For the City-Times

David Krakauer, the first permanent director of the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, will speak at the Wisconsin Tech Summit, to be held April 7 at the GE Healthcare Institute in Waukesha.

The Tech Summit, produced by the Wisconsin Technology Council, is based on the assumption that large and small companies travel in different “orbits,” even if they’re in the same business sectors, and rarely collide except by chance. The summit will include a series of brief meetings, similar to a “speed-dating” exercise to foster possible partnerships.

Participating major companies thus far are American Family Insurance, AT&T, Aurora Healthcare, Faith Technologies, GE Healthcare, HP Enterprise Services, IBM, Johnson Controls Inc., Kraft Foods, Plexus, Rockwell Automation, Runzheimer International and TASC (Total Administrative Services Corp).

More information on the day-long event, including the application process for emerging companies, can be found at www.wistechsummit.com. Attendance is limited to representatives of participating major companies, selected emerging companies and event sponsors.

Krakauer’s presentation during the April 7 luncheon will focus on “The Open Generation: Open data, open science, open universities and reflections on the future of the open state.”

Krakauer views the Institute as an experimental “greenhouse” that nourishes hybrid approaches to science, new disciplines and unexpected partnerships. Also a professor of genetics at UW–Madison, he co-directs the Center for Complexity and Collective Computation at the Institute and serves as an external professor at the Santa Fe Institute. A graduate of the University of London and Oxford University, he became a Wellcome Research Fellow in mathematical biology and lecturer at Pembroke College. Krakauer served as a visiting professor at Princeton University and later became faculty chair at the Santa Fe Institute in 2009.

Krakauer has authored and been featured in numerous mainstream articles, podcasts and videos. His unorthodox but rigorous approach to science and collaboration earned him a spot on Wired UK’s 2012 Smart List as one of 50 people “who will change the world.”

Emerging companies can apply to participate in the Tech Summit at www.wistechsummit.com. The deadline is Monday, Feb. 24. A selection process involving major companies and the Tech Council will follow. Selected companies may meet with more than one company, depending on mutual interest.

There is no cost to apply. If selected, a company registration fee will be charged. Major registration discounts will be available at that time for all Wisconsin Innovation Network members.

The “speed dating” meetings on April 7 will run about 15 minutes each. Other features of the event will include:

• “Office Hours” meetings and presentations, which will be available to all participants during those times in which they are not scheduled for individual meetings.

• Addresses by major speakers who will bring perspectives that will be helpful for major companies as well as emerging firms.

• An opening panel discussion that will help set the stage by affording major companies an opportunity to talk generally about their goals, needs and emerging markets.

Sponsors thus far include American Family Insurance, Baird Capital, BloodCenter of Wisconsin, BMO Harris Bank, GE Healthcare, HP Enterprise Services, Madison Gas & Electric, The Milwaukee Institute, Mortenson Construction, Rockwell Automation, UW-Madison Office of Corporate Relations, UW-Milwaukee, Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. and Wisconsin Health and Education Facilities Authority.

Visit www.wistechsummit.com for more information on the event, the application process and sponsorship opportunities.