Got commercialization? Center wants applicants

A Defense Department-funded group that helps to accelerate commercializing military technologies is accepting applications from government laboratories, academic researchers and small entrepreneurs and businesses that have developed new technologies.

The Center for Commercialization of Advanced Technology in San Diego will accept applications applications Oct. 16 through Nov. 15. Award winners will be announced in January.

The center is interested particularly in technologies that have been developed through the prototype stage and are ready to become a commercial product. Companies that have completed or will complete soon a Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project are encouraged to apply.

Submitted technologies will undergo a detailed review, evaluation and selection. Those chosen will be offered tailored transition services, such as commercialization planning, customized market research, business development and investment networking.

"All too often, promising cutting-edge technologies that could have a huge impact on solving a critical national defense problem die on the vine for lack of commercialization planning," said Tom Sheffer, CCAT program director at San Diego State University Research Foundation. That's where CCAT comes in.

"CCAT has extensive experience working with engineering-oriented laboratories and research companies, which have limited resources to assist in successfully getting their technologies into the market," he said.

Congress supports the center, and the Defense Department funds it as a public-private collaborative partnership among academia, industry and government. With centers at California State University, San Bernardino and San Diego State University, the program offers funding and business development support to small entrepreneurs and businesses and government and university research scientists who have developed technology for use in defense and homeland security as well as commercially.