Technology Transfer for Entrepreneurs

A toolbox for accessing federal laboratory innovations and financing the acquisition of new technologies with corporate equity, this book is also a guide to understanding the expertise of specific government laboratories. Entrepreneurs can rapidly accelerate the growth of their companies and become more competitive by acquiring federal laboratory innovations. This book is an indispensable resource for those who want access to the latest breakthrough technologies, most of which can be traced to universities and federally funded laboratories. These taxpayer-funded idea factories can and should be leveraged by companies for competitive advantage. The authors describe how the private sector can engage these labs as long-term strategic partners, as well as development partners for the ongoing, cost-effective improvement of new technologies.

Jargon-free and succinct, this guide also explains how to benefit from knowledge of the current technology-transfer landscape in order to maximize this special private-public partnership. No country can equal the United States in research and development assets. But the federal government is not always as successful as it could be in using its authority to encourage such partnerships. It is therefore up to the private sector—entrepreneurs as well as established companies seeking new growth outlets-exploit the information presented here. Included is a directory of federal laboratories with a synopsis of their expertise and contact information, along with copies of the breakthrough technology-transfer legislation that has made technology transfer possible.

CLIFFORD M. GROSS is the founder and CEO of UTEK Corporation. The holder of 18 patents and author of two previous books and numerous articles and papers, Gross has previously served as Research Professor and Director at the Center for Product Ergonomics, University of South Florida.

JOSEPH P. ALLEN is President of the Robert C. Byrd National Technology Transfer Center at Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia. Allen has also served as the Director of the Office of Technology Commercialization at the U.S. Department of Commerce.