PROCEEDINGS - Industries of the Future - West Virginia - West ...

Inaugural Symposium Proceedings
CONCLUSIONS AND CHALLENGES FOR THE FUTURE
The symposium had excellent participation by leaders from West Virginia industry, state
and federal government, and higher education, demonstrating the substantial cooperation, goodwill and
capability which exists for continually improving the State's economy.
The IOF-WV industry sector breakout groups were successful in developing over 120
technical project ideas, while the cross-cut breakout groups found some 55 critical issues of concern to
IOF-WV companies and over 30 strategy recommendations for enhancing growth and global
competitiveness of West Virginia companies.
There are seven immediate challenges for the IOF-WV program:
1. Develop funded R&D projects for IOF-WV research teams. The industry sector
Working Groups should prepare and submit proposals reflecting the R&D needs established at
this Symposium. West Virginia industry leaders have been very cooperative in helping initiate
IOF-WV, and their continued participation in developing proposals and obtaining beneficial
results will be essential to future success.
2. "Institutionalize" the relationship of IOF-WV with WVU, the WVDO, the WV Science
and Technology Council, the WV State Legislature, and the Governor's Office. IOF-
WV can help further the common interests of these organizations in areas such as creating and
preserving jobs, transferring and implementing new technologies, funding for research, and
attracting new companies to the state.
3. Work closely with the national-level IOF program. The state-level effort needs to be well
informed about industry Visions and Technology Roadmaps which are developed in the OIT's
national-level IOF program. At the same time, state-level needs and priorities for improved
productivity should be recognized by the DOE.
4. Mobilize interdisciplinary teams around important cross-cutting issues identified at the
Symposium. IOF-WV participants can help address concerns such as availability of a quality
workforce, environmental restrictions, and use of byproducts and waste materials as feedstocks
for other industries.
5. Build vertically integrated partnerships to enhance productivity and competitiveness of
West Virginia's basic industries. The emerging high technology industry in West Virginia
can team with coal, natural gas and power generation companies, as well as others, to improve
the efficiency and productivity of basic manufacturing companies.
6. Cooperate with the WV Development Office and other groups in their efforts to attract
new business to the State. A strategy suggested by the cross-cut groups at the 1997
Symposium is to attract manufacturing companies which use as input the intermediate materials
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