Executive Forum opens door to the future
09/01/2000
Kelly Sewell
PORTLAND, OR—Cleanroom executives will have a rare opportunity to look into a crystal ball at CleanRooms West 2000 (Portland, OR) and learn about markets that will need contamination control technology in the future.
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Right. Knudsen: HEPA filters are critical.
CleanRooms Group assembled a team of high-level executives from emerging markets to share insight on their industries, as it pertains to implementing contamination control technology.
The forum is a response to industry executives who indicated to CleanRooms Group management that they want to invest in growth industries to cushion themselves from future downturns like the one most recently witnessed in the semiconductor industry.
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CleanRooms shows are the showcase for the newest developments in contamination control.
Dr. Richard Knudsen, representing virology and lab sciences, will reveal the need in his industry for another level of HEPA filter than exists today. Knudsen, chief of the Laboratory Safety Branch at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC; Atlanta), says, "I think the industry may not be aware of infectious disease and what we [CDC] do. I'll describe how we design our labs to contain infectious disease... the actual facility design through [Biosafety] Level 1-4. Of course, HEPA filters are critical to this," especially in light of the rise in infectious diseases, and the threat of bioterrorism.
The forum will help cleanroom executives identify other fields where their technology may have applications. "People in one industry stand to benefit by learning about the problems and successes in another," says William R. Burris, associate publisher of CleanRooms Group.
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Mike Levans (left), CleanRooms Chief Editor, presents the 1999 CleanRooms Hall of Fame award to recipient Bill Whyte of Glasgow, Scotland. The 2000 Hall of Fame award will be presented at CleanRooms West.
Executives from the following companies confirmed their participation at press time: Advanced Micro Devices (semiconductor), Sandia National Labs (aerospace), Amgen (biotechnology) and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (virology and laboratory sciences). Executives from Nestle (food processing), Volvo (automotive), and Becton Dickinson (pharmaceutical and medical devices) have also been invited.
The session will be held Wednesday, October 4, from 9 am to 12 pm. It will include presentations by the above-named executives followed by a question and answer period/panel discussion.