Why is technology transfer important to the Department of Energys mission?
First, we are required by law to have a tech transfer program. Aside from that, I personally believe if the taxpayers’ money is going to be spent on research, logically that scientific information and the resulting technologies should be transferred into the market, when possible, in a way that results in economic benefit to the nation. Q. Does promoting technology transfer detract from the Laboratory’s basic research mission? I think that technology transfer and basic research—the core mission of the Laboratory—can be mutually supportive. Without good, solid, basic scientific research, we cannot create technological advantage for America’s economy. Conversely, commercial application identifies and shapes basic research, because real-world problems quite often have to be addressed in the basic research phase. Q. Why have federal laboratories seemingly been slower to embrace technology transfer than other institutions, such as universities? There has been a cautious effort on the part o
