Department of Energy Announces Two Landmark Technology Transfer Initiatives - Energy.gov (press release)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the approval of two landmark technology transfer reform initiatives to enhance public and private sector engagement with DOE’s world class national laboratories and improve the transition of promising innovations to the marketplace.  These reforms reduce administrative access barriers to collaboration with DOE facilities and streamline approval of technology transfer agreements so DOE Labs can better move at the speed of business.  

“DOE is committed to facilitating innovation, and these reforms significantly streamline the ability for industry to collaborate with the national laboratories, which will unleash some truly amazing accomplishments,” said Under Secretary for Science Paul Dabbar.

The first initiative, the Laboratory Agreement Processing Reform, streamlines the ability of national laboratory contractors to enter into certain lab partnering agreements within a DOE-approved portfolio of routine work. This significantly reduces agreement processing times, enabling the national laboratories to focus on more complex and high-risk transactions. 

The second initiative, the Liability Reform, provides more flexibility for laboratories to address indemnity requirements – a common barrier to private sector interaction –easing the ability to partner with the national laboratories by tailoring associated risk to the specific circumstances.   

These reforms modernize the Lab engagement process while still retaining appropriate DOE oversight.  These initiatives are part of the Administration’s continuing commitment to regulatory reform, and will be implemented across the DOE complex in the coming months. The reforms announced today are just one example of a host of recent DOE initiatives designed to optimize private sector engagements with our national laboratories and maximize DOE’s return on investments. Together these initiatives will help unleash the full potential of our National Laboratories and their impact on our Nation’s economy.

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