Workshop assists with Air Force Technology Transfer patenting, commercialization

  • Published
  • By Jaclyn Knapp
  • Air Force Technology Transfer Program Office

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado -- The Center for Technology Research and Commercialization recently partnered with TechLink to present a “Tech 2 Market Workshop” to the business community of Colorado Springs, Colorado.  This event featured two days of Innovation Discovery Events (IDEs) hosted by TechLink, and one day of training.  Topics for training included, “Bridging the Gap between Technology Transfer and Commercialization,” software licensing, and technology transfer law.

According to Tricia Randall, the Air Force program manager for Department of Defense (DoD) Partnership Intermediary Agreements, the first step in patenting and licensing innovative ideas for commercialization opportunities are IDEs.  The purpose of an IDE is to document undisclosed inventions, identify technologies being developed that have a heightened potential of being patented or commercialized, create a greater understanding of the commercialization opportunities that can result from technology transfer technologies, and increase value awareness of intellectual property protection for innovators and their ideas within the Air Force.  IDEs and follow-on commercialization efforts lead to strengthening the nation’s economy.

“As a result of a recent Broad Agency Announcement by the Air Force Research Laboratory's Small Business program, two of three awards were presented to the TechLink program of Montana State University and C-TRAC,” said Randall. 

“The goal is to assist the Air Force in supporting technology transfer activities with a particular focus on IDEs,” she added. “This is an excellent way to engage the scientists and engineers of the Air Force and to help broaden their technical perspectives.  We are very excited about the partnership between MSU's TechLink program and C-TRAC and look forward to the many benefits that the IDEs will bring to the Air Force Technology Transfer  Program.”

C-TRAC, located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is a non-profit 501(c)(3) created to promote and support innovation, technology, research and commercialization in advanced industry sectors. TechLink is a United States DoD PIA, and assists the DoD with transferring inventions from defense research and development laboratories to the private sector for developing new products and services that will benefit the nation’s defense mission and national economy.  TechLink is based at Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana. 

The Air Force T2 Program was created to link technology, the Air Force mission, and the commercial marketplace by ensuring that Air Force science and engineering activities are transferred or intentionally shared with state and local governments, academia and industry. 

For additional information about technology transfer or how to partner with the Air Force, please contact the Air Force T2 Program Office at 937-904-9830, af.techtransfer@us.af.mil, or visit the T2 website at www.wpafb.af.mil/t2.