
In addition to hearing from university, State, and industry participants at the university-hosted events over the past summer, DOE is also interested in ideas from the public regarding what can be done by industry, universities, and local, State, and national/Federal organizations to support regional clean energy innovation and "innovation ecosystems".
As a result, the Department is providing a town-hall type of mechanism for interested individuals to make suggestions (and comment on or support other people's suggestions) regarding what would contribute to regional capacities for clean-energy innovation.
To participate in this public opportunity for brainstorming and discussion, please visit www.ideabuzz.com/doe-regional-innovation. (Because this is just one of many discussions available on IdeaBuzz, participation on the website is governed by IdeaBuzz's terms of service.)
Key topics on which DOE hopes to receive suggestions include:
- Important Elements of an Innovation Ecosystem: What are the essential "puzzle pieces" or "moving parts" that make up a successful, self-sustaining innovation ecosystem?
- Sustainable Ecosystems: Which pieces are most important for new business creation and to make sure that the innovation ecosystem itself is self-sustaining and enduring?
- Regional Gaps: Are there important ecosystem components that are missing from any specific geographic region?
- Geographic Scales and Defining a "Region": How should a regional clean-energy ecosystem define its scope or boundaries? How should regional strategies or coalitions try to bridge or integrate geographic scales from metropolitan to multi-state?
- Organizing Regionally: If regional coalitions or partnerships are formed to help foster or enhance clean energy innovation ecosystems, how should they be organized or structured?
- Regional Opportunities: What are the clean energy challenges, resources, or technologies that offer the most innovation opportunity in various regions?
- References and Models: Recommended references, studies, data sources, or models.
- Leverage: In what ways could government or private financing be leveraged to support more clean-energy innovation in a region?
References
- Council on Competitiveness: Regional Innovation, National Prosperity
- Jobs for the Future: Building Regional Partnerships for Economic Growth and Opportunity
- The National Academies: The Power of Change
- Michael Porter/U.S. Council on Competitiveness: Clusters of Innovation
- Energy.Gov: Clean Energy Incubators Spawn Commercialization Centers