The NASA Innovative Partnerships
Program sponsors a number of organizations around
the country that are designed to assist U.S. businesses
in accessing, utilizing, and commercializing NASA-funded
research and technology. These organizations work
closely with the Technology Transfer Offices, located
at each of the 10 NASA field centers, providing
a full range of technology transfer and commercialization
services and assistance.
TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER NETWORK
The National Technology
Transfer Center, located
on the campus of
Wheeling Jesuit University in
Wheeling, West Virginia,
was established by Congress in 1989 to strengthen
American
industry by providing
access to more than $70
billion worth of federally funded research. By
helping American
companies
use Federal technologies,
the NTTC helps them manufacture products, create
jobs,
and foster partnerships
between Federal laboratories
and the private sector,
universities, innovators,
and economic
development
organizations. From that
mission, the NTTC has grown
into a full- service technology
commercialization
center. In addition to
providing access to Federal
technology information,
the NTTC provides technology commercialization
training; technology assessment
services that help guide
industries in making key
decisions regarding intellectual
property and licensing;
and assistance in finding
strategic business partners
and electronic business
development
services.
The NTTC developed a leads
management system for NASA
that is the formal reporting
and
tracking
system for partnerships
being developed between
NASA and U.S. industry.
The leads
system allows
all members of the NASA
Technology Commercialization
Team to have an easy- to-use
and effective tool to create
and track leads in order
to bring them
to partnerships. The NTTC
also utilizes
the expertise of nationally
recognized technology management
experts to create and offer
technology commercialization
training. Course topics
range from the basics of
technology transfer to
hands-on valuation,
negotiation, and licensing.
Courses are developed at
the NTTC
and around the country.
In addition, online courses,
supporting publications,
comprehensive
software
applications, and videotapes
are also available.
NASA TechTracS http://technology.nasa.gov provides access to NASA’s technology inventory
and numerous examples of the successful transfer
of NASA-sponsored technology
for commercialization. TechFinder, the main feature
of the Internet site, allows users to search technologies
and success stories, as well as submit requests
for additional information. All NASA field centers
submit information to the TechTracS database as
a means of tracking technologies that have potential
for commercial development.
Since their inception in January 1992, the six
NASA- sponsored Regional Technology Transfer Centers
(RTTCs) have helped U.S. businesses investigate
and utilize NASA and other federally funded technologies
for companies seeking new products, improvements
to existing products, or solutions to technical
problems. The RTTCs provide technical and business
assistance to several thousand customers every
year.
The network of RTTCs is divided as follows: Far
West (AK, AZ, CA, HI, ID, NV, OR, WA): The Far
West Regional Technology
Transfer Center (FWRTTC) http://www.usc.edu/dept/engineering/TTC/NASA is an engineering research center within the School of Engineering at the University
of Southern California
in Los Angeles. Using the
Remote Information Service
to generate information
from hundreds of Federal
databases, FWRTTC staff
work closely with businesses
and entrepreneurs to identify
opportunities, expertise,
and other
necessary resources. The
FWRTTC enhances the relationships
between NASA and the private
sector by offering many
unique services, such as
the NASA Online Resource
Workshop, NASA Tech Opps,
and links to funding
and conference updates.
Mid-Atlantic (DC, DE, MD, PA, VA, WV): The Technology
Commercialization Center (TeCC)
http:// www.teccenter.org,
located in Hampton, Virginia, coordinates and assists
in the transfer of marketable technologies,
primarily from Langley Research Center,
to private industry interested in developing and
commercializing new products.
Mid-Continent (AR, CO,
IA, KS, MO, MT, ND, NE,
NM, OK, SD, TX, UT, WY):
The Mid-Continent Technology
Transfer Center (MCTTC) http://www. mcttc.com/,
under the direction of
the Technology and Economic
Development Division of
the Texas Engineering Service,
is located in College
Station, Texas. The MCTTC,
which provides a link between
private companies and Federal
laboratories,
reports directly to the
Johnson Space Center. The
assistance focuses on high-tech
and manufacturing companies
that need to acquire and
commercialize new technology.
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Mid-West (IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI): The Great Lakes
Industrial Technology Center (GLITeC)
http://www.glitec.org, managed by Battelle Memorial Institute,
is located in Cleveland,
Ohio. GLITeC works with industries primarily
within its six-state
region to acquire and use
NASA technology and expertise, especially at
the Glenn Research Center. Each year,
over 500 companies work
with GLITeC and its affiliates to identify new
market and product opportunities.
Technology-based problem
solving, product planning and development, and
technology commercialization
assistance are among the
services provided.
Northeast (CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, RI, VT): The Center for Technology Commercialization (CTC) http://www.ctc.org is a nonprofit organization, based in Westborough, Massachusetts.
Covering New England, New York, and New Jersey,
the CTC currently
has eight satellite offices that form strong relationships
with Northeast industry. Operated by the CTC, the
NASA Business Outreach Office stimulates business
among regional contractors, NASA field centers,
and NASA prime contractors.
Southeast (AL, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN):
The Southeast Regional Technology Transfer Center
(SERTTC) http://www.edi.gatech.edu/nasa at the Georgia Institute of Technology facilitates
and coordinates private industry interests in the
transfer and commercialization
of technologies resulting from NASA’s space and
Earth science research. Assistance is also provided
in Small Business Innovation Research and Small
Business Technology Transfer applications, as well
as the establishment of connections to specialized
research needs within NASA research and development
centers nationwide.
NASA-INCUBATOR-PROGRAMS
Eight NASA incubators are included within this
network of programs. They are designed to nurture
new and emerging businesses with the potential
to incorporate technology developed by NASA. They
offer a wide variety of business and technical
support services to increase the success of participating
companies.
BizTech http://www.biztech.org, of Huntsville,
Alabama, is a small business incubator, offering
participating companies access to services at Marshall
Space
Flight Center laboratories for feasibility testing,
prototype fabrication, and advice on technology
usage and transfer. BizTech is sponsored by the
Huntsville-Madison County Chamber of Commerce.
The Emerging Technology Centers (ETC) http://www. etcbaltimore.com, located in Baltimore, Maryland, is one of the newest NASA-affiliated incubators.
Partnering institutions include the Goddard Space
Flight Center and area universities and colleges.
The Florida/NASA Business Incubation Center (FNBIC) http://www.trda.org/fnbic/ is a joint partnership
of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Brevard Community
College, and the Technological Research and Development
Authority. The mission of the FNBIC is to increase
the number of successful technology-based small
businesses originating in, developing in, or relocating
to Brevard County. The FNBIC offers support facilities
and programs to train and nurture new entrepreneurs
in the establishment and operation of developing
ventures based on NASA technology.
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The Hampton Roads Technology Incubator (HRTI) http://www.hr-incubator.org identifies and licenses NASA Langley Research Center technologies for commercial
use. The HRTI’s mission is to increase the number
of successful technology-based companies originating
in, developing in, or relocating to the Hampton
Roads area.
The Lewis Incubator for Technology (LIFT) http://
www.liftinc.org, managed by Enterprise Development,
Inc., provides outstanding resources for technology
and support to businesses in the Ohio
region. Its primary objectives are to create businesses
and jobs in Ohio and to increase the commercial
value of NASA knowledge, technology, and expertise.
LIFT offers a wide range of services and facilities
to the entrepreneur to increase the probability
of business success.
The Mississippi Enterprise for Technology http://www. mset.org is sponsored by NASA and the Mississippi University Consortium and Department
of Economic and Community Development, as well
as the private sector. The mission of the enterprise
is to help small businesses utilize the scientific
knowledge and technical expertise at the Stennis
Space Center. A significant part of this effort
is Stennis’ Commercial Remote Sensing program,
which was formed to commercialize remote sensing,
geographic information systems, and related imaging
technologies.
The NASA Commercialization Center (NCC) http:// www. nasaincubator.csupomona.edu , run by California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, is a business incubator
dedicated to helping small businesses access and
commercialize Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Dryden
Flight Research Center technologies.
The UH-NASA Technology Commercialization Incubator http://www.research.uh.edu is a partnership between NASA’s Johnson Space Center and the University of
Houston. The incubator is designed to help local
small and
mid-size Texas businesses commercialize space technology.
The University of Houston houses the program and
provides the commercialization and research expertise
of its business and engineering faculties.
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AFFILIATED-ORGANIZATIONS,-SERVICES, AND-PRODUCTS
To complement the specialized centers and programs
sponsored by the NASA Innovative Partnerships Program,
affiliated organizations and services have been
formed to strengthen NASA’s commitment to U.S.
businesses. Private and public sector enterprises
build upon NASA’s experience in technology transfer
in order to help with the channeling of NASA technology
into the commercial marketplace.
The NASA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program http://www.sbir.nasa.gov provides seed
money to U.S. small businesses for developing innovative
concepts that meet NASA mission requirements. Each
year,
NASA invites small businesses to offer proposals
in response to technical topics listed in the annual
SBIR program solicitation. The NASA field centers
negotiate and award the contracts, as well as monitor
the work.
NASA’s SBIR program is implemented in three phases:
-
Phase I is the opportunity to establish the feasibility and technical merit of a proposed innovation. Selected competitively, NASA Phase I contracts last 6 months and must remain under specific monetary limits.
-
Phase II is the major research and development effort which continues the most promising of the Phase I projects based on scientific and technical merit, results of Phase I, expected value to NASA, company capability, and commercial potential. Phase II places greater emphasis on the commercial value of the innovation. The contracts are usually in effect for a period of 24 months and again must not exceed specified monetary limits.
-
Phase III is the process of completing the development of a product to make it commercially available. While the financial resources needed must be obtained from sources other than the funding set aside for the SBIR, NASA may fund Phase III activities for follow-on development or for production of an innovation for its own use.
The
SBIR Management Office, located
at the Goddard
Space Flight Center, provides
overall management
and direction of the SBIR program.
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The NASA Small Business Technology
Transfer (STTR) program http://www.sbir.nasa.gov awards contracts to small businesses for cooperative
research and
development with a research institution
through a uniform,
three-phase process. The goal
of Congress
in establishing
the STTR
program was
to transfer technology developed
by universities
and Federal laboratories to
the marketplace
through the entrepreneurship
of a small business.
Although
modeled after the
SBIR
program, STTR is
a separate
activity and
is separately funded.
The STTR program differs
from the SBIR program in that
the funding and
technical
scope is limited
and participants
must be teams of small businesses and
research
institutions that will conduct joint
research.
The
Federal Laboratory
Consortium (FLC) for
Technology
Transfer http://www.federallabs.org was organized in
1974 to promote
and strengthen
technology
transfer
nationwide.
More than 600 major
Federal laboratories
and centers, including
NASA,
are currently
members. The
mission
of the FLC is twofold:
-
To promote and facilitate the rapid movement of Federal laboratory research results and technologies into the mainstream of the U.S. economy.
-
To use a coordinated program that meets the technology transfer support needs of FLC member laboratories, agencies, and their potential partners in the transfer process.
The National Robotics Engineering
Consortium (NREC) http://www.rec.ri.cmu.edu is a cooperative venture among NASA, the city of Pittsburgh, the State of Pennsylvania,
and Carnegie
Mellon’s Robotics
Institute. Its
mission is
to move NASA-funded
robotics
technology to
industry. Industrial
partners join
the NREC
with the goal of
using
technology
to gain
a greater market
share,
develop new
niche markets, or create entirely new
markets
within
their
area
of expertise.
Other
organizations
devoted
to
the
transfer of NASA technology
are
the Research Triangle
Institute (RTI) http://www.rti.org, and the MSU TechLink Center http://techlink.msu.montana.edu.
RTI, located in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina,
provides
a range of
technology management
services to NASA.
RTI performs technology
assessments to determine
applications and commercial
potential of NASA
technology, as well
as market
analysis, and
commercialization and partnership
development. RTI works closely with
all of NASA’s
Technology Transfer
Offices.
The MSU
TechLink
Center,
located at Montana
State
University-Bozeman, was
established in 1997
to match
the technology
needs of
client companies
with resources throughout NASA
and the
Federal laboratory
system. TechLink
focuses on
a five-state region
that includes Idaho, Montana,
North Dakota,
South Dakota,
and Wyoming.
Working closely with
public,
private, and
university programs,
TechLink provides ongoing support
in the process of
adapting, integrating,
and commercializing
NASA technology.
The
road to technology
commercialization begins
with
the basic and applied
research results
from the work
of
scientists, engineers,
and other technical and management personnel.
The NASA Scientific and
Technical
Information
(STI)
Program http://www.sti.nasa.gov provides the widest appropriate dissemination
of NASA’s
research
results.
The STI Program
acquires,
processes,
archives,
announces,
and disseminates
NASA’s
internal—as
well as worldwide—STI.
The
NASA STI Program
offers
users such things
as Internet
access to its
database of over
3.5 million
abstracts,
online ordering of documents,
and the
NASA STI Help
Desk for
assistance
in accessing
STI resources
and information.
Free registration with the program is available
through the
NASA Center
for
AeroSpace
Information.
For
more than
3 decades,
reporting
to industry
on
any new, commercially
significant
technologies
developed
in the course of NASA research
and
development efforts has
been accomplished
through
the
publication
of NASA Tech Briefs http://www.nasatech.com.
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The
monthly magazine
features innovations
from NASA,
industry partners,
and contractors
that can
be applied
to develop
new or
improved products and solve engineering or
manufacturing
problems.
Authored by
the engineers
or scientists
who performed the original
work, the
briefs cover
a variety of
disciplines,
including
computer software,
mechanics,
and
life sciences.
Most briefs
offer a free supplemental technical
support package,
which explains
the technology in greater detail and provides contact
points for
questions
or
licensing
discussions.
Technology
Innovation http://www.ipp.nasa.gov/
innovation is
published quarterly
by the NASA Exploration
Systems Mission
Directorate.
Regular features
include current
news
and opportunities
in technology
transfer
and commercialization,
and
innovative research and development.
NASA Spinoff http://www.sti.nasa.gov/tto/ is
an annual print and online publication featuring
successful
commercial
and
industrial applications
of NASA
technology, current research
and development
efforts,
and
the
latest
developments
from
the NASA
Innovative
Partnerships
Program.
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