Federal Labs Take Center Stage at TechComm™ 2010

“The greatest invention of the 19th century was the invention of the method of invention.” - Alfred North Whitehead (1861-1947)

And what about all of these inventions? How does one find, nurture and catapult ingenuity to the next level, in this case, the subtle translation of technology into fuel for today’s sputtering economic engine?

Clues to some of these answers presented themselves last week in a premier event organized by the Silicon Valley Chapter of the Licensing Executives Society,

TechComm™ 2010 was an invention in its own right. An idea conceived by Larry Udell and supported by Craig Smith of Sandia National Labs and Advisory Board member of the Licensing Executives Society, Silicon Valley Chapter, this event showcased the start up technologies of the Federal Labs that are poised for commercialization partnerships. In addition to this objective and perhaps the most refreshing item of the day was the discussion on public policy and the need for modifications at the federal level that move these business- to- government partnerships forward in a more efficient manner.

Karina Edmonds, Technology Transfer Coordinator of the US Department of Energy opened the day with her keynote presentation. This position, created by the Energy Policy Board Act of 2005 is the first time that the Department has appointed a full time person to fill this role. Dr. Edmonds is responsible for working with the Departments’ National Laboratories to accelerate the process of moving discoveries from the lab to the private sector “ensuring that America’s scientific leadership translates into new, high paying jobs for American families.”

The Labs, observed Edmonds are “a national treasure” but right now, a lot more needs to take place in order to bring inventions to the private sector. Still mired in academic tradition, inventors within the system still find it “easier to apply for a grant than to apply for a patent” as observed by Tom Brennan of Sandia National Labs. Emerging slowly are the tools from DOE, the first of which is a mission statement which will be the critical blueprint and will provide long term stable programs that are needed. Other policy modifications should include a re-examination of the conflict of interest policy which is needed but outdated in its current form.

With over 700 technology inventories throughout the system, only about half have any strong commercial value. The morning panel was comprised of entrepreneurs- in- residence (EIR’s) who have worked within the lab system. Paul Dickerson, the panel’s moderator, framed the discussion along the backdrop of China’s public sector research and development activities which, for the first time in history, outpaced the US private sector investment in R&D.

Michael Bauer, a former EIR at Oak Ridge National Laboratory was part of the first wave of professionals who entered these roles. His experiences at that time, consisted of observing an “academic oriented environment where people worked away in the labs but this work not translating into invention.” The missing link, he mentioned, was faith: “the faith agent being an entrepreneur” -- the person that can take the technology and turn it into a profitable business. The key rests in not simply looking to “start a company” but really looking at the business proposition and finding and marketing to a company that would be interested in the technology. Labs, he observed, would fare better if they treated the technology the way a product manager would within a firm. Other panelists, also former EIR’s echoed similar observations.

The afternoon panel consisted of the lab sponsors who talked about their efforts: The Federal Lab Consortium, Idaho National Laboratory, the Joint BioEnergy Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, NASA Ames Research Center, Lawrence Livermore National Lab, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and Sandia National Laboratories. Additional business sponsors of the event included Blackstone Discovery, The Silicon Valley Business Journal and WilmerHale LLP.

An action plan? The purpose of TechComm™ 2010 was to bring together the labs to showcase their “star” performers – the technologies that are ready for commercialization and the interested investors. The event fulfilled that purpose succinctly and in a forum that brought to light the many challenges of the Federal Lab System. The test of success will emerge in the upcoming year as to whether or not the lab system can rise to the political rhetoric and be a catalyst for helping to spur growth, jobs and a vibrant economy.

And once again, the question on the success of this event will rely on what panelist Michael Bauer referred to as “science meets faith:” will entrepreneurs, whether in the federal labs or beyond, have the fervent faith, the belief in themselves and in their product that they can make all of this attractive to investors and ultimately, to serve a greater good?
Stay tuned for the next episodes: Udell and the many TechComm™ 2010 creators and sponsors are very bullish on creativity and the entrepreneurial spirit.

Guest Blogger Franca Gargiulo is the Silicon Valley Chapter Coordinator for the Licensing Executives’ Society.