ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Sandia National Laboratories will pursue a Center for Collaboration and Commercialization to strengthen partnerships, technology transfer and ties to the community.
The center, known as C3, will support the city of Albuquerque’s and the University of New Mexico’s Innovation District and Innovate ABQ initiatives. C3 will offer programming and services to boost Sandia’s interaction with partners in industry, academia and government, and will promote technology commercialization.
“We view C3 as part of the city’s Innovation District, as the eastern end of an innovation corridor that extends along Central Avenue from downtown east to Eubank Boulevard and the Sandia Science & Technology Park,” said Sandia Deputy Chief Technology Officer Julia Phillips. “C3 will be the front door to Sandia, providing access to the labs and strengthening ties to the community.”
Albuquerque Mayor Richard J. Berry said, “We are excited to have another great example of collaboration in our community and the region that will increase collective impact for economic prosperity. C3 will provide even better access and interaction between Sandia’s technology and the business community, and a process for commercialization with resources to support it.”
A planned C3 facility in the Sandia Science & Technology Park will house Sandia employees and others working together on partnerships and tech transfer. Sandia will look to a strong partnership with the private sector to realize the C3 vision.
“We envision co-locating some of our people there who provide programming and services that support our partnerships strategy, which includes tech transfer,” said Jackie Kerby Moore, Sandia’s manager of Technology and Economic Development. “We can imagine hosting cross-institutional functions and meetings as well as providing licensing support, small business assistance and entrepreneurial exploration and training.”
C3 is one element of an intellectual property strategy to deploy the results of Sandia’s publicly funded research and development for the U.S. public good.
“We welcome Sandia’s participation in Innovate ABQ, and we foresee even more collaboration between our institutions,” said Lisa Kuuttila, CEO of UNM’s Science and Technology Center and Chief Economic Development Officer.
C3 is proposed as a facility in the research park east of Sandia, offering easy access to labs’ staff and more opportunities for collaboration and commercialization. Sandia is working with internal and external partners on a user survey and feasibility study.
“Our goal is to join the city and UNM in strengthening the local economy. It’s all about stimulating innovation, cultivating entrepreneurs and generating jobs,” said Sandia President and Laboratories Director Paul Hommert. “Sandia is a leader in technology transfer and economic development through partnerships. Now we want to do more.”
Click here for more information on Sandia technology partnerships.