples of materials and products produced by IOF -WV industry partners will be displayed.

In addition to exhibiting products, participants are invited to schedule appointments with key legislators on issues related to West Virginia manufacturing and attend legislative committee meetings.

Approximately 75 to 100 participants including University researchers, government leaders, and representatives of the states aluminum, steel, glass, chemical, wood products and metal casting industries are expected.

Exhibit set-up will be from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 22, and 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 23, at the Capitol. The exhibit opens at 8 a.m. with a free luncheon provided by the West Virginia Development Office, Energy Efficiency Program in the Great Hall of the Cultural Center at 11:45 a.m . The speaker will be newly appointed Secretary of Commerce Kelly Goes, who formerly served as the Commerce Departments deputy secretary and general counsel.

One of the unique exhibits will be WVU s GeoVirtual Lab (GVL)an exhibit showcasingComputing for the Real World,how geographic information systems technologies developed at the University can solve important problems for industry. The GVL has integrated such cutting-edge technologies such as augmented reality, location-based services and environmental models into a technology platform that can serve such industries as agriculture, utilities, municipalities and natural resources.

During the morning, several IOF -WV industry partners will also testify before the Senate Economic Development Committee, chaired by Sen. Brooks McCabe.

They will be testifying about industry needs and concerns,Irwin said.One issue is the high and variable prices of natural gas. The point is were an energy state and should be able to provide energy advantages for our energy-intensive manufacturers.

A Technology Association Summit will begin at 1:30 p.m. in the House Chamber with a panel discussion by Howard Aulick, Ph.D., Marshall University; Thomas Meyers, Ph.D., WVU ; Lawrence Hornak, Ph.D., WVU ; and Ed Schaffner, UNISYS Corp. Delegate Marshall Long of Mercer County will be the moderator.

The topic of the discussion will beBiometrics, Biotechnology and Nanotechnology.Events conclude at 3:30 p.m.

IOF -WV is a state version of a national program developed through the U.S. Department of Energys Office of Industrial Technology (OIT).

Founded in 1997, eight state industries participate in the program: aluminum, steel, metal casting, glass, forest/wood products, chemical/polymers, mining and cross-cut industries. Some 25 states have followed West Virginias lead and established IOF programs of their own.

To register, contact Kathleen Cullen at 304-293-2868, ext. 5426, or visithttp://iofwv.nrcce.wvu.edu.