Developing a technology that works is a major milestone, but it is not the end of the story. What happens next can determine how far an innovation travels beyond the lab and who ultimately benefits from it. 

The Georgia Tech Research Institute, or GTRI, is Georgia Tech’s applied research organization and a University-Affiliated Research Center. Its researchers develop technologies that address specific government and industry needs, including the federal government’s long-term national security priorities. 

Some of those technologies may also have potential beyond the mission or research assignment for which they were originally developed. Through the Office of Commercialization, GTRI researchers can receive support protecting intellectual property, exploring additional applications, and identifying partners that can help move their work forward. 

Working With Technology Licensing to Explore What Comes Next 

Within the Office of Commercialization, the Office of Technology Licensing (OTL) works with GTRI researchers to identify and protect intellectual property, evaluate potential applications, and explore pathways for moving technologies into broader use. 

For GTRI researchers, the opportunity may be the potential for a technology to serve another use beyond its original research assignment. A technology developed for one mission could help solve another problem, support a new industry application, or provide the foundation for a future product. Recognizing that potential early gives researchers and OTL more time to explore what else may be possible. 

“It’s a true partnership where we bring the technology and mission context, and they bring the commercialization expertise and industry networks,” said Kenneth W. Allen, chief technology officer at GTRI. 

Read more at Georgia Tech Research News Center