From May 5-8, 2008, Portland, Oregon became the epicenter of technology transfer (T2) activity as over 380 researchers, scientists, and technology commercialization experts met for the 2008 FLC national meeting, On the Innovation Trail.
The conference provided attendees with everything from technology transfer training to a presentation by a high-energy, Nobel Prize-winning physicist.
Leading off the conference were the Fundamentals, Intermediate, and Advanced training sessions.
These sessions included an interactive technology commercialization course given by author and industry executive Wendy Kennedy perand courses on intellectual property, Cooperative Research and Development Agreements, licensing practices, managing a T2 office, and an introduction to T2 mechanisms.
Day 2 began with a keynote presentation by internationally renowned physicist Dr. Leon Lederman. Dr. Lederman addressed how educational techniques must change to ensure that students are better prepared to take on the ever-changing landscape of science and technology. "To teach physics last is backwards," said Lederman. "How can you expect kids to fully comprehend biology and chemistry when they don't understand the physics behind them?"
Other highlights from Tuesday included sessions about Federal Programs in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, as well as the implication of patent rules.
Wednesday was highlighted by the popular Technology Transfer Town Hall Meeting, led by Rick Brenner of the Agricultural Research Service. Topics included the role of federal laboratories in economic development, marketing federal technologies and resources, and compensation for innovation and technology transfer success.
Another popular Wednesday session featured a panel of representatives from the biotech, information technology, and university communities discussing the implications of U.S. patent law with regard to "first-to-file vs. first-to-invent." The diverse panel included Mojdeh Bahar of the National Institutes of Health, Bradley Greenwald of Intel Corporation, and Martin Simpson of the University of California.
The last day of the conference showcased a panel moderated by Belinda Snyder of Los Alamos National Laboratory on how federal laboratories could be leveraged for regional success. This session explored best practices and areas in need of improvement when partnering with federal laboratories on state, regional and local technology-based economic development initiatives.
The conference ended with the presentation of the prestigious FLC Awards for Excellence in Technology Transfer.
Taking home the Laboratory Director of the Year awards were Dr. R. Ilker Adiguzel of the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center; Captain Michael Byman, Donald Aker, and Dr. Paul Lefebvre of the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport; and Joe Sciabica of the Air Force Research Laboratory, Sensors Directorate.
Long-time FLC member Ed Linsenmeyer of the Naval Surface Warfare Center received the Harold Metcalf Award.
The FLC Tech Fair was open throughout the week. This showcase provided local businesses the opportunity to meet with inventors to learn more about their commercially viable innovations.
The FLC 2009 annual meeting is scheduled for May 4-7 in Charlotte, North Carolina. For detailed 2008 meeting proceedings and presentations, visit the FLC website at www.federallabs.org.
