; (2) select recipients of grants for the establishment and operation of consortia through a competitive selection process; and (3) coordinate the innovation activities of consortia with activities carried out by the Secretary of Energy, the Secretary of Defense, other Federal agency heads, industry, and institutions of higher education, including by annually— (A) issuing guidance regarding national clean technology and advanced manufacturing development priorities and strategic objectives; and (B) convening a conference relating to clean technology and advanced manufacturing, which shall bring together representatives of Federal agencies, industry, institutions of higher education, and other entities to share research and commercialization results, program plans, and opportunities for collaboration. (d) Purposes of consortia The purposes of the consortia shall include— (1) promoting new innovative clean technologies that have demonstrated interest and potential for commercialization; (2) expanding advanced manufacturing capabilities, networks, supply chains, and assets, in the area of clean technologies, that contribute to regional and national manufacturing competitiveness and potential for growth; (3) promoting job creation and entrepreneurship through the establishment of new companies, the expansion of existing companies, and commercialization of clean technologies; (4) providing technical or financial assistance to companies looking to invest in clean technologies, new products or services, or enhanced processes that will grow sales and jobs; (5) determining opportunities and challenges that companies are facing and how to improve their use or production of clean technologies; (6) assisting individual small- and medium-sized enterprises with adopting and utilizing new clean technologies and related business and advanced manufacturing practices; (7) accelerating investment in and deployment of clean technologies through public-private partnerships