HOUSTON – Houston leads the nation and the world with many firsts. The first word spoken from space: Houston. The energy capital of the world. The largest medical complex in the world: the Texas Medical Center. One of the world's largest and busiest ports: the Port of Houston. Now, the nation’s fourth largest city is poised to claim yet another accolade: hub for open innovation.  

To build towards this goal, the Houston Open Innovation Conference (HOIC) will bring together industry, government and academia in an open exchange of ideas and sharing of best practices, challenges and success stories. Lone Star College (LSC), the City of Houston and the Energy Conference Network (ECN) are teaming up to host the unique platform Thursday, March 28, at Houston Exponential, 410 Pierce St., Houston, Texas 77002. The event kicks off with a welcome message at 8:30 a.m.

“As mayor, it is my distinct honor to invite you to the third annual Houston Open Innovation Conference,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner. “At this conference, I’ll lay out my vision for Houston’s innovation ecosystem, and you will learn techniques and specific ideas to innovate within your organizations from industries’ top executives and thought leaders.”

Lone Star College – the largest institution of higher education in the Houston region - is a vital engine of economic development and growth and promotes the area as a leader in innovation.

“Innovation is key to the success of LSC, so we are proud to once again host HOIC as the founding partner,” said Stephen C. Head, Ph.D., LSC chancellor. “Any opportunity we have to facilitate the exchange of ideas to fuel growth and innovation ultimately benefits our community and the businesses and organizations that attend.”

Open innovation fosters an environment where companies, industries, communities and organizations share ideas in a forum that will lead to transformative technologies, cutting-edge breakthroughs and new business for the future. 

“HOIC brings together a unique cross section of leaders, thinkers and innovators," said Dr. Shah Ardalan, LSC-University Park president. "The collaboration and networking at this conference ?will inspire new opportunities and practical breakthroughs to transform ideas into reality and turn Houston into one of the nation's premier innovation hubs."

Speakers will include: Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner; Rice University President David W. Leebron; Lone Star College Chancellor Stephen C. Head, Ph.D.; LSC-University Park President Shah S. Ardalan, Ph.D.; Amanda Edwards, At-Large Position 4, Houston City Council; Jesse Bounds, Director of Innovation, City of Houston; Russ Capper, Executive Director, Houston Exponential; Steve Rader, Deputy Director, Center for Excellence for Collaborative Innovation, NASA, Johnson Space Center; Gaby Rowe, CEO, Station Houston; Edwin Suarez, Head of Talent, Technology & Innovation, Marathon Oil; Susan Davenport, Senior Vice President, Economic Development, Greater Houston Partnership; Massey Villarreal, CEO and President, Precision Task Group, Inc.; and Brett Trusko, President & CEO, International Association of Innovation Professionals.

“Houston is the epicenter of open innovation,” said ECN CEO Symon Rubens. “Not only is Houston renowned as the world’s energy capital, largest medical center, and one of the busiest ports, but we have world-class universities and a vibrant investment and start-up community to drive cross sectional development and technology transformation for the future.”

Conference sponsors are: QMarkets, Houston Exponential, Greater Houston Partnership, TMCx, International Association of Innovation Professionals, Station Houston, Rice University, Rice Alliance, Impact Hub Houston, Center for Houston’s Future, Pumps & Pipes, The Cannon Houston, ThoughtSpace, and the Innovation Leadership Forum.

Visit HoustonOpenInnovation.com to learn more about the conference, speakers and sessions and to register.