Perspectives on Technology
Commercialization
Dr. Spiros Dimolitsas Georgetown University
Technology Commercialization Can take many forms and can be driven by different needs
• Acquire necessary mission capabilities
• Necessary “end-game” for funding Agency
• Support Science and Technology goals
• Enhance and exercise critical capabilities
• Public service and recognition
• Derive a (direct) financial benefit
CRITICAL
IMPORTANT
Early supercomputing systems required collaboration with Cray –
Enhanced structural models were required –
Precision lithography is reaching the limits of feature resolution in the sub 100 nm domain due to the large wavelength of visible light
The $300 million AMD, Motorola and Intel partnership drove EUVL from third most likely to succeed to the most promising
Simulation – such as radiation transport, were pivotal to the evolution of weaponry
Simulations became more sophisticated as the need of fidelity had to match heterogeneous geometries
Radiation treatment still mostly considers the body as a homogeneous entity
PEREGRINE uses CT imaging & radiation transport modeling to develop a treatment plan for a heterogenous body
From the “weapons lab to the bed-side”…
Precision fabrication, alignment and assembly is even more critical
The mm-sized capsule must be placed in the middle of this chamber!
Once the walls are completed, finding the studs is a problem though
MIR and fluid measurement
Different approaches to deal with ischemic stroke 10 ns 440 µm 200 ns 400 ns Ppeak ~ 400 bar 800 ns 1 mm
Precision technology integration -3.50 -2.50 -1.50 -0.50 0.50 1.50 2.50 3.50 3.50 2.50 1.50 0.50 -0.50 -1.50 -2.50 -3.50 X [mm] Y [m m ] Resolution ~ 150 µm Resolution ~ 12 µm
Conditions for Commercialization Success
•
Ideas
•
Talent
•
Networks
•
Discipline
•
Proper risk aptitude
Ideas: the innovation process always starts with one (or more)
• The problem is can it be followed
through?
– What talent is needed to follow
through? What roles does the talent who developed the ideas plays in the follow through process?
– What general conditions need to
exist to facilitate or enable follow through? What partnerships might be required?
– What questions needs to be asked
that might not have been relevant or important during the invention or innovation phase?
– How does one treat risk for the
capital providers, the inventors, and the other stakeholders?
Talent is essential, but needs to be integrated constructively
• Diversity of expertise
• Commitment
Networks: can be formal or informal (explicit or implicit)
• The odds of success grow exponentially when clusters of mutually supporting
economic actors exist within the same geographic region.
Sources: Council on Competitiveness, Washington DC., and Michael E. Porter, Harvard Business School
Context for Firm Strategy and Rivalry Context for Firm Strategy and Rivalry Related and Supporting Industries Related and Supporting Industries Factor (Input) Conditions Factor (Input) Conditions
• A core of sophisticated and demanding local customer(s)
• Unusual local demand in
specialized segments that can be served nationally and globally
• Customer needs that
anticipate those elsewhere
• A local context that encourages investment
and sustained upgrading
– eg intellectual property protection
• Open and vigorous competition among locally based rivals
Demand Conditions
Demand Conditions
• High quality, specialized inputs available to firms:
– human resources – capital resources – physical infrastructure – administrative infrastructure – information infrastructure – scientific and technological infrastructure – natural resources
• Availability of capable, locally based suppliers and firms in
related fields
• Presence of clusters instead of isolated industries
Educational, Research, & Trade Organizations (e.g. Wine Institute,
UC Davis, Culinary Institutes) Educational, Research, & Trade Organizations (e.g. Wine Institute,
UC Davis, Culinary Institutes)
Growers / Vineyards Growers / Vineyards Wineries / Processing Facilities Wineries / Processing Facilities Grapestock Grapestock Fertilizer, Pesticides, Herbicides Fertilizer, Pesticides, Herbicides Grape Harvesting Equipment Grape Harvesting Equipment Irrigation Technology Irrigation Technology Winemaking Equipment Winemaking Equipment Barrels Barrels Labels Labels Bottles Bottles
Caps and Corks Caps and Corks
Public Relations and Advertising Public Relations and
Advertising
Specialized Publications (e.g., Wine Spectator,
Trade Journal) Specialized Publications
(e.g., Wine Spectator, Trade Journal) Tourism Cluster Tourism Cluster California Agricultural Cluster California Agricultural Cluster
State Government Agencies (e.g., Select Committee on Wine
Production and Economy)
The Washington DC region: Half of the US internet traffic goes
through Washington, while the region is the third fastest growing bioscience region in the country
# of Patents (1995-1999)
Potential role in Internet Hub
Potential Role in Life- Sciences
US Health and Human Services 399 Context, Demand
US Navy 374 Demand
Bell Atlantic (Verizon) 113 Context Supporting
US Army 105 Demand Demand
IBM 92 Factor (Input) Supporting Fuiz Technologies 57 Factor (input) US Dept of Commerce 57 Context Context Hughes Electronics 56 Factor (input)
Human Genome Sciences 38 Factor (input), Context
W.R. Grace 33 Demand
University of Maryland 32 Supporting Context Comsat Corporation 29 Factor (input)
Georgetown University 27 Factor (input) Hughes Aircraft 27 Factor (input)
Life Technologies 23 Demand
Lockheed Martin N/A Factor (input)
America On Line (AOL) N/A Factor (Input) Supporting Marriott Corporation N/A Demand
Discipline
Discovery Driven Innovation
Problem Driven Innovation Transistor
Internet
While many innovations start as problem driven, often, the commercial value lies in a different problem area.
It thus becomes critical to establish the “value proposition” of the innovation for an application other than what was originally intended.
The four key questions require discipline in order to derive credible answers
• What is the important unmet customer and market need?
• What is your approach to address this need?
• What are the benefits relative to the cost of your approach?
• Why are the benefits relative to the cost better than those of the
competition? Source: Curtis Carlson, SRI International
Capturing the “value” correctly is key
Quality
Convenience
Often convenience, or value, is different for commercial markets than it is for a
Government (defense) markets, where quality may be the principal objective.
MIR Sensor as a precision locator of DT capsules for Inertia Confinement Fusion
MIR Sensor as a precision locator of inner wall studs for home owner application
Risk – Two facets
• Capital at risk:
– Availability of early stage capital is important – venture capital
– Availability of even earlier stage capital may also be important (angel funding, or pre-angel funding to bridge the “valley of death” and develop the concept –define its value proposition and develop a validating prototype)
• Personnel at risk:
– Successful commercialization almost always requires the inventor to “move” with the technology, at least for a while. – The inventing organization can perceive
a loss
– The inventor can perceive an unacceptable increase in risk
– Mechanism to manage this risk include sabbaticals and hire back guarantees – But, equally importantly, a climate that
encourages workforce mobility, and rewards those that do learn from mistakes
Support systems
•
A technology commercialization office is essential:
– Intellectual property protection – patenting
– Business plan development
– Marketing and business development
– Interface with the commercial sector
Some other factors