Newsletters | Newsletter Vol.4 (February '08) |
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 SoCal InnovationJETRO's Newsletter on Tech Trends in Southern California and JapanVol. 1, Issue 4With the finish of Super Tuesday, another chapter begins for the presidential candidates. The race is turning into a test of endurance and ability to cause voter turn-out in the election. With the parties internally divided, the 2008 presidential primaries will only become more interesting. In California, Senator Hilary Clinton presented a strong showing. It's worth noting, however, that the focus of Senator Clinton's diplomatic policy lies on China. In contrast, Senator John McCain, the Republican nominee, plans to foster the diplomatic relationship between the US and Japan. In addition to Super Tuesday there was President Bush's State of the Union Address, delivered at the end of January, which emphasized the importance of investment in clean energy. President Bush also proposed to increase funding for research in natural science in order to accelerate innovation and strengthen competitiveness. Table of Contents
Special ReportsLA Tech Week ReportLA Tech Week Kicks Off: Keynote by Astronaut Sally RideMonday, January 28 saw the start of the 5th annual L.A. Tech Week. The week-long celebration of Los Angeles' technology entrepreneurship and industry began with an opening ceremony that included awards to prominent people and organizations that contributed to L.A. County's technology community. Thanks to the many companies such as award recipient Aerovironment, an L.A. engineering powerhouse that developed everything from GM's EV1 electric vehicle to unmanned aerial vehicles for the military, the Los Angeles Area would be the 17th largest economy in the world if it were a separate nation. The event also featured a special keynote by astronaut Sally Ride, an L.A. local who has the distinction of being the first woman in space. (Read more) Pasadena Angels Event at L.A. Tech WeekAs part of L.A. Tech Week's celebration of technology entrepreneurship in Los Angeles, prominent Angel investment group the Pasadena Angels gave potential entrepreneurs a taste of the funding process start-ups go through with an event at Los Angeles County's Business Technology Center. John Isaacson, Director of the Pasadena Angels, spoke about his group and what they look for in determining which companies to invest in. (Read more) GreenXchange Global Marketplace Conference Report On Monday, Dec. 10, there was a special session on the role of pop culture in getting people involved in the green movement at the GreenXchange conference. The panel consisted of Debbie Levine of Environmental Media Association, Adam Gardner of Reverb, architect John Backard, and moderator Michelle Kydd Lee of the Creative Artist Agency Foundation. Each one of them has contributed to the green movement, using pop culture as a medium to connect with fans and people uneducated on environmental issues. (Read more) Monthly ColumnsL.A. Innovation Frontlineby Rogelio NochebuenaA technology consultant very experienced with the L.A. area, Rogelio Nochebuena, focuses on how nanotechnology's positive impact on energy generation and conservation in other technologies that the Southern California nanotech community is exploring to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels. (Read more) Caltech/MIT Enterprise Forum Reportby Stefan VosThe last 5 years have seen an explosive growth in social networking websites such as Friendster, MySpace, Facebook and LinkedIn. Southern California has been a big player in this space, being the birthplace of MySpace, which is currently the largest social networking site, eHarmony and other major social networking sites.Because social networking offers so many opportunities to tech entrepreneurs, the Caltech/MIT Enterprise Forum presented on the topic at a Saturday, Jan. 12th event. (Read more) News Headlines & EventsEnvironment and Energy News Headlines (January~February 2008)
Events
US-Japan Bio Business Alliance Seminar When: Feb. 26th, 12:15pm-5:00pm Where: Embassy Suites, La Jolla BIOCOM along with JMPA-WEST and JETRO are proud to present a seminar focused on helping you develop partnerships with Japanese biotech industry. The seminar will feature expert speakers from Japanese and American businesses and institutes, talking about their experiences in forming partnerships across the ocean and the successes they have achieved. There will also be a group of businesses from Japan interested in forming alliances with US businesses at the seminar, making it an excellent opportunity to network and learn about the latest advances in Japan. (More information)
The PwC Entretech 5th Annual Entrepreneurship Awards When: Mar. 6th, 5:30pm-9:00pm Where: A Private Club, Downtown Los Angeles Join leading entrepreneurs and business executives in celebrating some of the fastest growing High Tech and Life Sciences companies that symbolize the entrepreneurial vigor and excellence in Greater Los Angeles. The prestigious PricewaterhouseCoopers Entretech Entrepreneurship Awards spotlight exceptional companies realizing their potential for market leadership and long-term profitability. (More information)
Caltech/MIT Enterprise Forum: Water Overtakes Energy as the Critical Crisis? Venturing in Water Technology and Opportunity When: Mar. 8th, 8am-noon Where: Caltech, Pasadena Unless behavior and technology can sufficiently advance water's use and reuse soon, "water" stands to displace "energy" as the crisis. The forum will address key facets of water generally and specific situations from SoCal to across the globe. It will feature entrepreneurs and panelists involved in pushing the technology envelope for greater water efficiencies and economies. (More information)
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