Approaches to the transfer of government-funded civil space technology to the broader commercial economy were addressed by Working Panel no. 4. Some of the problems related to current strategies for technology transfer and recommendations for new approaches are described in outline form

Clark, Robert

Dyer, Gordon

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

N93-|0719
° •
WORKING PANEL #4
TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER TO THE BROADER ECONOMY
GORDON DYER & ROBERT CLARK
TRANSFER TO/FROM THE BROADER ECONOMy
SUBTOPIC A: HARVESTING CONHERCIALLY
DEVELOPED TECHNOLOGIES
FOR THE CIVIL SPACE MISSION:
NEW PARADIGMS FOR RELATIONSHZPS
CHALLENGF.S TO THE "COMPLEX" AND
"PRIMITIVE" PROCUREMENT PROCESS
RAPPORTEUR: _IH MORRISON - BDH
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https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19930021530 2020-03-17T04:31:20+00:00Z
TRANSFER TO/FROM THE BROADER ECONOMY
SUBTOPIC B: COMMERCIAL APPLICATION OF
NASA/GOVT. (LABS) DEVELOPED
CIVIL SPACE TECHNOLOGY
• SIGNIFICANT ISSUE:
How TO MEASURE SUCCESS?
RAPPORTEUR: AlqH RYDALCH - IDAHO
NATL. RESEARCH LAB.
TRANSFE_ TO/FROH THE BROADER ECONOMY
SUBTOPIC C: COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS
GOVT. FUNDED CIVIL
SPACE TECHNOLOGY
OF
SIGNIFICANT IssUES:
How TO MEASURE SUCCESS?
CONTRACTOR INVOLVEMENT
RAPPORTEUR: BOB CLARK - NATL. HEDIA
LAB.
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1
"HARVESTING" COMMERCIALLY DEVELOPED
TECHNOLOGIES
OVERVIEW
A- NARROW VIEW - "HARVESTING" MEANS TECHNOLOGY
IS ALREADY DEVELOPED (A PRODUCT)
B- BROADER VIEW- SOME GOVERNMENT DEVELOPMENT IS
NEEDED TO MEET NASA APPLICATION
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
A-ON THE GOVERNMENT SIDE:
- NEED AN OPEN DOOR
- NEED TO KNOW WHAT'S OUT THERE .....
- RFP IS A PRIMITIVE, POOR PROCESS FOR COMMERCIAL
B- ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE:
- MANY COMPANIES DO NOT WANT GOV'T. BUSINESS
- MANY THAT DO - NEVER READ RFP'S
"HARVESTING" COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE
TECHNOLOGIES
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM (CONT.)
TYPE OF PROBLEM DEPENDS ON TIME-FRAME INVOLVED:
ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY (PREmPHASE A): THERE ARE
PROCESSES TO DO THIS, SUCH AS RFP, JOINT PARTNERSHIPS,
ETC.
DURING PHASES A, B, C: GOVERNMENT FOCUS CHANGES TO
TECHNOLOGY NEEDED TO DO THE JOB (I.E., : BEST TECHNOL-
OGY, LOWEST PRICE)
(THE LATER IN THE CYCLE THE COMMERCIAL SECTOR IS
INVOLVED, THE LESS THE CHANCE OF A SUCCESSFUL
TRANSFER.)
J
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"HARVESTING" COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE
TECHNOLOGY
LESSONS LEARNED
NEED TO SPACE QUALIFY COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS
(MAY BE A ROLE FOR GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE HERE)
GOVERNMENT DEVELOPMENT CYCLE AND COMMERCIAL
DEVELOPMENT CYCLE ARE WAY OUT OF SYNC.
- GOVERNMENT NOT AWARE OF COMMERCIAL STANDARDS.
- GOVERNMENT SPEC.S ARE NOT "REAL WORLD".
- GOVERNMENT HAS A PROCESS AND POLITICAL ORIENTATION;
PRIVATE SECTOR HAS A PRODUCT AND ROI ORIENTATION.
- NASA DOES NOT HAVE THE RESOURCES IN TECHNOLOGY
TRANSFER TO BE ABLE TO COPE WITH SUCCESS. PEOPLE
ARE BEING TURNED OFF NOW BECAUSE OF NON-RESPON-
SIVE, NON-USER FRIENDLY SYSTEMS.
J
IT1 I
"HARVESTING" COMMERCIALLY DEVELOPED
TECHNOLOGY
CURRENT PROGRAMS
- A GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT SYSTEM IS IN PLACE
(IT HAS PROBLEMS, BUT...)
- THE SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE MADE AS FLEXIBLE AS POSSIBLE
- THE COMMERCIAL SECTOR NEEDS TO BE EDUCATED ON
HOW TO ENTER THE SYSTEM
SPECIFIC EXAMPLE:
- WORKSHOPS INVOLVING NASA CENTERS AND INDUSTRY
TRADE ASSOCIATIONS HAVE BEEN FOUND TO BE VERY
FRUITFUL
I
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|
"HARVESTING" COMMERCIALLY DEVELOPED
TECHNOLOGY
NEW/INNOVATIVE APPROACHES
- NATIONAL INFORMATION DISPLAY LABORATORY (NITL)
(C/O DAVID SARNOFF RESEARCH CENTER - PRINCETON)
AND
- NATIONAL (RECORDING) MEDIA LABORATORY (NML)
(C/O 3M, ST. PAUL, MN)
-THE SRI/DARPA"INNOVATION SEARCH"PROCESS
- THE SDi/MMC OPTICS INDUSTRY INITIATIVE
J
"HARVESTING" COMMERCIALLY DEVELOPED
TECHNOLOGIES
WHO SHOULD ACT?
- KEEP THE PRESSURE ON EVERYONE.
-MANAGEMENT NEEDSTO ACT ASIFTHISISIMPORTANT
- THE RESOURCES NEED TO BE APPLIED TO MAKEIT
IMPORTANT
- THE SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE MADE RESPONSIVE
- THE PROCUREMENT SYSTEM: CAN IT BE MADE,TO BE HALF-
WAY BETWEEN ClAJDARPA/SDIO AND THE REST OF THE
GOVERNMENT?
QUESTION: HOW CAN YOU GET THE "SUN SYSTEMS" OF THIS
WORLD, WHICH DON'T READ RFP'S, INVOLVED?
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J
REPORT FROM WORKING PANEL 4
T A! " MY
SUB-TOPIC: TRANSFER FROM NASA TO THE BROADER ECONOMY
PROBLEMS:
* NASA should be pro-active in supporting NTTC a_:l the nationwide
technology transfer network, .....
* Measurement of success is necessary and needs to be built into a
program or process.
* Industry is not aware for the most part that technology or Federal
labs is accessible for a technology interchahge,
* Make sure resources at Federal labs are such to handle industry
inquiries.
* Civil space needs to be more visible and network more.
* General perception that NASA is singly focused on space.
* When developing technology on a broad base, get industry involved up
front.
=
E
i
i
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REPORT FROM WORKING PANEL 4
N M
SUBTOPIC: TRANSFER FROM NASA TO THE BROADER ECONOMY
Suggestions/Lessons Learned:
NASA has a good program already in place for doing technology
transfer, including R'I'I'Cs, although NASA,divisions and
organizations could interact better among themselves.
Because of changes in federal laws, licensing and other tech
transfer mechanisms are making it better.
NASA civil space and others should continue promoting the idea of
tech transfer, explaining what it is, and communicating to industry
that industry can participate.
Technology transfer includes technical assistance problem solving,
exchange of knowledge, and use of facilities, etc.
Caution was expressed in puffing the same for-profit motivators to
non-profits or labs on tech transfer.
NASA needs to develop a more pro-active program and let the public
know that many technologies being used originated within NASA.
* Success cannot be measured totally based on licensing or fiowback.
U3.'-7
TRANSFER TO/FROM THE BROADER ECONOHY
k
COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS OF GOVT. FUNDED
CIVIL SPACE TECHNOLOGY -
INSIGHT: WITH NO COMMERCIAL INTEREST, THERE CAN BE NO
TRANSFER
ISSUES: AWARENE,_S - . :_
............ i _ i_I _ :_ _: :_ _:_:_____ . : :
USER-FRIENDLY INTERACTIONS
MOTIVATION OF CONTRACTOR SUPPORT
...... -: _EZ_I- _ ......... !_
SUPPORT TO SMALL VS. LARGE COMMERCIALIZATION
EFFORTS
CURRENT SUCCESSES:
ACTION:
._ INDUSTRY CONSORTIA SUCH AS NMI.,
NIOL, the op_sledL_ey
GOVT. DEFINmON OF WHICH INDUSTRIES
COMMn'MENT TO FINANCIALLY SUPPORT TECH
TRANSFER
U3-8


Technology transfer to the broader economy

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