Clemson University to host key automotive conference, German ambassador

GREENVILLE, SC – March 9, 2011 – A key industry sector will meet at the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) next month when the university hosts ICSAT 2011 — the International Conference on Sustainable Automotive Technologies.

More than 100 auto industry and university representatives from around the world will gather April 5 and 6 to discuss new technologies and approaches in sustainable mobility.

The conference is hosted with the Institute for Technology and Design in Ingolstadt, Germany, and the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Australia.

ICSAT 2011 marks the first time the conference has taken place in North America.

Suzanne Dickerson, director of business development at CU-ICAR and head of the conference organizing committee, said ICSAT 2011 is multidimensional.

“The conference offers big-picture sustainability trends, technical solutions and take-it-to-market practical expertise,” she said.

The two-day conference features plenary technical sessions with a focus on clarifying viable solutions for sustainable, integrated future vehicle technologies, infrastructure design, manufacturing systems and more.

The conference features a keynote address by Josef Kerscher, president of BMW Manufacturing Co., and official remarks by Klaus Scharioth, German ambassador to the United States, and Clemson University President James F. Barker.

Steve Hung, conference chairman for CU-ICAR, said the event will bring a specialist group of industry experts to Greenville.

The conference includes discussions on BMW Group’s approach to sustainable mobility, a biofuel-processing outlook and a guest lecture on the evolution of vehicle technologies by Frank Weith, technical strategy manager for Volkswagen Group.

“ICSAT 2011 will bring a wealth of talent and world-renowned speakers to Clemson’s CU-ICAR campus,” Hung said. “This will be the first time in North America for ICSAT and is a major feather in the cap for the university and Greenville.”

The conference marks a series of events involving Clemson and Scharioth. On April 4, the ambassador will visit Clemson’s main campus and meet with Barker, faculty and staff.

The ambassador will participate in a roundtable discussion on German business opportunities with Clemson and South Carolina and address the university on transatlantic relations. It will include a question-and-answer session.

“Clemson has a track record of economic development through successful partnerships,” Barker said. “Ambassador Scharioth’s visit to the main campus and CU-ICAR is a wonderful opportunity for the university to showcase it’s people and facilities.”