Hi Rob<br>I’m an italian researcher and I’m in Berkeley for six months as visiting scholar. I’m working on sustainable development through clean technologies in a cluster environment. That’s why I like your blog very much, and I’m very interesting in knowing what’s going on in the Silicon Valley in these fields. I discovered this site some days ago, but I hope to partecipate to discussions, also when I will be back in Italy.<br>I have been searching cleantech clusters informations since some weeks, and I would like to let you know my findings as soon as I can, if you want.<br>In Italy we are trying to stimulate the creation of a new cleantech cluster, specialized in green buildings, renewable energy and land management (do you say land management or environment management, referring to water cycle, forests, energy…?). I’m not sure I’m using correct terms to translate the sectors we are trying to develop. Would you tell me if are you familiar with these?<br>- green buildings (low energy consumption, low production, management, maintenance and final recovery costs);<br>- heat production and management technologies (higher outputs and ‘intelligent’ use of thermal energy – distribution networks and transformation systems of traditional combustibles, but also new technologies);<br>- ‘intelligent’ systems for the management of buildings and urban services (domotics, air conditioning and purification, monitoring and security);<br>- ‘intelligent’ systems for integrated land management (infrastructure, community services and urban functions – geomatics, mobility, planning, etc.);<br>- ‘intelligent’ systems for integrated management of the water cycle (utilisation technologies, control and enrichment of the flows for industrial, farm and civil uses);<br>- ‘intelligent’ systems for energy transfer and telecommunications (electrical networks, broad band etc.);<br>- technologies for the production of electrical and thermal energy from renewable sources (mini-hydro, micro-hydro, hydrogen, biomass, photovoltaic, wind, etc.).<br>I would apreciate your help a lot. Thanks for reading<br>Matteo

Thanks for the comment, Matteo—certainly many of the technologies you mention fall within the cleantech umbrella, and we track them.  Check the archives of this site for prior discussions on many of the topics, and we’ll continue to discuss them all here going forward as well.  I would highly recommend contacting the Cleantech Venture Network (http://www.cleantech.com) to make connections in regard to your project.  Best of luck with your efforts, <br>Rob

Thank you very much for the suggestions. I read something about Cleantech Venture Network, I will contact them for sure. <br>Matteo

Rob hi:<br>Would you please send my contact to Matteo?<br>Thx!<br>Joan in Israel<br>jow@zahav.net.il