This article describes a method of technology transfer that has evolved out of the need to transfer promising technologies in the field to full-scale production and application, when the inventing company is not in the materials production industry. The method that solves the technology transfer problem is to develop a strategic partner who is in the materials business and is motivated to be a licensed producer. The experience base for the technology transfer discussed here has involved high-strength aluminum alloys and metal matrix composites. Specifically, the lessons learned from the experience of developing and transferring to application XD alloys, a proprietary family of metal matrix materials and Weldalite alloys, a family of novel, extremely high-strength, Al-Li alloys, are cited.* Before explaining our approach to technology transfer, some background will be helpful. The field of advanced materials is undergoing a revolution propelled by several forces, notably a strong (1). For aerospace materials, where lightweight, high-strength, and resistance to high.temperatures are critical, the stems from the demands of several large national programs. However, while aerospace companies can invent new materials, usually they do not have the means to produce them. The aerospace niche for novel, high-performance materials is small and, accordingly, large materials producers are not motivated to invest significantly to produce them. The need for bridging this gap is the technology transfer dilemma discussed in this paper. The market pull for engineered materials, together with the heightened global competition, has caused many new products and processes to be developed. Boron-doped nickel aluminides (Ni3Al) and the Lanxide process for producing alumina monoliths are two examples (2,3). In turn, this has provoked extensive discussions on how best to transfer new technical developments to the marketplace (4,5). Martin Marietta Corporation, through its RD in the aftermath, many commercial divisions engaged in materials production and fabrication were divested. Consequently, this discussion of technology transfer is told from the perspective of an aerospace company with a strong need for advanced materials and systems, and with traditional strengths in materials research and development, but now without the large-scale production facilities required to scale-up and commercially produce new materials. Furthermore, the Corporation considers itself a systems integrator rather than a manufacturer of components, and, when confronted with a make-versus-buy decision, frequently elects to buy a particular component -- further compounding the process of technology transfer. Strategic Partner Concept The most important consideration, naturally, is to have a good idea or invention, well protected by patents, which provides a particular competitive advantage in some new material or process, and which is worth transferring! At this stage, there is a decision to be made. If the inventing company has sulficient people, facilities and funds, and assuming the invention is in the company's long-term interest, then the company should pursue the development itself. For example, for large Defense Department programs, there is often a critical window for technology insertion, and the inventing company may elect the strategic partner route to comply with a program schedule. However, if the inventing company's strategic direction lies elsewhere, so that it chooses not to invest in commercializing the technology, or if it lacks the appropriate people or capital resources to develop the good idea, then the concept of a strategic partner is worth considering. …