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Byline: Jacob N. Erlich (1) Abstract: While great strides have been made in increasing the awareness of the significance of technology transfer among policymakers and regulators, much still remains to be done. Budgetary problems will not be short-term, and it is likely that the next steps in improving technology transfer must be taken through existing channels. This paper examines strategies for improving technology transfer which might be taken within the federal laboratories themselves, as well as strategies to be followed by government policymakers and private firms. Also examined are alternative measures of technology transfer activity. Author Affiliation: (1) Perkins, Smith &amp Cohen, LLP, One Beacon St., Boston, sMA, 02108-3106 Article History: Registration Date: 07/10/2004

Over the past 20 years, there have been numerous studies of the Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratories. Most of these studies recognize the high technical quality and unique capabilities […]

Government research laboratories can serve both military and civilian objective at the same time by transferring certain technological know-how to private industry as shown by the Gulf Coast Alliance for Technology Transfer (GCATT) of northwest Florida. It is a conglomeration of federal research institutes, universities and colleges. GCATT provides technological access to companies in advanced materials, biodynamics and a host of other high technology applications. The Government's liberal policy has assisted the laboratories in their mission to contribute to the economy.

Corporatizing the Department of Energy laboratories will give the nation the most science at the lowest cost. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) produces an incredible array of products and […]

US energy laboratories are forging closer ties with the private sector to improve the economic competitiveness of US industries. In light of such developments, government laboratories should be less bureaucratic and should become more willing to adapt to change. This new role comes amidst a heightened awareness towards global competitiveness.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO, studies renewable energy technologies. The lab combines basic and applied research and continues technology transfer to industries. It assists public utility commissions and renewable energy industries in their efforts and provides technical help. It can work efficiently only if the government provides a proper working environment.

The Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, NY, combines basic and utilization research and encourages research in nuclear science. Proper funding is necessary in for good research programs and care should be taken in creating a stronger connection between labs and industries. National labs should play a greater role as federal government resources.

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, aims to satisfy economic, civilian and defense needs of the US. It promotes economic growth based on technology and addresses environmental conservation, human health and education in the civil sector. The laboratory aims to retain its position as the nation's leader in science research.

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory, TN, established in 1943, is a multipurpose laboratory that is known for its achievements in the fields of nuclear science, radio-isotopes, materials science, waste management, computer science and higher-energy physics. The laboratory promoted technology transfer from the laboratory to industries.

The Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, aims to improve defense, civilian and commercial technologies to meet the needs of the post-Cold War conditions. The lab should create qualitative and not quantitative development of technologies that enable the US maintain its leadership in defense capabilities. Technologies promoting economic growth, cleaner environment and education should rule the civil sector. The lab should develop partnerships and user facilities to assist industry and cut down on costs.

Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL, caters to the needs of the new national lab system by conducting socially applicable research, facilitating lab technology transfer to industries, promoting educational programs and promoting resource management. The new research aims at improving economic growth and standards of living. Industrial pilot centers will accomplish speedier technology transfer. Argonne's Chicago Science Explorers Quality Management program provides better resources management.

FRANKFURT--Germany's 16 national research centers--a sprawling, $2-billion-a-year array of labs ranging from the DESY synchrotron in Hamburg to the Max Delbruck Center for Molecular Medicine in Berlin--are too insular, according [...]

A high-level task force summoned by the US Department of Energy (DoE) charges the DoE with mismanagement of the ten national laboratories under its control. The task force suggests the bureaucracy and the lack of credibility of the department as possible causes of decline in the maintenance of the laboratories. It has recommended corporatization of the national laboratories that will detach them from the direct control of the DoE.

A high-level task force urges comprehensive reforms for the management of the 10 national laboratories controlled by the US Department of Energy (DoE). The task force suggests that corporatization of the national labs will permit them to function like industrial corporations and remove the control of DoE over these labs. It recommends repealing of the legislation that restricts lab operations.

The world's most powerful particle accelerator has begun warm-up stretches for its 2012 run. On 14 March, beams of protons again began to circulate in the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) [...]

The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) was originally set up in 1952 as a rival to the Los Alamos National Laboratory to conduct research in nuclear weapons and thermonuclear fusion. However, LLNL's weapons research now accounts for less than 30% of its research programmes. The laboratory has branched into almost every kind of applied science, environmental science and even contributes to the Human Genome Project. Much of its expansion can be traced to the efforts of a small part of its operation, the Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program, which nurtures the small, speculative projects in the interests of curiosity-driven research.