Draft program 17 – 20 September 2019
Program parts indicated with ‘tbc’ are not yet fixed and could be moved or substituted by other visits

Tuesday 17th of September

[Somewhere between 12.00 and 15.00]

Session: New England Opportunities

The greater Boston region is rich with incubators and innovation centers, all with the physical resources, mentor networks and connections to key collaborators that will help to accelerate your company’s growth.  This session will provide an overview of the technology incubators within the ACTION Innovation Network, their geographies, areas of cleantech expertise, and how they collaborate as a network.  You will also hear about various soft-landing programs that are offered within the network to international startups that are ready to initiate an expansion in the US in Massachusetts/New England, one of the main innovation ecosystems worldwide, or wish to leverage the knowledge and resources in the area and generate new business opportunities.

Presenters: Joan Popolo, Executive Director, ACTION Innovation Network, Chris Ilsley, North Shore InnoVentures.

15.00 – 16.00

Tour of MIT Senseable City Lab
MIT’s Senseable City Lab reunites researchers, cities and companies to study new tools for city design, taking into account new layers of networks and digital information in the urban space. 

16.00 – 17.00

Tour of MIT Materials Lab
MIT Materials Lab brings together industry, government and academics to further broad materials science and engineering progress. Including research on energy conversion and storage, metals, materials sustainability, functional fibers etc.

18.00 - 20.00

Networking event
High-level networking event organized by the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce, Swedish Embassy, Holland Innovation Network, Cleantech Scandinavia, FME and InnovationQuarter
Location: Wilmerhale Office Boston

Wednesday 18th of September

Option 1: Smart City Workshop
Discussion between cities, city-related organizations, universities and companies about the application of smart and sustainable solutions in the Boston Area.
Location: Greentown Labs

Option 2:  Project presentations

8.00 – 8.30

Networking & Coffee

Presention of the HEET GeoMicroDistrict Project - exact time tbd

Massachusetts has one of the oldest gas systems in the country, with 26% leak-prone pipes statewide and over 40% leak-prone in the city of Boston.  The challenge is figuring out how to provide reliable, affordable and renewable heating and cooling energy to all. Are the gas pipes going in the ground today what we need for an energy future tomorrow?

Could these small street segments of geothermal MicroDistricts – over time – be connected, to create an integrated renewable, resilient thermal energy system?  The GeoMicro District model is being built with energy data and advice from many experts including Eversource, MassCEC, DOER, the GreyEdge Group, and many others.  

8. 30 – 9.20

Key Notes

- Michael Lake, CEO Leading Cities

- Building Coalition - on smart buildings market development 

- Others t.b.d.

9.20 – 9,50 

Networking & Coffee

9.50 – 10.40

City Presentations: Lund, Rotterdam, Somerville, Boston – city approaches 

Program tbd

10.40 – 11.00

Discussion on International Smart City Collaboration - Led by Michael Lake

11.00 – 11.30

Transfer to Greentown Labs

11.30 -  18.00

Cleantech Showcase 

Greentown Labs, the largest cleantech incubator in North-America hosts our Dutch-Scandinavian delegation for a showcase event.  Dutch and Scandinavian mission participants present themselves to an audience of approximately 80 American investors and corporates such as Breakthrough Energy, Rhapsody Ventures, Clean Energy Trust, Saint Gobain, Evonik, Mass CEC, National Grid etc. Companies pitch and a panel of investors/corporates asks questions (approx. 10 min per company). During lunch and the reception at the end of the event there is plenty of time to network with our guests. 

For more information on the Cleantech Showcase, the program, speakers and pitching companies visit the Event Website.

Thursday 19th of September 

Whole day

Visit to Horizon 19
We visit the Horizon19 conference for one day. Horizon is a global convening bringing together industry leaders providing valuable clean economy solutions and organizations with innovations, capital and project partnering opportunities. Horizon19 will focus on technology and business innovation, structure the USA market for clean economy needs and solutions and link up to the national and international climate action frameworks. Our companies have the opportunity to network and pitch (7 - 10 min per company + 5 min Q&A).

For more information have a look at the Horizon19 Factsheet and Program.

Meet-the-buyer event (8.30 - 11.30 am)

At the same time of the Horizon19 conference (either at the same location, or close by) you can participate in our Meet-the-Buyer event.

The Meet-the-Buyer event will give you the chance to have targeted one-on-one meetings with key decision makers of globally leading companies in the field of Energy Systems & Sustainable Building, such as Saint Gobain. 

Participating corporates put together a ‘buyer profile’ in which they publish  a technology request. Mission participants are requested to put together a ‘seller profile’ when applying.  One-on-one meetings are set up only if both parties agree. Please find below the buyer profiles of the corporates that have confirmed their participation:

1. Saint Gobain

2. Repsol

Evening

Network Reception Horizon19

Friday 20th of September 

8.30 – 10.00

Visit to Clippership Wharf Project - exact time tdb

Mixed-use development project on a 12-acre East Boston Waterfront site overlooking Boston Harbor and the Boston skyline. Currently under construction. 

Developer: Landlease
Architect: The Architectural Team

10.30 – 12.00

Visit to Bulfinch Crossing Project - exact time tbd

Bulfinch Crossing is a 2.9-million-square-foot multi-phased development project that will replace the existing above-grade concrete Government Center Garage with six mixed-use buildings, a pedestrian-friendly streetscape and a public plaza on two appropriately-scaled urban blocks spread across approximately 4.8 acres. The demolition of a major portion of the garage over Congress Street will allow for daylight to shine on Congress Street for the first time in more than 40 years.

Developer: The HYM Investment Group

12.30 – 14.30

Roundtable - This event is an opportunity to engage with municipal and community development and planning agencies for their perspective on scouting and navigating small-to-large projects at local scale. Delegates will meet with representatives from three organizations to discuss current and future projects, strategic insight into the practicalities of contracts and surrounding processes, local development priorities, and how to most effectively work with Boston communities. Representatives from the Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA), Boston Housing Authority (BHA), and South Boston Neighborhood Development Corporation (TBC) will lead discussion.

14.30

End of the program