By Cris Johnsrud, Ph.D, Pathfinder principal
Federal Labs — Your Technology Treasury
Did you know there’s a wealth of potentially commercializable new technologies available at the nation’s 300+ federal laboratories? Yes, there are a plethora of discoveries, inventions and processes—along with the expertise of the government researchers who birthed them—just waiting for entrepreneurs and corporate officers to step in to further develop and deliver these technologies to the marketplace.
These discoveries and inventions are fruits of R&D missions and other programs at federal agency labs and centers, including:
- The Department of Energy (www.doe.gov)
- NASA (www.nasa.gov),
- The National Institutes of Health (www.NIH.gov),
- The Department of Defense (www.dod.mil),
- The USDA (www.usda.gov),
- The EPA (www.epa.gov), and
- The National Institute of Standards and Technology (www.NIST.gov).
Each of these agencies operates a number of laboratories across the US—labs in which scientists and engineers use unique facilities and resources and generate significant discoveries and inventions, many of which are subsequently patented.
Most laboratories are eager to work with universities and companies on a range of projects through cooperative R&D agreements (CRADAs). Additionally, laboratories help companies identify available patented technologies, experts and facilities that can be useful in developing commercial products.
The images shown above this post are a tiny sampling of the partnership success stories available on the FLC website. See if you can match the technology images with the success headlines!
- A Better Test for Heart Attack Risk
- Rocket Technology Stops Shaking in Its Tracks
- NETL Licenses Technology for Carbon Dioxide Capture
- CMOS Sensors Enable Phone Cameras, HD Video
- Light-Analysis Software Explodes Across Industries
- Space-Based Bone Scanner Expands Medical Research
- Reconfigurable Radio Tracks Flights Worldwide
- Mini Heat Pipes Wick Away Heat in Brain Surgery
- Scientist Ventures Out to the Public Sector: Lab-on-a-Disk
- ‘Green’ Chemistry Treats Contamination Before It Reaches Groundwater
To help companies in government-private-sector endeavors, Congress created the Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer—the FLC (see www.federallabs.org). Check out many more success stories… The FLC Business section provides an easy way for entrepreneurs to learn about patents that are available for licensing and to locate laboratories with specific capabilities that can be utilized by companies. There’s also an extensive Learning Center to assist businesses interested in technology transfer opportunities; and the FLC’s six regions have support offices that are glad to help companies in search of technologies, expertise and equipment.