|
The Latest on Tech Transfer
Lots of interesting and exciting things are happening in the world of technology transfer. Later this week in Los Angeles, national and international leaders in this field will meet to assess the state of the art at the Project T2 Conference. Sponsored by California Edison and Larta, a Los Angeles-based technology network, Project T2 will bring together the best and brightest from the world of university technology development, entrepreneurship and finance. Carl Schramm, president and CEO of the Kauffman Foundation, will deliver the welcoming keynote address.
As a lead-in to this event, Larta has been publishing an interesting series of articles in Larta Vox, its weekly email newsletter. If you want to quick introduction on what’s happening in this field, the Larta Vox series is a good place to start. It feature articles that cover topics such as “The Promise of Technology Transfer” and “Technology Treasure If You Know Where to Dig,” and interviews with leading university leaders, investors, and entrepreneurs.
To learn more, visit, http://www.larta.org/T2/
Venture Fund for Lab Spin-Offs
Battelle, which manages the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, is “putting its money where its mouth is” in terms of supporting commercialization out of the national labs. It has created Battelle Ventures, a $150 million venture capital (VC) fund focused on firms who are trying to move technology out of the labs and into the commercial marketplace. Battelle Ventures is not an especially large VC fund, but it does occupy a unique niche. First, few funds focus on commercializing technology from the national laboratories. Second, Battelle Ventures will focus on early stage investments; few US VC funds focus exclusively on seed-stage investing. The fund will focus on technologies from labs managed by Battelle (Oak Ridge, Brookhaven and Pacific Northwest and the National Renewable Energy Lab), but it will also consider proposals from other lab researchers seeking to build new ventures.
To learn more about Battelle Ventures, visit http://www.battelle.org/news/03/9-19-03Ventures.stm
Arizona Getting Entrepreneurial
Michael Crow built a reputation as an innovator in technology transfer when he was Executive Vice Provost at Columbia University. He’s now trying to build another technology transfer powerhouse in his role as President of Arizona State University (ASU). ASU and local business leaders recognize that effective technology transfer is a two-way street. It does not just require world-class research; it also requires a strong local entrepreneurial infrastructure, i.e. a support network for local people who aspire to start new ventures. In an effort to build this infrastructure, ASU is helping to support Technopolis, a local networking organization designed to transform Phoenix’s technology economy. Technopolis is modeled on San Diego’s successful CONNECT organization (www.connect.org), and will provide training, workshops, and one-on-one counseling for local technology entrepreneurs.
To learn more, visit http://www.asutechnopolis.org
SBA to Biotech Firms: No SBIR For You!
The US Small Business Administration and the biotech community are currently engaged in a heated fight over the Small Business Investment Research (SBIR) program. If SBA’s position prevails, the federal government’s ability to transfer new biotechnology advances to the private sector may be hampered. Here’s what is happening. SBA recently clarified its rules about organizations that are qualified to receive research funding under the SBIR program. The current rules state that a business must be 51% owned by one individual or individuals who are American citizens, and that the firm must not employ more than 500. This sounds sensible, but according to some observers, SBA is now interpreting these rules to mean that many venture-backed firms do not meet this standard because the investors control more than 51% of the company. As a result, many venture-backed biotech firms may be shut out of the SBIR program. Both the biotech and the venture capital industry are lobbying aggressively against this rule interpretation. SBA counters that they are not really changing their interpretations, and that the industry is over-reacting. Expect further disputes, especially now that key Congressional committees are investigating.
To get background on this issue, visit http://www.zyn.com/sbir/articles/bnews-bio-1.htm
Web Resources About Technology Transfer
The web is packed with sites that cover the world of technology transfer. Here are a few especially helpful sites for those seeking data, analysis and other resources in this field.
Association of University Technology Managers ( http://www.autm.net
): AUTM produces a number of interest reports, which include its indispensable annual survey that summarizes the current state of university-based technology transfer.
Federal Labs Consortium for Technology Transfer ( http://www.federallabs.org/
): This organization is a consortium of more than 700 federal labs. The consortium seeks to coordinate technology transfer policies and to promote commercialization opportunities. This site also has a great links page.
National Technology Transfer Center ( http://www.nttc.edu
): Like the Federal Lab Consortium, the NTTC is one of the federal government’s primary clearinghouse for information on federal technology transfer efforts. It promotes technology transfer from numerous federal agencies, as well as some private sector institutions.
Small Business Innovation Research Program ( http://www.zyn.com/sbir/
): Many new technology-related businesses rely on grants and support from the SBIR program, which provides technology funds to small businesses. This site is the main gateway to information on the SBIR program.
|