COPENMIND

The opening session will set the stage for COPENMIND 2008 by outlining the impact of cleantech in the world, the role of partnerships in leveraging that impact, and the opportunities at Copenmind to work towards such partnerships.

Johan Rockström, Ph.D., Professor, Executive Director, Stockholm Environment Institute Stockholm Resilience Centre

Johan Rockström is professor in natural resources management at Stockholm University and executive director of the Stockholm Environment Institute and the Stockholm Resilience Center. He has 12 years of research and development work experience with more than 40 scientific publications in areas of water resource management, agricultural development, environmental management, systems research and resilience research. He is the coordinator of several national and regional research and development projects in these areas including several countries in sub-Saharan Africa. He is also a board member of the Tällberg Foundation, which is an inter disciplinary gathering of world leaders for discussion and reflection on challenges faced by humanity. Johan Rockström will be setting the tone with fact-based knowledge regarding the environmental theme and moderate the Opening Session.

Dr. Thomas Rüschen, Global Head of Asset Finance & Leasing, Deutsche Bank

Dr. Thomas Rüschen is globally responsible for Asset Finance & Leasing, a product group within Deutsche Bank’s Corporate and Investment Division. In this capacity he is also a member of the Global Banking Executive Committee. Assets his product group is focusing on including amongst others Renewable Energy, Infrastructure and Alternative Assets such as Intellectual Property Rights and Microfinance. Responsibilities he held since 1990 include the role as Senior Relationship Manager within Relationship Management/Structured Finance in London and a role within Credit Risk Management. From 1997 to 2000 he was responsible for the corporate banking business in Continental Europe outside of Germany. Prior to taking over his current function in 2003, he served as Country Manager for Deutsche Bank in Italy. Thomas graduated from the University of Mannheim and obtained his PhD from Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt. Dr. Thomas Rüschen will highlight the aspects of innovation and economic opportunities related to clean technology, its role for an asset financier and the contribution that a large institutional investor can provide to this promising sector.

Michael L. Goguen, Managing Partner, Sequoia Capital

Michael Goguen is a managing partner at Sequoia Capital. Sequoia Capital was an original investor in Google, Yahoo, YouTube, PayPal, Cisco, Oracle, and Apple Computer. Michael is the global head of Sequoia’s cleantech investment efforts, which are particularly focused on finding capital efficient cleantech businesses with strong IP. Michael is also active in semiconductor, systems and internet businesses, and has served on the boards of over 40 Sequoia companies. Prior to joining Sequoia Capital in 1996, Michael spent 10 years in various engineering, research, and product management roles at DEC, Synoptics, and Centillion, and was a director of Engineering at Bay Networks (NT). Michael also served as a Technical Chairman of the ATM Forum. Michael has a BS in Electrical Engineering from Cornell University and an MS in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University. Michael Goguen will illustrate how bringing together research and entrepreneurship through a venture capital firm can lead to finding innovative and sustainable solutions to global climate change.

Prof. dr. ir. André Oosterlinck, President, chairman Association, K.U. Leuven, Honorary rector K.U. Leuven

André Oosterlinck is Honorary Rector of the K.U. Leuven and president/chairman of the Association K.U. Leuven (Network of 2 universities and 12 university colleges). He became vice-president for the exact sciences at K.U. Leuven in 1990 and was rector and president of the K.U. Leuven from August 1995 until July 2005. André is a founder of several start-ups as well as a board member and president of numerous technology ventures. He is a much trusted advisor to governments and universities with regard to university-industry partnerships. Through his visiting professorships in the US (Utah, San Jose), his professional commitments in Silicon Valley, and his activities on the European academic scene as a board member of the European University Association (EUA), vice-president of the League of European Research Universities (LERU), and the chairman of the Coimbra Group of universities, he is well acquainted with the academic as well as the industry perspective on partnerships on both sides of the Atlantic. André graduated as a civil electronic engineer at the K.U. Leuven in 1972 and holds a PhD in bio-computer science (1977) as well as a special PhD electrical engineering(1981). André Oosterlinck will portray how a university can strategically align its operations towards successfully spinning-off relevant research ideas for market application through industry partnerships.