Commercialization Course helps scientists and engineers market technology

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

WRIGHT PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio  The Air Force Technology Transfer (T2) Program Office is co-hosting a commercialization training course with the University of Southern California (USC) Viterbi School of Engineering.

Air Force Development of Ventures in Science and Engineering (ADVISE) is an introductory course for scientists and engineers with advanced technical backgrounds to learn the basics of developing and evaluating new investment and innovation opportunities. The course will teach lean startup thinking, customer discovery and value propositions.  

“We are delighted to share our knowledge on commercialization strategies with the top scientists at the Air Force Research Laboratories. This is a great opportunity for us to support innovation at the Department of Defense,” said Andrea Belz, USC Viterbi’s Vice Dean, Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

This training is a result of a Broad Agency Announcement, which was issued to help modernize the Air Force Technology Transfer Program by creating, developing and executing training modules targeted to Air Force scientists and engineers on technology transfer, innovation and entrepreneurship. USC was awarded a cooperative agreement to provide this training to the Air Force.

“This course is an exciting opportunity for Air Force scientists and engineers to receive entrepreneurship training from world-class instructors, which will help them to better understand the commercialization potential of their innovations in the lab,” said Abby Boggs, a technology transfer specialist from the Air Force T2 Program Office.

The ADVISE course was held at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, in September 2016, the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Information Directorate in Rome, New York, in November 2016. In 2017, two additional sessions will be held at Air Force locations not yet determined.

“These new training courses are a game changer for Air Force T2,” said Keith Quinn, Air Force T2 program manager. They represent additional avenues for our researchers, T2 professionals, and attorneys to learn about the many aspects of tech transfer. Over the next two years, these training efforts will make great progress in educating Air Force personnel and leading T2 to improved licensing and commercialization successes.”

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.