Technology Transition:

Arlington, VA -- The Office of Naval Research's Commercial Technology Transition Officer has completed the second in a continuing series of technology transition "wargames," exercises that help the Navy and Marine Corps explore opportunities for sharing technology with the commercial marketplace. The game was held March 11 through 13, 2003 in Warrenton, Virginia, with participants from government, industry, and the private venture capital community. It studied various opportunities for venture initiatives that would facilitate the introduction of innovative technologies from commercial industry into the naval services.

The principal results of the exercise indicated that brokering information and deals among government program managers, intellectual property holders, and venture capitalists offered the most promising approach to faster transition of innovative technologies to Sailors and Marines. Such an approach is particularly valuable in drawing on technologies owned by non-traditional suppliers.

Within the context of acquisition reform, it appears that prime contractors may have considerable potential as active dealmakers. And the Navy's supply system can also prove a significant player, especially in moving low-cost, high-volume items from the commercial marketplace to the operating forces. In any case, identifying stakeholders early is crucial to the success of any technology transition deal.

The games are part of the Commercial Technology Transition Officer's "venture initiative," whose goal is to examine various processes modeled after commercial practices and adapt the best ones to serve the Navy and Marine Corps' technology needs.

The lessons from the game will help the Commercial Technology Transition Officer to develop a Naval Venture Initiative that improves the transition of commercially-developed technologies to the Fleet.