The Energy-Related Inventions Program: A decade of commercial progress
- Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)
- Tennessee Univ., Knoxville, TN (United States)
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.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-84OR21400
- OSTI ID:
- 10119823
- Report Number(s):
- ORNL/CON-339; ON: DE92007784
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: Dec 1991
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
The energy-related inventions program: Continuing benefits to the inventor community
The energy-related inventions program: Commercial progress of participants through 1988
Related Subjects
POLICY AND ECONOMY
ENERGY
INVENTIONS
PROGRESS REPORT
SURVEYS
TECHNOLOGY UTILIZATION
COMMERCIALIZATION
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
ENERGY CONSERVATION
GRANTS
SALES
SMALL BUSINESSES
MARKETING
PERFORMANCE
FINANCING
MANAGEMENT
EVALUATION
290500
RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, DEMONSTRATION, AND COMMERCIALIZATION