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U n i t e d S t a t e s D e p a r t m e n t o f A g r i c u l t u r e • A g r i c u l t u r a l R e s e a r c h S e r v i c e

History of Technology History of Technology Transfer Partnerships Transfer Partnerships

and Future Plansand Future Plans

Richard J. Brenner, Ph.D.Assistant Administrator of ARS

Office of Technology Transfer

USDA, ARS and Economic Development:USDA, ARS and Economic Development:

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The Challenges of The Challenges of Today…Today…

“…American leadership is anything but assured in today’s global economy – in fact, it’s very much at stake. We face more significant challenges to our innovative capacity and long-term competitiveness than ever before. To succeed in the face of growing challenges we’re going to need extraordinary efforts from industry, educators, and policy makers.

Bruce P. MehlmanFormer Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Technology Policy; “Partners on a Mission: Federal Laboratory Practices Contributing to Economic Development,” Nov. 2003

… a competitive world

And we’re going to need our federal labs to continue in their long tradition of rising to meet our toughest challenges.”

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Commercialization: A Commercialization: A Complex (and Complex (and Expensive) ProcessExpensive) Process

Basic discoveries require further R&D for commercial feasibility ($)

Regulatory aspects require further validation and documentation ($)

Marketing strategies likely have international implications requiring intellectual property (IP) protection outside the U.S. ($)

Private sector investors will look to recover costs by acquiring some exclusivity / marketing advantage (protected IP, service exclusivity, trade secret know how)

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Office of Technology Office of Technology TransferTransfer

Manages intellectual property issues for the Secretary of Agriculture

Has sole authority for licensing any inventions developed within any of the USDA agencies (including Forest Service, Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS), Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS))

Has authority to develop and sign Cooperative Research And Development Agreements (CRADAs) for ARS

Coordinates all Tech Transfer activities in ARS

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Office of Technology Office of Technology TransferTransfer

Office of Technology Office of Technology TransferTransfer

Patenting

• 8 registered patent agents

• Located in Beltsville, MD; Peoria, IL; Albany, CA

Licensing

• 4 senior licensing specialists

• HQ based

Tech Transfer Coordinators

• 7 specialists with life science / ag background

• Distributed across geographic Areas of ARS

Marketing

• Targeted marketing

• Web subscribe Tech Alerts

• Partnering opportunities

Centralized in policy and approvals, licensing, marketing; decentralized in negotiation and implementation of CRADAs

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Key Points for DiscussionKey Points for Discussion

Federal R&D agencies are not positioned -- nor do they have the responsibility --- to provide the full assistance necessary for the private sector to succeed in producing products / services from federal inventions.

Local / regional economic development entities can provide complementary assets critical to private sector companies.

Agencies have some tools to facilitate these partnerships, but authority varies by agency.

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Annual Report to Congress on Annual Report to Congress on Technology Transfer --- FY Technology Transfer --- FY 2006 Metrics2006 Metrics

Licenses: Active: 332Licenses with products on market: 100

CRADAs: 211 activeApprox. 45% of licenses and

CRADAs are with small businessesOften lack business expertise, or fiscal

resources necessary – we can’t help.

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History of TEDCO History of TEDCO partnership partnership

MOU: Established May 2000 4 Technology Showcase events at

Beltsville Agricultural Research Center 8 partnerships with small / start-up

companies 7 projects: three different TEDCO funding

programs3 other CRADAs in negotiation that may apply

for TEDCO Maryland Technology Transfer Funds

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Future Future of TEDCO of TEDCO partnership partnership

Where do we go from here? ARS in process of establishing first Partnership

Intermediary Agreement (PIA) to foster long-term relationship with TEDCO

ARS / USDA proposing to request Enhanced Use Lease authority from Congress Facilitates longer-term partnerships with private sector

Allows private sector to renovate / build infrastructure on federal property in exchange for long-term lease of space.

Encourages joint investment / risk sharing for more difficult research goals (e.g., nutrition / disease prevention; biofuels)

ARS would use PIA partner to manage relationships

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Better crops for ethanol

Product recovery

Advanced processes for freeing fibers &

sugars

Scale up fermentation bioprocesses

Solutions From Concept to Commercialization…

Newly discovered fungi for better enzymes

Biomass to Ethanol / Energy Biomass to Ethanol / Energy ResearchResearch

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Pilot plants and other ARS Infrastructure:

Enhanced Use Lease to facilitate Public / Enhanced Use Lease to facilitate Public / Private PartnershipsPrivate Partnerships

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Office of Technology Transfer5601 Sunnyside AveBeltsville, MD 20705

(301) 504-6905http://www.ars.usda.gov/

Business/Business.htm

Richard J. Brenner, Ph.D.Assistant Administrator

Photo: Quiet Waters Park, Annapolis, MD (Joann Perkins)