<title>From concept to commodity: the licensing of technologies from a national laboratory to the private sector</title>

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to provide information regarding the development process of a technology which is conceived of in a federal laboratory, and show the path technology will take, from the conceptual stage to being packaged and located on the shelf for purchase. This process, although somewhat complex in terms of time and effort, is the pathway followed by laboratory research and development staff when they take an idea, develop it into a technology prototype and transfer it to industry for final development and production. This pathway is at times a straightforward effort, and at other times, it is a complicated path. By providing an understanding of this process, it is hoped that law enforcement practitioners and private sector law enforcement technology providers, who seek technology transfer from federal facilities, will better understand why the duration between concept and commodity is often so long, and why the licensing process is so complicated. This understanding, it is hoped, will better explain why some ideas remain in the laboratory for several years, waiting the final licensing, and why this process takes time. This paper also briefly addresses the complexities of public funding of technologies, the complexities of testing (especially where humans are involved) and the cooperative agreements that often accompany technology transfer.