FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 25, 2002

JENNIFER BOES, 302.672.6811

(Baltimore, Maryland) The SMART (Strengthening the Mid-Atlantic Region for Tomorrow) Congressional Caucus will host the third annual TechTrends Conference, "Leveraging Science & Technology Opportunities," April 3 - 4 at the Baltimore Convention Center in the Inner Harbor.

The conference is a regional initiative established by Congressman Curt Weldon (R-PA) to bring focus and attention to the science, technology and research and development capabilities in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey.

The federal government funds more than $80 billion a year into research and development endeavors. The conference will connect the highest ranking government officials responsible for disbursement of these funds with the region's best science and technology companies, government entities and academic institutions.

The conference workshops and exhibits will focus on the leading edge trends of biotechnology, transportation, defense, information technology, energy and the environment, materials and composites and nanotechnology. For more information and to register, visit www.techtrends.org or call 703.522.1820.

"Up until now much of the federal dollars across these disciplines went largely to the state of California," says TechTrends host Congressman Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD). "The SMART caucus brings the combined backing of 43 congressional representatives and eight senators along with the extraordinary talent from this region's best and brightest organizations. We have already seen success in this area as a result of this conference."

Dr. Ben Carson, a world-renowned neurosurgeon, will give the keynote address from Johns Hopkins Children's Center. Workshops will cover topics including a States Perspective on Homeland Security featuring the Honorable Thomas Ridge. Syd Martin, President of the Sytex Group, Inc., will chair a panel on security surrounding the global information grid. Dr. James Schwaber of Thomas Jefferson University will lead a discussion on Genomics Beyond Drug Discovery. Green Manufacturing will be led by Dr. Tracy C. Williamson, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, USEPA. Dr. Jack Gillespie, Director, Composite Materials Center of Excellence, University of Delaware will focus on the materials of the future, from tennis racquets to spacecraft.

"The goal of this conference is for all of these organizations to understand the direction of the government funds and capture them through collaborative partnerships," says Jim Donahue, TechTrends chairperson. "This conference should have wide interest from businesses wanting to get a competitive edge, academic institutions aligning their curriculum towards the future, government agencies wishing to access the expertise of their regional counterparts, as well as the financial community and media working to understand the new growth sectors."

NOTE: The event is open to the press. Press credentials must be presented at the registration desk. Interviews can be scheduled through the contacts listed above.