Study Identifies Barriers, Strategies for Tech Transfer from Federal Labs to Industry

The diversity and scope of a federal laboratory's mission, congressional support and oversight, and the centralization/decentralization of technology transfer functions at the agency and laboratory levels are among the factors that affect technology transfer and commercialization at federal laboratories, according to a recent report sponsored by the Department of Commerce. Findings are based on literature review and discussions with technology transfer personnel at federal agencies and laboratories.

In conducting a review on peer-reviewed publications and texts and through interviews, the authors found that underfunding of technology transfer that leads to commercialization is still a significant problem today. When asked what barriers prevented them from doing more technology transfer that leads to commercialization, the most common answer from researchers was a lack of dedicated and sustained resources.

Strategies and suggestions for addressing barriers are provided in the report, but the authors caution they are not intended to be recommendations. Rather, the suggestions resulted from interviews with stakeholders. To increase the availability of resources for technology transfer that leads to commercialization, strategies include providing funding to develop technologies further before transfer, using partnership intermediaries as a source of technology maturation funds, and leveraging local, state and federal commercialization programs.

Another area identified for improvement is engagement of researchers. Strategies for increasing education and engagement include conducting "in-reach" activities for researchers to explain their importance in the technology transfer process. The example given is training scientists in entrepreneurship topics through a third party such as an affiliated business school or university. To increase incentives for researchers to engage in tech transfer, cash incentives, higher royalties for patents and instituting entrepreneurial leave policies are suggested.

Several other strategies to increase the speed and dissemination of technology transfer that leads to commercialization are addressed. Topic areas include laboratory mission and management, agency leadership, coordination, and government-industry interactions.

Some of the areas identified as beneficial for additional study include:

• Reviewing technology transfer legal authorities to assess which of them should be extended to all laboratories;
• Collecting technology transfer data at the laboratory level for a more sophisticated portfolio of analysis of technology transfer occurring at the federal intramural laboratories; and,
• Analyzing existing technology-based federal, state and local economic development programs and how laboratories could leverage these programs to enhance technology transfer that leads to commercialization.

The IDA Science and Technology Policy Institute conducted the research, with funding from the Economic Development Administration, in conjunction with the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Download Technology Transfer and Commercialization Landscape of the Federal Laboratories at: http://www.eda.gov/commrfi