DEARBORN ? For the first time in two years, Michigan will have a statewide gathering of technology professionals. The Michigan Technology Conference will be co hosted Sept. 8 by the Detroit Regional Chamber, Automation Alley and the Michigan Economic Development Corp.

The day-long event will be held at the Ford Conference Center in Dearborn and is expected to draw upwards of 300 attendees for a series of breakout sessions, keynotes, and power networking.

None of the principal sponsors were available for comment Tuesday. A formal announcement is expected later this week at the Chamber?s Mackinac Policy Conference, which starts June 2. Some of the details, though, were outlined at the Detroit Regional Chamber?s web site.

Coming up with a replacement for the Michigan IT Summit ? which ran each spring from 2000 to 2003, has been difficult. Competing political agendas and funding issues created smaller technology events done with a regional, rather than statewide, focus.

The last MEDC backed event was the Michigan IT Summit in May 2003 at the Palace at Auburn Hills. The huge facility attracted less than 200 attendees and cost the MEDC a lot of dollars, dollars the MEDC doesn?t have now in these tight state budget times.

But the last statewide technology event was the October 2003 Digital Drive Conference, also at the Ford Conference Center. The event was underwritten by the Detroit Chamber and Birmingham technology entrepreneurs Jeff and Richard Sloan. Now the Sloan brothers? focus has shifted to promoting their nationally syndicated radio show, Startup Nation, heard Saturday at 7 p.m. on WJR TalkRadio 760. It?s also heard in 54 other cities across the country.

Since then, the Digital Drive technology marketing brand has been quietly abandoned by the Chamber, which now is working closely with Automation Alley, the technology marketing brand built by Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson.

In September, the Michigan Technology Conference, the replacement for the two previous statewide technology events, will explore:

Radio frequency identification

Integration of the Internet

Disruptive and pervasive technologies

Supply chain integration

Commercialization and tech transfer cycle

Benefits of partnering with universities, companies or government

Advanced automotive technologies

Alternative energy

Homeland security

Life sciences.

The Michigan Technology Conference will run from 9:30 a.m. ? 5:30 p.m. Members of partner organizations pay $45 and non members $55, a huge reduction from the 2003 Michigan IT Summit which charged $150 to attend. The three primary sponsors are each covering the difference.

Registration information is at Michigan Technology Conference