Bringing New Ideas to Market

Science Progress (Zuiches) - Knowledge Transfer, Open Innovation, and the Role of Federal Agencies and Universities in U.S. Economic Competitiveness.

Processes of knowledge translation, transfer, and communication are often unique to each agency or very specialized even within departments of each agency...One approach, however, is to strengthen the links, cooperation, and partnerships of the technology extension and outreach programs and functions of the federal government and universities around the country. USDA and state Cooperative Extension programs, the SBA Small Business Development Centers, and the Department of Commerce Manufacturing Extension Partnerships, administered by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, all need more professionals co-located in communities where they meet the four challenges set by OMB and OSTP every day. As place-based organizations, they would have a distinct competitive advantage to achieving the desired outcomes.

At the same time, the federal government needs to embrace the open innovation model as a way to accelerate the technology and knowledge transfer process from idea to execution, from laboratories to businesses and consumer use. The open innovation model assumes high levels of communication, careful listening, reciprocity among the parties, mutual commitment, and serious engagement to achieve the goals. It also requires proximity, as well as virtual connectivity, to accomplish place-based programming, as Orszag points out.

The Department of Energy does not need to invent an Energy Extension Service to achieve energy conservation in homes, agricultural, commercial, and industrial sectors. The adoption of new technologies, the use of energy conservation practices, and the implementation of renewable energy strategies could benefit from added investments in Cooperative Extension, Small Business Development Centers, and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership to focus on these priorities. Inter-agency grants or cooperative agreements could provide funding. These well-established programs have already earned the trust of consumers, community leaders, business and industry leaders, non-profits, and governmental partners.