Technology Transfer is an Answer for Design Firms Fighting Economic Slowdown
August 15, 2008 | Levent OZLER
From energy efficient homes in the US to water treatment systems in Iraq, the latest innovation reaching the market is the result of technology transfer initiatives. National research facilities are teaming with small design firms to meet their development goals and drive innovation.
The "meeting of the minds" characteristic of technology transfer partnerships allows successful product development to occur. Opportunities for viable product development are growing as demand for innovative goods increases. According to Federal Lab Consortium Chair J. Scott Deiter, "More than 250 laboratories and research centers...conduct over $100 billion in research and development annually...the effort, desire, and creativity of these scientists is unparalleled." Budget plans by the U.S. Government for the 2009 Fiscal Year show that science and technology programs are receiving considerably increased funding.
Economic slowdown has caused increased commodity prices and fierce competition internationally, but manufacturing firms who pursue technology transfer initiatives reap profits by responding to the demand for "technology transfer professionals". The Institute for Supply Management's (ISM) manufacturing index shows both increased inventory and unemployment in the manufacturing sector. However, design teams skilled in R&D can fight economic pressures by acting as "technology transfer intermediaries".
One such design team taking on the needs of technology transfer initiatives is Sigma Design Company of Springfield, New Jersey. Sigma has experience as both a technology transfer intermediary and a knowledgeable commercialization partner. From a Ballast Water Treatment System Center project with the US Maritime Administration to a Tidal Power Renewable Energy project with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, Sigma maintains its presence at the forefront of markets of national importance.
Sigma recently procured a ten-year unlimited GSA contract, which connects Sigma clients directly to federal funding. Awarded schedules for three Special Item Numbers (SINs 871-2, 871-3, 871-4), Sigma can apply its GSA contract to concept development & requirements analysis, system design, engineering & integration, and test & evaluation phases of engineering projects. Sigma provides the concept development, design, engineering analysis, and rapid prototyping services needed for technology transfer projects to succeed.
Companies with a firm understanding of manufacturing and the relative costs of different manufacturing processes can best guide researchers to manufacturing and commercialization success. Sigma President Jerry Lynch explains, "The future of American innovation is in projects from government and university grants." This could be the key for economic turn around in the manufacturing sector.
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