Bozeman, Mont. - Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont. will recognize TechLink for its contributions to state economic development and its graduation from pilot program to permanent Department of Defense program, at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, December 5. The event will be held at TechLink in the Advanced Technology Park, 900 Technology Boulevard, Suite A.

In addition to Sen. Burns, other speakers include Montana State University president Geoffrey Gamble and officials from four Montana companies that have worked with TechLink.

Sen. Burns cited TechLink’s record of outstanding achievement on the floor of the Senate on November 18. His commendation of TechLink was recorded in the Congressional Record on that day. Few pilot programs ever "graduate" to permanent programs, but TechLink has succeeded in becoming a necessary and permanent part of the Department of Defense’s technology transfer, transition, and acquisition activities. Sen. Burns was directly responsible for establishing TechLink at Montana State University in 1996 with initial funding from NASA for NASA technology transfer in Montana and surrounding states. TechLink’s successes for NASA led to funding in 1999 from the Defense Department to transfer DoD technology in this region.

On November 20, 2003, TechLink was further honored by its selection as one of nine exemplary models nationwide of technology transfer by Assistant Secretary Bruce Mehlman of the Office of Technology Policy of the U.S. Department of Commerce in Washington, DC. The Office of Technology Policy has released a report titled Partners on a Mission: Federal Laboratory Practices Contributing to Economic Development, which designates TechLink as a cross-cutting model of best practices in technology transfer. TechLink is the only one of the nine selected organizations that is based at a university and not connected with a federal laboratory.

CONTACT:

Will Swearingen
MSU TechLink
406-994-7704
wds@montana.edu

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