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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Breaking through the commercialization barriers with Oak Ridge technologies

Conference ·
OSTI ID:5579988

In 1983, when the US Department of Energy (DOE) was recompeting with the contract to manage the Oak Ridge facilities (and the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant), they requested all bidders to propose aggressive measures to transfer technology, particularly technology emanating from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, to the commercial sector. The successful bidder, the Martin Marietta Corporation, proposed a number of measures which they felt would permit the process of technology transfer to occur in greater measure. They further proposed, beyond simply permitting the process, to assume the responsibility to cause the Oak Ridge technology to be adopted by commercial firms. The remainder of this paper summarizes the program at work in Oak Ridge; it includes a description of the measures in place and the results of the program to date. This paper concludes with an assessment of the success of the program, what the DOE and Martin Marietta have learned from the program and what is indicated in terms of additional measures to expand and continue to knock down the barriers to commercialization.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
AC05-84OR21400
OSTI ID:
5579988
Report Number(s):
CONF-920475-1; ON: DE92010117
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English