Transcript Interagency T2 Perspective

Partnerships to Harness the
Innovations and R&D Capacity of
ARS for Technology-Based
Economic Development
Richard J. Brenner
Don Nordlund
Assistant Administrator
Technology Transfer Coordinator
Office of Technology Transfer
Athens, GA
GROTTO Workshop
Orlando, FL
February 22, 2010
ARS Mission
To conduct research to develop and transfer
solutions to agricultural problems of high national
priority and provide information access and
dissemination to:
ensure high-quality, safe food, and other agricultural
products
assess the nutritional needs of Americans
 sustain a competitive agricultural economy
 enhance the natural resource base and the
environment, and
 provide economic opportunities for rural citizens,
communities, and society as a whole.
The Research Capacity of ARS
($1.1 B intramural)
Line Management
ARS Laboratory Locations of ARS
Area Directors of 8
Area Offices;
oversee execution
& quality of
research
• 2100 scientists &
engineers
• 100+ locations
• > 1000 research
projects
The Research Capacity of ARS
Program Management of ARS
Office of National Programs
coordinates program
direction and allocates
resources to research units
across the agency
• 4 broad “pillars” of research
• 22 national programs
• > 1000 research projects
Four regional research centers, provide the major
portion of ARS's capability for research and development of
technology to increase the use of agricultural products and
thereby enhance the economic viability and competitiveness of
U.S. agriculture.
NCAUR (NRRC) – Peoria, IL
ERRC – Wyndmoor, PA
SRRC – New Orleans, LA
WRRC – Albany, CA
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Technology Transfer: the adoption of
research outcomes for public benefit
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How Does Industry Partner with USDA
for Commercialization / R&D?
Through the Office of Technology Transfer…
 Licensing current protected technologies
(including plants) to private sector firms for
commercial production.
 Cooperative Research and Development
Agreements (CRADAs) establish research
partnerships to solve industry problems
consistent with ARS mission and priorities.
http://www.ars.usda.gov/Business/Business.htm
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Office of Technology Transfer
Centralized in policy and approvals, licensing, marketing;
decentralized in negotiation and implementation of CRADAs
Patenting
Marketing
Licensing Tech Transfer
Coordinators
• 9 registered • Targeted
•
patent
marketing
agents (1
(staff of 3)
Ph.D, 4 w/
• Web
law degrees)
subscribe
• Located in
Tech Alerts •
Beltsville,
• Partnering
MD; Peoria,
opportunities
IL; Albany,
CA
5 senior
licensing
specialists
(3 J.Ds; 2
MBA)
HQ based
• 8 specialists
with life
science / ag
background
(4 Ph.D, 2
J.D.)
• Distributed
across
geographic
Areas of
ARS
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Office of Technology Transfer
Technology Transfer Coordinators Vic Chavez
215-233-6610
[email protected]
VACANT -- BA
301-504-6421
Renee Wagner – MWA
309-681-6565
[email protected]
Don Nordlund – SAA/ MSA
706-546-3496
[email protected]
Joe Lipovsky – SRRC Assoc. TTC
504-286-4355
[email protected]
David Nicholson – PWA
510-559-5641
David.Nicholson
@ars.usda.gov (Chris
Johnson, Assoc. TTC)
Bryan Kaphammer – NPA / SPA
970-229-5528
[email protected]
Thomas Valco
Cotton Tech Tran & Education Coordinator
662-686-5255
[email protected]
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Models for Developing and Transferring
Federal Technologies to the Private Sector
Seek Private
Sector Interest
For Commercialization
Background Invention
(e.g., developed in USDA)
Marketing Section
•Creates summary
•Places on OTT website
Federal
Register
Notice
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Corporate
response
Licensing
Section
The Federal CRADA Model for Developing
and Transferring Technologies to the Private
Sector
Corporate
Research Need
ARS Scientist
Technology
Transfer
Coordinator
Manufacture &
Market
Corporation negotiates
license (no FR notice)
Cooperative Research
& Development
Agreement
(CRADA)
Patent
Subject Invention
(developed under CRADA)
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Cooperative Research and Development
Agreement (CRADA)
Benefits to Firms:
 Access to ARS research capacity
 First right to negotiate Exclusive License for Subject
Inventions without FR notice
 Confidentiality (competitive advantage)
 Opportunity to compete in global markets
Benefits to ARS:
Results-Oriented Research/Impact
Market information
Identification of Licensee
Resources (For the Project)
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Some FY 2009 Metrics
Licenses
Current active: 301 (316 were active during
FY; 129 producing commercial products)
Universities – 118 (39%)
Non-profits – 17 (6%)
Small Businesses – 105 (35%)
Foreign businesses (no U.S. presence) – 7 (2%)
Large businesses (includes foreign multinationals
with major U.S. presence) –54 (18%)
CRADAs
(2008 metrics)
 Active 232 (during FY 2008)
Small businesses – 127 (62%)
Outside state of researcher – 155 (72%)
Out of ARS Area of researcher – 129 (60%)
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Model of a Public/Private Partnership for
Commercialization of Research Outcomes
Intellectual Capital
Human
Capital
Complementary Assets
CRADA
Intellectual
Assets
T2
Intellectual
Property
Structural Assets
and Financial Resources
These can be facilitated by
Partnership Intermediaries of ARS
(TBED entities) & selective use of
Enhanced Use Lease linked to
mission priorities
Adapted from Sullivan, P.H., Profiting From Intellectual Capital,
John Wiley & Sons, New York, 2000.
ARS Agricultural Technology
Innovation Partnership
Program (ATIP)
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Goals of Agricultural Technology
Innovation Partnership Program
(through PIAs)
To partner with selected economic development
entities to enhance the effectiveness of the
ARS technology transfer program and to
expand its impact
To enhance the flow of ARS technologies to
small and expanding businesses and to
encourage technology-based economic
development
Goals of ARS Partnership
Intermediaries
Provide complementary assets to ARS Office of
Technology Transfer
 Guide local / regional business with research needs to the
appropriate ARS scientist across ARS (CRADA opportunities)
 Triage business plans of private sector to seek “winners” as
candidates for licensing / research partnerships with ARS
 Acquire marketing assessments on ARS technologies from 3rd
party sources (business schools, entrepreneur programs,
angel investors, etc.) for targeted marketing
 Coordinate “Technology Showcase” events to facilitate
partnerships with private sector companies (TEDCO,
October 30, 2008 – Four Points Sheraton at BWI)
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Goals of ARS Partnership
Intermediaries
Provide complementary assets needed by private sector to
succeed in commercializing federal inventions
Assist in accessing public / private funds
SBIR proposals
Angel investors / state funds
Manufacturing capacity
Manage their own seed/venture funds or networks
to support CRADA and license partners of ARS
Assist in problem solving manufacturing capacity
Network with other ATIP members and other
federal PIA networks.
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An Early ATIP (TEDCO) Successful
Commercialization …
Rice-based frying
batter, called
ChoiceBatter,
absorbs 50% less oil
(Fred Shih, ARS,
New Orleans, LA;
CrispTek, LLC)
(License 4/.’08;
TEDCO support
10/’08; 1st sale 5/’09)
(New CRADA)
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Building the ATIP Program
Envisioned as providing an efficient network to
ARS with each Partners serving as a conduit to
a greater number of local, regional (e.g.,
county), or state entities, including venture
capitalists and angel investors.
Because of the need for regional access to private
sector companies and resources for sustained
economic development, ATIP is likely to have
optimal effectiveness with 8 economic
development Partners, strategically distributed
across the country.
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The ARS ATIP Network:
 Maryland Technology Development
Corporation (TEDCO; 2007)
 Mississippi Technology Alliance (MTA;
2008)
 Wisconsin Security Research Consortium
(Wisconsin Technology Council; Sept. 15,
2009)
 National Association of Seed & Venture
Funds (NASVF; Oct. 16, 2009)
 Ben Franklin Technology Partners (PA;
pending)
 Georgia Research Alliance (GRA; pending)
 Cal. Assoc. for Local Econ. Dev. (CALED;
pending)
ATIP Network
?
?
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DoD PIA Network Members
Accelerating Innovation
T2Bridge
TM
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A USDA / DoD Partnership…
ARS ATIP and DoD’s OTTPIN (Partnership
Intermediary Network) reached agreement to
formalize interactions to create a new model to
facilitate public/private partnerships for sustainable
economic development and to meet common interests of
DoD, USDA . Examples may include:
Local food / local consumption
Urban agriculture in cities and DoD installations
Distributed bioenergy production from biomass
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Emerging Partnerships In Support
of Administration & Secretary
Vilsack Priorities…
Local production of foods in rural to urban
environments
Feeding the eastern seaboard
Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority
Toledo local food production (Center for Innovative
Food Technology)
 Harnessing USDA Rural Development programs to
support local / regional food systems
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The Research Capacity of ARS
ARS will establish five regional
Bioenergy Feedstock Centers
 Anchored at 5 current ARS
locations (“hubs”)
 Involving dozens of ARS research
scientists from across the agency
(“spokes”)
 Establishing public / private
consortia, and cooperative research
agreements
USDA Forest Service to establish
Agroforestry Center , and flexible
feedstock Biorefinery Pilot Plant
The Research Capacity of ARS
The Research Capacity of ARS
The Research Capacity of ARS
Keratin-based Bioplastic from Poultry
Operations
Feathers
USDA/ARS:
Walter Schmidt
Rolland Walter
George Gassner
Fiber
Pelletized
feather
CRADA Partner:
Chesapeake
Microproducts
Keratin-based Bioplastic from Poultry
Operations
Pelletize
feather
Pots
CRADA Partner:
Horticultural Research
Institute (joint patent)
Keratin-based Bioplastic from Poultry
Operations
Commercialization / Financial Strategies
USDASBIR
Plant Pot
Project
Chesapeake
Microproducts
ARS
Cronus
(John
General)
Horticulture
Research
Institute
Generating electricity through composting
Distributed Energy System from
RCM/EnviRemed/ American Solar / ARS
+
Army / Air Force stirling engines
+
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Distributed Energy System from
RCM/EnviRemed/ American Solar / ARS
CRADA
Feedstocks -- food waste, agricultural waste, biofuel crops (e.g.,
energy cane, switch grass, Napier grass)
Potential uses:
 Military applications on bases & remote settings
 Supplement energy needs of farms, rural communities, and schools (&
compost for landscaping , fresh fruits and vegetables for the school
cafeteria)
 Operate greenhouses (i.e., heat, cool, light, ventilate, etc.) off the power
grid
 Operate aquaculture systems (i.e., heat, filtration, light, ventilate, etc.)
off the power grid. Solar heat, food/agriculture waste products and
biofuel crops could be used as feedstock for the units. This would allow
raising fish in abandoned urban warehouses in northern climates.
The future ….biobased products & biofuels
Switchgrass
& biofuels
New foods & biobased products
Component
separation
The Office of Technology Transfer ….
… promoting the
adoption of ARS
research outcomes
Richard J. Brenner, Ph.D.
Assistant Administrator
Don Nordlund
Technology Transfer
Coordinator, Athens, GA
Photo: Quiet Waters Park, Annapolis, MD
(Joann Perkins)
http://www.ars.usda.gov/Business/Business.htm
Office of Technology Transfer
5601 Sunnyside Ave
Beltsville, MD 20705
(301) 504-6905
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