The show will focus on the oil and gas, aerospace and automotive categories, with particular attention to electrical and electronics, thermoplastic resins, wind energy, equipment, marine, robots, building and construction, transportation, green composites and consumer goods.
Garan traveled more than 71.million miles in 2,842 orbits of the earth during his time in space.
'We are thrilled to have Ron Garan as our keynote speaker this year,' said Frédérique Mutel, JEC group president and CEO. 'Mr Garan has a unique ability to capture an audience with stories from his illustrious career.'
Garan was assigned to the US Agency for International Development (USAID), leading the Unity Node project, which focused on developing a universal, open source platform, enabling humanitarian organizations to work toward mutual goals. Garan has also founded several businesses and social-impact-focused start-ups including Manna Energy Ltd, which was created in 2007 to leverage the US$120billion/year carbon market to finance humanitarian projects in developing countries.