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Title: The Energy-Related Inventions Program: A decade of commercial progress

Abstract

This report provides information on the recent commercial progress of inventions supported by the US Department of Energy's Energy-Related Inventions Programs (ERIP). It describes the results of the latest in a series of ERIP evaluation projects that have been completed since 1980. It focuses on the economic impacts of the program, notably sales and employment benefits. The period of interest is 1980 through 1990. The evaluation is based on data collected through mail and telephone surveying of 143 participants in the Program. As of October 1989, a total of 486 inventions were recommended to DOE by the National Institute for Standards and Technology, which screens all submitted inventions in terms of technical merit, potential for commercial success, and potential energy impact. By the end of 1990, at least 109 of these inventions had entered the market, generating total cumulative sales of more than $500 million. With $25.7 million in grants awarded from 1975 through 1990, and $63.1 million in program appropriations over the same period, ERIP has generated a 20:1 return in terms of sales values to grants, and an 8:1 return in sales versus program appropriations. It is estimated that 25% of all ERIP inventions had achieved sales bymore » the end of 1990. While it is difficult to make exact comparisons between these percentages and other indicators of the success rates of technological innovations as a whole, the ERIP figures remain impressive. The commercial progress of spin-off technologies is also documented.« less

Authors:
;  [1];  [2]
+ Show Author Affiliations
  1. (Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States))
  2. (Tennessee Univ., Knoxville, TN (United States))
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
5959241
Report Number(s):
ORNL/CON-339
ON: DE92007784
DOE Contract Number:
AC05-84OR21400
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY AND ECONOMY; ENERGY; INVENTIONS; COMMERCIALIZATION; ENERGY CONSERVATION; ENERGY EFFICIENCY; EVALUATION; FINANCING; GRANTS; MANAGEMENT; MARKETING; PERFORMANCE; PROGRESS REPORT; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SALES; SMALL BUSINESSES; SURVEYS; TECHNOLOGY UTILIZATION; BUSINESS; DOCUMENT TYPES; EFFICIENCY; 290500* - Energy Planning & Policy- Research, Development, Demonstration, & Commercialization

Citation Formats

Brown, M.A., Franchuk, C.A., and Wilson, C.R.. The Energy-Related Inventions Program: A decade of commercial progress. United States: N. p., 1991. Web. doi:10.2172/5959241.
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Brown, M.A., Franchuk, C.A., & Wilson, C.R.. The Energy-Related Inventions Program: A decade of commercial progress. United States. doi:10.2172/5959241.
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Brown, M.A., Franchuk, C.A., and Wilson, C.R.. Sun . "The Energy-Related Inventions Program: A decade of commercial progress". United States. doi:10.2172/5959241. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/5959241.
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@article{osti_5959241,
title = {The Energy-Related Inventions Program: A decade of commercial progress},
author = {Brown, M.A. and Franchuk, C.A. and Wilson, C.R.},
abstractNote = {This report provides information on the recent commercial progress of inventions supported by the US Department of Energy's Energy-Related Inventions Programs (ERIP). It describes the results of the latest in a series of ERIP evaluation projects that have been completed since 1980. It focuses on the economic impacts of the program, notably sales and employment benefits. The period of interest is 1980 through 1990. The evaluation is based on data collected through mail and telephone surveying of 143 participants in the Program. As of October 1989, a total of 486 inventions were recommended to DOE by the National Institute for Standards and Technology, which screens all submitted inventions in terms of technical merit, potential for commercial success, and potential energy impact. By the end of 1990, at least 109 of these inventions had entered the market, generating total cumulative sales of more than $500 million. With $25.7 million in grants awarded from 1975 through 1990, and $63.1 million in program appropriations over the same period, ERIP has generated a 20:1 return in terms of sales values to grants, and an 8:1 return in sales versus program appropriations. It is estimated that 25% of all ERIP inventions had achieved sales by the end of 1990. While it is difficult to make exact comparisons between these percentages and other indicators of the success rates of technological innovations as a whole, the ERIP figures remain impressive. The commercial progress of spin-off technologies is also documented.},
doi = {10.2172/5959241},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1991},
month = {Sun Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1991}
}
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Technical Report:
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DOI:  10.2172/5959241
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  • ; ;
    This report provides information on the recent commercial progress of inventions supported by the US Department of Energy`s Energy-Related Inventions Programs (ERIP). It describes the results of the latest in a series of ERIP evaluation projects that have been completed since 1980. It focuses on the economic impacts of the program, notably sales and employment benefits. The period of interest is 1980 through 1990. The evaluation is based on data collected through mail and telephone surveying of 143 participants in the Program. As of October 1989, a total of 486 inventions were recommended to DOE by the National Institute formore » Standards and Technology, which screens all submitted inventions in terms of technical merit, potential for commercial success, and potential energy impact. By the end of 1990, at least 109 of these inventions had entered the market, generating total cumulative sales of more than $500 million. With $25.7 million in grants awarded from 1975 through 1990, and $63.1 million in program appropriations over the same period, ERIP has generated a 20:1 return in terms of sales values to grants, and an 8:1 return in sales versus program appropriations. It is estimated that 25% of all ERIP inventions had achieved sales by the end of 1990. While it is difficult to make exact comparisons between these percentages and other indicators of the success rates of technological innovations as a whole, the ERIP figures remain impressive. The commercial progress of spin-off technologies is also documented.« less

  • ;
    This report provides information on the recent commercial progress of inventions supported by the Energy-Related Inventions Program (ERIP). The period of interest is 1980 through 1986. Data on 156 inventions were collected through telephone interviews. By the end of 1986, at least 65 inventions had entered the market, generating total cumulative sales of $272 million. With $17.1 million in grants awarded through 1986, and $43.9 million in program appropriations over the same period, ERIP has generated a 16:1 return in terms of sales values to grants, and a 6:1 return in sales versus program appropriations. It is estimated that 35%more » of all ERIP inventions had been commercialized, and 26% had achieved sales by the end of 1986. While it is difficult to make exact comparisons between these percentages and other indicators of the success rates of technological innovations as a whole, the ERIP figures remain impressive by most standards. Sources of funding, correlates of commercial success, and the commercialization time-line are also discussed. 28 refs., 20 figs., 10 tabs.« less

  • ;
    This report provides information on the recent commercial progress of inventions supported by the Energy-Related Inventions Program (ERIP). It describes the results of the latest in a series of ERIP evaluation projects that have been completed since 1980. It focuses on the economic impacts of the program, notably sales and employment benefits. The period of interest is 1980 through 1988. The evaluation is based on data collected through telephone interviews describing 133 ERIP sponsored inventions. By the end of 1988, at least 88 ERIP inventions had entered the market, generating total cumulative sales of more than $400 million. With $21.4more » million in grants awarded from 1975 through 1988, and $53.8 million in program appropriations over the same period, ERIP has generated a 19:1 return in terms of sales values to grants, and 7:1 return in sales versus program appropriations. It is estimated that 24% of all ERIP inventions had achieved sales by the end of 1988. While it is difficult to make exact comparisons between these percentages and other indicators of the success rates of technological innovations as a whole, the ERIP figures remain impressive. Employment benefits, tax revenues, sources of funding, and spin-off technologies are also discussed. Over time, second generation technologies and alternative applications of ERIP inventions have grown in importance as by-products of the program 21 refs., 11 figs., 2 tabs.« less

  • This report is an evaluation of the Energy-Related Inventions Program (ERIP). It assesses the program's effectiveness and impacts, characterizes participating inventions and inventors, and identifies correlates of successful commercialization in order to suggest possible improvements. Seventy of the 204 ERIP inventions that were studied were successfully introduced into the market, accounting for more than $200M in sales from 1976 through 1984. During 1984, 921 full-time equivalent employees were supported directly by ERIP inventors or their licensees. (Estimates of indirect economic impacts are also contained in the report.) Data on patterns of fund raising clearly show a need for assistance bymore » programs like ERIP. Commercially successful inventors shared several traits. They had less formal education, fewer patents, more work experience in small firms, more outside funding early in their work, more shared responsibility with others for invention development, more management experience, and greater previous experience with starting new businesses. Recommendations are made regarding: (1) priorities for allocating ERIP grants; (2) improved efficiency of the NBS/DOE operations; (3) delivery of technical and commercialization assistance to grant recipients; and (4) further evaluation research.« less

  • ; ; ; ...
    This report is an evaluation of the Energy-Related Inventions Program (ERIP). It assesses the program's effectiveness and impacts, characterizes participating inventions and inventors, and identifies correlates of successful commercialization in order to suggest possible improvements. Seventy of the 204 ERIP inventions that were studied were successfully introduced into the market, accounting for more than $200M in sales from 1976 through 1984. During 1984, 921 full-time equivalent employees were supported directly by ERIP inventors or their licensees. (Estimates of indirect economic impacts are also contained in the report.) Data on patterns of fund raising clearly show a need for assistance bymore » programs like ERIP. Commercially successful inventors shared several traits. They had less formal education, fewer patents, more work experience in small firms, more outside funding early in their work, more shared responsibility with others for invention development, more management experience, and greater previous experience with starting new businesses. Recommendations are made regarding: priorities for allocating ERIP grants; improved efficiency of the NBS/DOE operations; delivery of technical and commercialization assistance to grant recipients; and further evaluation research.« less