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Montana State University’s TechLink Center Named by U.S. Department of Commerce as One of the Top U.S. Technology Transfer Organizations Nationwide
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Bozeman, Mont. -- The U.S. Department of Commerce recently released the results of a year-long study that names the Montana State University TechLink Center one of the top technology transfer organizations in the nation. TechLink is the only such organization based at a university and is one of only two that are not major federal laboratories.
The study was conducted by the Department of Commerce’s Office of Technology Policy, primarily to investigate the role of technology transfer in spurring U.S. economic development. Over 300 federal laboratories and technology transfer centers nationwide were included in the study. Of these, the authors identified a dozen organizations that they consider to be exemplary models of best practices in federal technology transfer.
TechLink executive director Will Swearingen said factors considered in TechLink’s selection include its proactive “needs focused” approach, which matches the technology needs of companies with cutting-edge technology in federal labs; TechLink’s role in creating innovative mechanisms for technology transfer, such as the Technology Venture Center next to TechLink in Bozeman’s Advanced Technology Park; and its overall success. According to statistics compiled by the Department of Defense Office of Technology Transfer for 2001, TechLink accounted for approximately 15 percent of all of the Department of Defense’s technology licensing agreements with industry nationwide.
TechLink was established in 1996 at Montana State University in Bozeman with funding from NASA. In subsequent years, the Department of Defense and the university also began funding TechLink to move technology from laboratories to market.
“There were no good models for federal technology transfer in the region when TechLink was founded,” said Swearingen. “Being named as one of the top tech transfer agencies in the U.S. a few years later is a significant honor for us. We’ve come a long way and are very pleased to be recognized as a leader in the field.”
TechLink’s core region now includes eight states in the northwestern U.S., from the Dakotas to the Pacific Ocean. TechLink has contributed heavily to economic development in Montana’s high-tech sector. In the last five years, TechLink has facilitated over 150 partnerships between federal labs and private companies, with nearly half involving Montana companies. These partnerships include licensing and cooperative R&D agreements, and assistance to companies seeking awards for new technology development and commercialization.
Contact:
Dr. Will Swearingen, Executive Director
TechLink
(406) 994-7704
wds@montana.edu
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