MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon, who will speak at the conference along with the presidents of the two other schools, said the event’s goal is to initiate planning strategies on how to develop a more sustainable economy.

“In order for us to be competitive with other states, we have to complement the manufacturing and agricultural jobs in Michigan,” Simon said. “(The URC) can sustain and grow manufacturing by making sure we’re a good partner in meeting their research and development needs while producing a workforce that can meet the needs of new sectors.”

Ramani Narayan, an MSU chemical engineering professor, is one of six other MSU representatives scheduled to lead discussions on the second day of the conference.

Narayan’s research includes production of agriculturally produced, bio-based plastics that are environmentally preferable to petroleum-based plastics. Such technologies can be used to add biotechnology jobs in Michigan.

“The auto industry and its suppliers have always been the main driver to the state’s economy,” he said. “The second is agriculture, and that base can create a whole new manufacturing sector.”

Michigan continues to lead the nation with some of the worst economic numbers in the country. A 7.4 percent unemployment rate in August was more than 1 percent higher than in Alaska, the state with the second-highest rate.

Thomas Wolff, associate dean for undergraduate studies in MSU’s College of Engineering, said the inspiration for the conference originates from a report released by the National Academy of Sciences titled “Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future.”

Wolff will lead a group of academia, government and business leaders in coming up with proposals to add science, engineering, technology and math careers to the economy.

“We need to graduate engineers and scientists at a greater rate than we do now,” he said.