ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The Association of University Research Parks (AURP) has presented Sandia National Laboratories its 2003 Excellence in Technology Transfer Award. The association presented the award in September at its 2003 Annual Conference in Vancouver, Canada.
The Excellence in Technology Transfer Award is given to an individual, agency or program that demonstrates great success in taking technology from the lab and nurturing it into a viable and growing business or businesses.
“AURP is pleased to honor Sandia National Laboratories with this award,” said Bill Drohan, Executive Director of Association of University Research Parks (AURP). “Sandia serves as a model in the United States for bringing technology from a research and development institution to the marketplace.”
Over the past five years, Sandia has participated in 183 new cooperative research and development agreements (CRADAs) with industry partners to jointly develop technology that is then incorporated into commercial products. In addition, Sandia has had 1,472 technical advance disclosures, 639 new non-federal entity agreements to assist partners in addressing specific technical challenges, and 415 commercial licenses that have transferred technologies developed at Sandia to the private sector.
“Sandia is honored to receive this most prestigious award from the association,” said David Goldheim, director of Corporate Business Development and Partnerships at Sandia. “The Sandia Science and Technology Park is a vital element of our technology transfer and technology collaboration strategy. The close proximity of the park and the synergism between businesses in the park and Sandia’s programs creates a climate for collaboration that results in efficient communications and the means to rapidly mature new technologies.”
AURP’s mission is to promote and support the development and operation of university research parks worldwide. The association serves a broad community consisting of planned and operating research parks and technology incubators around the world. A range of university, governmental, not-for-profit and private organizations interested in the development and operation of technology projects and programs, comprise the balance of AURP membership.
Sandia’s Business Development and Partnerships program has been recognized recently with other awards including the Federal Laboratory Consortium Award for Excellence in Technology Transfer given in this year for Sandia’s security assessment tools used to protect U.S. nuclear assets and critical infrastructures, and for a collaborative effort with Law Enforcement Technologies to develop and test a product that gives law enforcement officers the ability to quickly identify, at the crime scene, individuals who have recently fired or handled a gun.