As one of the founding members of TAFU (to avoid future unemployment), Rick was quick to point out the benefits of networking to help your career. Networking opportunities continued before and after his talk on January 12th at the Research Triangle Park Headquarters: CREE: New Horizons in Energy, Environmental and Advance Cluster Sectors
The Director of business development at CREE, Rick gave the audience a brief tour of the business environment CREE operates in. Focusing on the commercial and residential lighting space, Rick used his background in business to enlightent the audience on a wide variety of issues impacting the production, adoption and effects of LED’s in lighting applications.
Utilities, goverment at all levels, and CREE’s impact on the end user were described in the 119 Billion dollar lighting market. Rick touched on issues affecting the LED lighting market from failure perception setbacks on the west coast to the benefits of the ‘fifth fuel’ energy consumption strategies.
Rick highlighted the prevalence of energy related businesses in the triangle area, and how clusters of like-minded companies can accelerate the growth of the industry.
Choice quote from the event:
Innovation isn’t thinking out of the box, it’s about thinking outside of your office.
