Innovators can often be a huge asset when you are in discussions with a potential licensee. After all, they bring more knowledge and expertise about the invention to the table than anyone else. They also often are a good source of information about potential applications and target markets. But as we at Fuentek have learned over many years of experience, one should never underestimate the strength of the connection between the innovator and his or her invention–and how that can help or hinder the commercialization process. Let’s take a look at a specific example.
As you might have noticed from Fuentek’s news feed or on R&D Magazine’s Web site, NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center has signed a licensing deal with 4DSP. I for one am pretty excited about this tech transfer success because Fuentek has supported Dryden in this effort. Long-time readers of our blog might remember our post about Dryden’s fiber optic shape sensors technology. But our support of Dryden didn’t begin there. We actually started off with a market-based assessment of the technology’s suite of innovations.
Patents have been getting some pretty bad press lately. Between stories about patent trolls in The Economist and on NPR’s This American Life and the patent wars raging between Apple, Google, Microsoft, HTC, Samsung, etc., tech transfer professionals are probably finding their cocktail party conversations getting a bit more interesting… and not in a good way. As the public hears more, some question why we have patents at all. They think that if patents are causing this much trouble, they must be bad. This misconception is a problem that technology transfer offices (TTOs) can and should proactively work to overcome.
A NASA technology originally developed for the space program has evolved into a state-of-the-art medical device that increases the effectiveness of chemotherapy treatments and provides natural, drug-free pain relief for thousands of Americans.
Photo courtesy of Vision Research Corporation. As any parent knows, it can be a challenge for young children to sit still during an eye exam, let alone respond to a series of questions about what they are seeing. In the case of infants and pre-verbal c …
Metrics are one of the most challenging aspects of licensing that any technology transfer office (TTO) faces when pursuing commercialization of intellectual property. And yet they’re one of the most important.
Editor’s note: This is the fourth in a six-post series on how Fuentek views technology licensing through a new PRISM. Success in pursuing proactive intellectual property (IP) management and technology commercialization depends upon having a solid insti …
An innovative technology developed at NASA’s Johnson Space Center for harsh, cold, high-altitude conditions has reached a new height as a recent winner of a prestigious R&D 100 Award. The High Altitude Hydration System was originally conceived and …
The award-winning inflatable antenna was deployed to assist with communications efforts following the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti. (Image courtesy of GATR Technologies) A technology with roots in an ongoing technology transfer relationship with NA …
Spring Tires are shown here mounted to NASA’s Scarab lunar roving vehicle. A successful collaborative effort between NASA’s Glenn Research Center and The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company resulted in the Spring Tire, a recent winner of a prestigious R …
