Conference: COMS 2014
City Location: Salt Lake City, UT
Country: United States of America
Host: University of Utah
Dates: 12-15 October

Conference Highlights

University of Utah Center for Engineering Innovation, was held for the first time in Utah and took place at the Grand America Hotel from Oct. 12 to 15. The annual international conference brings investors, researchers and government officials to discuss how to turn their tech ideas into marketable products and startups. Danick Bionda, secretary general for Micronarc, a hub of nano and microtechnology companies in Western Switzerland, said he was impressed with the technological showcases at this year’s event.

“We have had a wide variety of content, and we have had great entrepreneurs and great feedback,” he said about what he learned at COMS. “It [the conference] is bringing a really deep experience from the industry to a world of nano and microtechnology.” Rens L.J. Vandeberg traveled from Utrecht, The Netherlands, to the COMS Conference to get a first-hand look at how technology is evolving in the U.S. “It’s very interesting to get immersed in a region you’re not too familiar with and to see what initiatives are going on, what activities are being employed, and what effects these have,” said Vandeberg, program manager for Technology Foundation STW, which funds research in The Netherlands. “After getting acquainted with Utah, that really broadens my own scope. The activities and cultural climate here is very energetic and leads people to bring ideas to market. Obviously, that’s very successful in Utah.”