Purdue recognized for technology transfer partnership with U.S. military

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue Research Foundation will receive the 2016 Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer's Midwest Regional Partnership Award for its work with Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division in Crane, Indiana.

The award recognizes a nonfederal American-owned company, or college or university, in the Midwest region that has made outstanding efforts to promote either the actual transfer of federal technology or the federal technology transfer program.

"Purdue has one of the most expansive technology transfer programs in the U.S., covering all sectors of our economy," said Chad Pittman, vice president of the Purdue Office of Technology Commercialization and a major in the U.S. Army Reserves. "We are honored to assist our armed forces across all branches."

The award will be presented Aug. 11 at the 2016 FLC Midwest and Southeast Regional Meeting in Charleston, South Carolina.          

"Partnership Intermediary Agreements are the foundation to the NSWC Crane Technology Transfer (T2) program," said Capt. Jeffrey Elder, NSWC Crane commander. "Partners like Purdue are able to assist us in our T2 goals, which include the transfer of Crane-developed technology to commercial applications, access to our state-of-the-art testing facilities, and collaborative research and development, all of which further expand our technical knowledge to provide a decisive advantage to our warfighters."

Purdue Research Foundation and Crane signed a partnership intermediary agreement in 2014, which allowed each to keep ownership of its intellectual properties while marketing Crane's innovations alongside Purdue's through the Purdue Office of Technology Commercialization.

One of the partnership's first activities involved the foundation's assistance in translating Crane's intellectual property marketing sheets and then posting them on FlintBox, an online portal for marketing of Purdue innovations. That effort led to more than 100,000 views of Crane IP and 16 inquiries about them as of June, according to Crane officials.

The foundation also invited Crane's Office of Research and Technology Applications to attend its recurring internal licensing meetings to allow the two entities to begin to understand alignments in their technology interests and intellectual property and to identify potential collaboration and license bundling.

Additionally, the foundation has engaged its technical experts with Crane's laboratory experts to identify potential research and development projects and has committed to assist Crane startups through the Purdue Foundry, a business accelerator that helps Purdue faculty, staff and students create startups.

About Purdue Research Foundation

The Purdue Research Foundation is a private, nonprofit foundation created to advance the mission of Purdue University. Established in 1930, the foundation accepts gifts; administers trusts; funds scholarships and grants; acquires property; protects Purdue's intellectual property; and promotes entrepreneurial activities on behalf of Purdue. The foundation manages the Purdue Foundry, Purdue Office of Technology Commercialization, Purdue Research Park and Purdue Technology Centers. The foundation received the 2014 Incubator Network of the Year from the National Business Incubation Association for its work in entrepreneurship. For more information about funding and investment opportunities in startups based on a Purdue innovation, contact the Purdue Foundry at foundry@prf.org

About Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division

The third largest Navy installation in the world, NSWC Crane is a naval laboratory and a field activity of Naval Sea Systems Command with focus areas in Special Missions, Strategic Missions and Electronic Warfare. The Warfare Center's research and development efforts support the warfighter by providing capabilities and resources to advance technologies for the military. The mission of NSWC Crane is to provide acquisition engineering, in-service engineering and technical support for sensors, electronics, electronic warfare and special warfare weapons.   

Writer: Curt Slyder, 765-588-3342, caslyder@prf.org

Sources: Chad Pittman, 765-588-3473, capittman@prf.org

Brooke Pyne, NSWC Crane, 812-854-4823, Elizabeth.b.payne@navy.mil