Telecommunications
Between the expanding possibilities of the Internet, and the fierce competition amongst all players involved, the Telecommunications Industry has been evolving very rapidly in unforeseen ways. The potential for an enormously lucrative payoff attracted a massive investment capital influx, fueling the creation of new companies and the rate of mergers and acquisitions. Now faced with a decline in the initial investment frenzy, many are left wondering whether new companies will provide enough revenue growth to continue the industry improvements. What will the new 'killer applications' be and what will serve as the driver for wireless? Will broadband take off for consumers, or will it remain a business focused utility? How will optical switching shape the industry? What careers show the greatest potential for growth? The panel composed of venture capitalists, industry experts and academics will debate these issues. Moderator: David Kestenbaum.

Panelists:

• Sanjeev Verma, Airvana
• Vincent W. S. Chan, Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems at MIT
• David E. Schantz,, Matrix Partners
• David Arnoff, Greylock Partners
• Allyson Hartzell, Analog Devices

Biotechnology
From revolutionizing the pharmaceutical industry to creating artificial organs, biotechnology is a rapidly growing field and a booming business. Not only do biotechnological innovations make great advancements in the medical field, but they also create huge opportunities for venture capilalists. As the "Dot Com Age" fades into the past, the "Biotech Age" looms as the exciting future. This panel will discuss topics including diagnostic procedures, drug delivery, tissue engineering, and many more. The panel will also discuss the regulation of a field that tends to be in the limelight of ethical debates.

Panelists:

• Wolf W. von Maltzahn, Whitaker Foundation
• Scott A. Uhland, MicroCHIPS, Inc.
• Gillian Isabelle, PureTech Ventures
• Joseph Bonventre

Energy
"Oil prices rise, signal inflation to come", "Rolling blackouts cripple businesses in CA", and "LA Nox emissions reach all time highs". Everyday, newspapers and magazines remind the world that finite resources power technological progress. After the recent energy crisis some advocated the need for energy conservation while others advocated more exploration. This year's abnormally warm winter raises questions of global warming. There are already many clean forms of alternative energy available which are not widely used. The panel will look at the future of the fossil fuels. It will also discuss the effects of deregulation on the power industry and will look at the future of energgy in a greenhouse gas constrained future. Finally it will look at the future of alternative energy and the barriers that have kept it from becoming widely used.

Panelists:

• Yeona Jang, PSEG
• Vicki Norhberg Bohm, Energy and Technology Innovation Project
• John B. Heywood
• Nancy Mohn, ALSTOM
• John T. Preston, Atomic Ordered Materials

Tiny Technologies
Microtechnology: is it only computer chips, or is it something more? There was a time when the word called to mind images of transistors built on a silicon wafer, or perhaps the circuit board found inside an old Apple II. Today, the technology has progressed far beyond that with computer processing speeds reaching over 1 GHz and novel applications for MEMS and silicon wafer fabrication technology appearing every day. The field is no longer limited to electrical and computer engineering: microscale devices can be found in biotechnology, robotics, and aerospace, among other industries. So what can we do today and where is this all going? What does the future hold for this fast-developing technology? This panel will take a look at current trends in tiny, micro-, nanotechnology and where they will be headed. Moderator: Professor Lionel Kimmerling, MIT Materials Science.

Panelists:

• Qing Ma, Intel Labs
• Jeffery Andrews, Atlas Venture
• Mark Spearing, MIT Aero/Astro
• Amy Duwel, Draper Laboratory
• Tanya Kanigan, BioTrove