3rd Aus program

	3rd AustralAsian Cleantech Forum Highlights and Overview

A consistent message from finance, investment, technology businesses and government at all levels was that we are at turning point when we can channel and mobilise capital as well as galvanise our collective efforts for investment and growth of clean technologies that can generate solid financial and environmental returns which are essential for sustainable development.

Terry Tamminen, Ken Bruder, Clint Wilder & Gerry Morvell

The forum began with the emergence of Cleantech as a global industry and explored the opportunities for Australia and how we can capitalise on the surging economy of India. We then explored how finance and industry can accelerate the growth of Cleantech and how we can create a globally competitive Cleantech Industry for Australia.

The second day began with identifying the institutional investors interest in Cleantech and discussing why it is a critical sector for our superfunds and what needs to be done to overcome the barriers to accelerating their investment in Cleantech. The first AustralAsian Cleantech Investment Showcase brought all of the theory together with 10 Cleantech companies presenting their investment rational and market opportunity for their innovative products. A critique by the expert investor panel and dialogue with the audience challenged the presenters.

Highly interactive audience discussions 

The program concluded with an open discussion to imagine the future of the Cleantech industry in Australia and working together to make the vision a reality. It was acknowledged that now is an important time to seek clean technological solutions that make money as well as generate environmental and societal gains, including a “reform agenda” to address issues such as climate change.

First Cleantech Investment Showcase 

Judging from the buzz in the room over both days, the immediate positive feedback and willingness to work together over the coming year, Cleantech investing, development and deployment is poised to be one of the most significant opportunities for Australia to be a global leader in the 21st century. This was verified by keynote Speaker Terry Tamminen, Special Advisor to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as a part of the final panel discussion.

Rachel O'Neill, Jamie Taylor, Sean Lucy, Nan-Maree Schoerie,

Terry identified that this 3rd Cleantech Forum was the start of some great things such as between Victoria and California and not just for Australia but the rest of the world. Terry said that “as we walk out of here perhaps we can all recognise that a lot of the networking and good intentions will survive but some will not due to other demands and objectives, and that is a shame, and one of the reasons for that is there is not a place to come back except to the forum once a year. I think the thing that the Cleantech industry and the Cleantech solutions to climate change lacks right now is the centre of that universe in the way that we talked about over the past two days. In the way that high-tech found Silicone Valley as a place to incubate and to grow and to become synonymous with high-tech. I’ve seen lots of evidence here over the last two days that right here in Melbourne and Victoria that this could be that place, this could be the Silicone Valley for Cleantech in the world. I think you have all of the elements here.”

John Brakey, Christain Jensen, Steve Gibbs, Ian Robertson,

Terry then challenged everyone attending and said “what would happen if this group tasked itself over the course of the next twelve months to actually lay down the architecture for how you would make Melbourne the centre of the Cleantech Climate Solutions universe. How would you do it? What is missing? What pieces would you have to have together? Who else would you have to have at the table? I think you have all the people right here…make Melbourne and Victoria not only the hub of investment, innovation and R&D of Cleantech solutions for climate change but one reason it should be here is that this is the hub of India, China and the Pacific Rim and the world can come together right here in a very literal sense…I think that very quickly Melbourne/Victoria/Australia could grab that blank space that is there right now in Cleantech. There is a huge opportunity here in Australia to be the leaders into Asia with policy, culture, thoughtful people, growing demand and investment that supports it. And if you take up the challenge there will be a lot of global partners that will come here, including myself….I’ll be back.”

Dr. Ron Ben-David, Peter Castellas, Terry Tamminen, Somak Ghosh,

Clean Technology AustralAsia accepts Terry’s challenge to be the centre of the universe for Cleantech and we look forward to the identification of market and policy barriers, proposed solutions and drawing out the knowledge and experience from all that attended to help chart a way forward working together to develop a Cleantech Industry Plan that positions Australia as global leader in this dynamic new Cleantech industry.

Peter Castellas & Terry Tamminen: Thinking Bigger! 

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3rd AustralAsian Cleantech Forum™

	3rd AustralAsian Cleantech Forum Video and Program Overview

A number of recent significant developments demonstrate why the Cleantech sector has rapidly moved from the periphery to the centre of industry, government, investors and financiers' radar screens. The urgency to address issues such as climate change, energy security and water scarcity has been elevated to the highest echelons of government policy making. The colossal, surging markets of India and China have massively increased the demand for innovative Cleantech solutions to environmental problems and where sustainable development is a necessity. And, as global investing in Cleantech is at an all time high, a host of promising clean technologies have been successfully developed and commercialized and are now mature and economically viable.

There is a compelling argument to make, that the Cleantech industry has the potential to be one of the greatest economic opportunities of the 21st Century. However, for this emerging Cleantech industry to attract investment, create jobs and to reach its' full potential, there are a number of technical, market and political factors that need to fall into place. At the 3rd AustralAsian Cleantech Forum™ discussion will address the solutions - what to do and how to do it.

• Identify viable Cleantech investment prospects
• Overcome barriers to and strategies for financing Cleantech projects
• Access new project and export opportunities in the growing Asian markets
• Attract new investors from the Australian superfunds community
• Develop corporate Cleantech financing strategies
• Understand the evolution and future development of new market based mechanisms
• Evaluate how the AP6 and a post-Kyoto world will drive new policy settings

The 1st and 2nd Cleantech Finance and Investment Forums were hailed as a great success establishing the AustralAsian Cleantech Forum in Melbourne as the premier Cleantech gathering in the Asia Pacific and a must attend for all stakeholders involved in this dynamic new industry. This is your opportunity to be part of the most important Cleantech event in AustralAsia in 2007.