Ivy Tech, Crane partner to help small businesses
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Ivy Tech Community College in Bloomington and Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division have launched a series of free online classes to help small businesses and entrepreneurs use federally developed technology toward their own endeavors.
“Federal Lab Technology Transfer for Beginners” is a multi-part course intended to help people work with federal laboratories and technology transfer offices to develop and grow their small businesses, the two organizations said.
A variety of technology resources and other government-owned intellectual property are available for public use, but various processes are involved. The online course is considered a beginner’s guide.
“We believe this will be a valuable tool for small businesses,” Steve Bryant, executive director of the Gayle & Bill Cook Center for Entrepreneurship at Ivy Tech Community College, said in a news release.
Participants will learn how to license federally developed patented technology, a process called technology transfer, and collaborate with a federal lab’s scientists and engineers. The course also will provide insight from entrepreneurs who have benefited from doing so.
“Our goal is to make government-developed technology more accessible for use and licensing by the private sector,” said Maria Duran, director of technology transfer at NSWC Crane.
NSWC Crane selected Ivy Tech Bloomington to partner on the effort because of Ivy Tech’s experience in providing online learning opportunities and the Cook Center’s experience in working with small businesses to help them succeed, the news release said.
A grant from the Office of Naval Research is helping to fund the program.