About IBED
Conference Objectives
The commercial potential of bioenergy is enormous. International Bioenergy Days provides an excellent opportunity for learning the latest advances in the field.
- This meeting will provide opportunities to make contacts that will help you create value and new jobs.
- This is the place where managers, entrepreneurs and decision-makers from the US, Sweden, and the rest of Europe will meet to pursue their common interest to turn bioenergy technology into concrete business opportunities.
- The conference will also highlight alternative energy in the Great Lakes region through special exhibits and tours.
John A. "Skip" Laitner, Director of Economic and Social Analysis for the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), will be the Keynote Speaker at International Bioenergy Days in Rockford, IL. Mr. Laitner will be speaking during the official welcome reception on Monday 9/27. Click here for his bio.
About International Bioenergy Days and Rockford, IL
- The first International Bioenergy Days event was arranged in conjunction with the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce’s (SACC) internationally renowned Entrepreneurial Days in August of 2006, held at that time in Lidköping, Sweden.
- Miljöpunkten, Skaraborg and ÄFAB were commissioned by SACC to develop and manage the SACC Bio-Energy Cluster, one of the SACC events many clusters. However, what began as one of many clusters for SACC, due to American and Swedish demand, quickly turned into an entirely separate, independent event: the International Bioenergy Days were born.
- The original event was a two-day long bioenergy conference with study trips that showed off Sweden’s best practices within all areas of bioenergy. The study trips were made in buses – and even in a train – powered by biogas all of which are in common use in Sweden and were arranged specifically for this conference. The event covered all areas of bio-nergy and its attendees came from across Sweden, Europe, and the United States. The first International Bioenergy Days attracted nearly 200 participants from about 10 different nations.
- Thanks to the success of the International Bioenergy Days in 2006 and 2007, the United States was offered to host the event in Mankato, MN in 2008. It returned to Sweden last year and now Rockford, IL has been given the opportunity to be this event’s host city for its return to the United States.
- Rockford, IL offers a close proximity to the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center in Madison, Wisconsin, which is one of only three federally funded bioenergy research centers in the United States. Also, important bioenergy activity is taking place in Northern Illinois and throughout the Midwest, such as initiatives with biofuels, wastewater biogas, landfill energy sites, hybrid bioenergy solutions, and technology demonstration sites.
- Rockford, IL is well-positioned to feature a variety of interesting participants, including speakers, exhibitors, sponsors, legislators, and delegates. IBED 2010 will create a unique networking opportunity for industry suppliers, technology providers, utility executives, researchers, policy makers, investors, farmers, and other bioenergy source developers.