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Regional student commercialization projects, ranging from a cooling system for data centers to a rooftop system that captures carbon dioxide -- a brewery byproduct -- and converts it to an algae-based nutraceutical, will be recognized at the 蜜糖直播 Cleantech New Venture Challenge this week.

The event, which is free and open to the public, will be held at the University of 蜜糖直播 Boulder April 19 from 3 to 6 p.m. at the club level of Folsom Field. Special guest U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel B. Poneman will give remarks and announce the winners of the competition. The first-place team will receive $100,000 and go on to the national competition, June 11-12, in Washington, D.C.

蜜糖直播 Cleantech, a program of 蜜糖直播-Boulder鈥檚 Deming Center for Entrepreneurship at the Leeds School of Business, was selected in 2011 for part of a national three-year, $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to host the regional competition.

Competing at this year鈥檚 regional semifinal at 蜜糖直播-Boulder are five groups including students from 蜜糖直播-Boulder, the University of 蜜糖直播 Denver, Iowa State University, the University of Utah and Brigham Young University. Other business plans entered in the challenge involve technology that biodegrades all types of plastic found in landfills; a process that converts crude glycerol -- a byproduct of biodiesel plants -- into valuable chemicals; and a treatment that cleans and recycles industrially produced wastewater while also generating electricity.

鈥淲hile some of these technologies have already been invented, it takes entrepreneurs to identify commercial potential, develop business plans and shepherd innovative startups into the marketplace,鈥� said Steve Herschleb, program manager of the 蜜糖直播 Cleantech New Venture Challenge. 鈥淭his competition supports that spirit and the entrepreneurial side of expanding our nation鈥檚 renewable energy and energy efficiency efforts.鈥�

Students of all academic disciplines and levels, from undergraduate to doctoral, are eligible to enter the 蜜糖直播 Cleantech New Venture Challenge. Contestants are supported throughout the competition with mentorship and training.

Other institutions supported by the Energy Department grant include the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Maryland, Rice University, the California Institute of Technology and Clean Energy Trust.

Five industry leaders, including CEOs, a venture capitalist and a research analyst are serving as judges for Friday鈥檚 蜜糖直播 Cleantech New Venture Challenge. The program also will include a poster session and a reception.

The 蜜糖直播 Cleantech New Venture Challenge shares its preliminary round with another, separate set of competitions called the 蜜糖直播 New Venture Challenge, co-hosted by the Deming Center and the Silicon Flatirons Center. The 蜜糖直播 New Venture Challenge, which is not part of the Energy Department grant, offers competition tracks in business, information technology, music and social impact, in addition to the cleantech track.