Crowning event visit of king of sweden kettering university, dr michael harris provost served as mas

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Crowning event

By Website Administrator | Sep 29, 2008 Tweet

Kettering University hosted King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and Gov. Granholm as the city of Flint and Kettering partnered with Swedish Biogas International to bring a new technology to the area.

Governor Jennifer M. Granholm and His Majesty Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden, dedicated one of the state’s first Centers of Energy Excellence (COEE) during colorful ceremonies at Kettering University in Flint on Friday, Sept. 26. Trumpets heralded the arrival the King Carl XVI Gustaf during a formal ground-breaking ceremony in the Connie and Jim John Recreation Center, which also included Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, Swedish Ambassador to the United States Jonas Hafstrom; United States Ambassador to Sweden Michael Wood; Mich. Representative Lee Gonzales; President and CEO of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation Jim Epolito; President and CEO of the C.S. Mott Foundation Bill White; City of Flint Mayor Don Williamson and Kettering University President Stan Liberty. Dr. Michael Harris, provost and vice president of Academic Affairs at Kettering served as the master of ceremonies.

The event was a ceremonial ending of a successful feasibility study on a project that will produce alternative energy from waste removed from the city’s wastewater treatment plant.

The project is a collaboration of Swedish Biogas International (SBI), Kettering University, and the city of Flint, with support from the C.S. Mott Foundation, Swedish agencies, and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC).

“By connecting innovative companies like Swedish Biogas International with our worldclass research facilities and universities, we can create jobs and make Michigan the North American epicenter of the alternative energy industry,” Granholm said. “This is all part of our aggressive strategy to diversify our economy while becoming the state that helps end our nation’s dependence on foreign oil.”

The celebration included members of the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce, Swedish Women’s Education Association, the Jenny Lind Club of Michigan, the Swedish American Heritage Society, and a large contingent of Kettering Flint community. “The mission and vision of Kettering University embrace the spirit of this collaboration,” Liberty

file:///C|/...s/Crowning%20Event%20-%20Visit%20of%20King%20of%20Sweden%20-%20Kettering%20University,%20Dr.%20Michael%20Harris%20Provost%20served%20as%20Master%20of%20Ceremonies.htm[12/29/2013 4:23:32 PM]

Crowning event | Kettering University

said. “Kettering is committed to applying its intellectual and physical assets to help achieve the goals of this partnership and help build a ‘back to the future’ economy for this region.”

“The city of Flint is honored to have His Majesty Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden visiting our great city,” Williamson said. “This project represents a great new opportunity for the citizens of Flint. The new Center of Energy Excellence is one of the first in the state and will enable our city to be on the cutting edge of biofuel technology. We are proud to be a large part of this project and partner with Swedish Biogas, Kettering University, and the MEDC to help develop a new alternative fuel and benefit the citizens of Flint and Michigan.”

The COEE program, proposed by the governor in her State of the State address in January and signed into law this summer, brings companies, academic institutions, and local and state government together to support cutting-edge research and development and pioneer new alternative-energy technology.

Swedish Biogas International will utilize $4 million from the COEE program to launch a waste-to-energy/bio-methane center at the city of Flint’s wastewater treatment facility.

The project draws upon 15 years of experience that Swedish Biogas has in operating three waste-to-energy facilities in Sweden.

Kettering University is a partner in the project and will collaborate with Linköping University in Sweden. Kettering will work toward adapting municipal vehicles so they can utilize the bio-methane as fuel. Kettering’s incubator will also serve as the initial headquarters for SBI’s North American operations, providing a launching point for expanding the use of this technology throughout Michigan and North America.

“This project in Flint will be a major building block in creating the state’s alternative energy industry and lay the groundwork for creating new jobs in Michigan,” Epolito said.

“We look forward to a new growth industry coming from this investment today.”

The Swedish Biogas International project is one of three Centers of Energy Excellence designated earlier this week by the Michigan Strategic Fund (MSF), including an alternative energy partnership in Ann Arbor between Sakti3 and the University of Michigan that will focus on next-generation lithium battery technologies and processes and a cellulosic ethanol plant near Kinross in the eastern Upper Peninsula operated by Massachusettsbased Mascoma in partnership with Michigan State and Michigan Tech universities.

The Swedish Biogas International project in Flint is a result of Governor Granholm’s investment mission to Sweden in August 2007. Granholm traveled to Sweden last year to meet with government and company officials in an effort to develop alternative energy partnerships and encourage investment in Michigan. Sweden is a recognized global leader in renewable fuels with more than 65 percent of heating needs of all buildings derived from biomass waste.

“We are honored today to welcome the King of Sweden to Genesee County for the groundbreaking of the new Flint Center of Bioenergy,” Gonzales said. “A recognized international leader in alternative energy, Sweden’s ability to generate biogas is decades ahead of the U.S., providing a roadmap for Michigan. With this proven, time-tested technology and with our new partners from Sweden, we are in the position to further strengthen Michigan’s competitive advantage in biofuels and create alternative energy jobs in Michigan and across North America. The potential employment opportunities are endless!” file:///C|/...s/Crowning%20Event%20-%20Visit%20of%20King%20of%20Sweden%20-%20Kettering%20University,%20Dr.%20Michael%20Harris%20Provost%20served%20as%20Master%20of%20Ceremonies.htm[12/29/2013 4:23:32 PM]

Crowning event | Kettering University

In July, legislation was enacted with overwhelming bipartisan support, authorizing the MSF to allocate up to $45 million to establish and administer the COEE program designed to support the development, growth and sustainability of alternative energy clusters by identifying or locating a base company with the necessary business and supply-chain infrastructure. The COEE program will match the base companies with universities, national labs, and training centers to accelerate next-generation research, workforce development, and commercialization.

The Kettering portion of the celebration prepared under the leadership of Provost Michael Harris and included co-chairs Caron Wilson (Provost Office) and Pat Mroczek (PR & Communications) and team members Jim Benford (Safety), Nathalie Dronchat (Special Events), Pat Engle (Physical Facilities), Luchen Li (International Office), Shari Luck (Enrollment Services) and Sheila Rupp (Commencement/Registrar).

Written by Pat Mroczek and State of Michigan sources (810) 762-9533 pmroczek@kettering.edu

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file:///C|/...s/Crowning%20Event%20-%20Visit%20of%20King%20of%20Sweden%20-%20Kettering%20University,%20Dr.%20Michael%20Harris%20Provost%20served%20as%20Master%20of%20Ceremonies.htm[12/29/2013 4:23:32 PM]