A Few Cleantech Business Concepts at UCSB

I spent a couple of hours yesterday evening at the “New Ventures Forum” at the University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB).  Guests had the opportunity to meet a total of 22 different teams of students, some of them Ph.D. candidates, and ask them to present their concepts for new businesses.    Great food, a little wine – a good time was had by all.

Yet I was surprised that only three of the 22 pertained to cleantech, and, while most of them were eco-neutral, one was an energy-hungry gadget to cool bottles or cans faster than the rate that could be achieved in a freezer.  I tried not to be nasty, but I felt compelled to say something, so I asked the developer impassively, “Are you sure there’s a need for something like this?”

Perhaps my favorite is a new type of high-efficiency lighting that uses lasers and phosphorous.  It taps into the same physics as LEDs, i.e., the photons are produced as electrons drop down a quantum level, but it’s better (more energy-efficient) for commercial and industrial applications that use large amounts of high-powered lighting, like sports stadiums.

I also liked a concept in sustainable seafood, enabling restaurateurs to know everything they possibly could about the fish they’re buying and serving: where, how, when and by whom it was caught – the ultimate, I would say, for the large and growing number of people interested in minimizing our impact on our oceans.

What an amazing place; there always are so many good things happening at UCSB.